Diagnosis of Mycoplasma pulmonis infection of rats by an indirect immunofluorescence test compared with 4 other diagnostic methods.

Abstract

Efficiency of indirect immunofluorescence microscopy (IFM) for detection of M. pulmonis antibody (IgG) in rats was compared with results of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), complement fixation (CF), cultural isolation and histopathology. IFM was carried out on M. pulmonis infected BHK-21 cells grown on cover slips or multitest slides. After acetone fixation these antigen carriers could be stored at -20 degrees C for several months so that serological tests could be done at any time and completed within 2 h. The IFM was strain specific and the sensitivity of the test was comparable with that of the ELISA, whereas the CF-test proved to be very insensitive. For routine monitoring, only in cases of fresh infections should time consuming cultural procedures be preferred to serological tests. Chronic disease stages were readily detected by histological examination.