AN ENZYME-LINKED-IMMUNOSORBENT-ASSAY (ELISA) FOR MONITORING GUINEA-PIGS AND RABBITS FOR BORDETELLA-BRONCHISEPTICA ANTIBODIES

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for monitoring antibodies specific to Bordetella bronchiseptica in guineapigs and rabbits was d eveloped. In conventional and SPF colonies of guineapigs and rabbits, the ELISA was equally successful in detecting infected animals when co mpared to selective cultivation from the respiratory tract. The ELISA showed a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 90% in guineapigs. I n rabbits the sensitivity and specificity of the ELISA were 97% and 91 % respectively. In rabbit sera from infected colonies, ELISA activity showed a statistically significant correlation with titres obtained in the micro-agglutination test. Since serologically unrelated strains o f the bacterium exist, the monitoring of animals for B. bronchiseptica infection by ELISA should be performed with various antigens.