Agar Gel Diffusion Studies with a Mucosal Disease of Cattle: I.—Preliminary Results with the Technique

Abstract

SUMMARY An investigation was made into the use of agar gel diffusion reactions for the detection of cases of bovine mucosal disease. A total of 1323 tissues of various types was tested from 223 clinically affected cattle. One or more tissues from 85 of these animals reacted with immune serum and those from a further 14 animals gave a doubtful reaction. The tissues from 20 clinically healthy slaughterhouse cattle were tested and did not give rise to lines of precipitation. Normal cattle sera which were used throughout all tests as controls did not react either. Using a reacting tissue as antigen, precipitation lines were obtained with 187 out of 731 unpaired serum samples from affected or recovered cattle. In addition, a further 31 samples gave a doubtful reaction. Where mucosal disease was not suspected, the tissues of 64 cattle did not react, while those of 2 others gave a doubtful reaction. Serum samples from 115 apparently healthy cattle gave 3 positive and 1 doubtful reaction. It is considered that the technique of gel diffusion as described provides a test which has significance in the diagnosis of bovine mucosal disease.