Estimate of the sensitivity of an ELISA used to detect Johne's disease in Victorian dairy cattle herds

Objective To estimate the sensitivity of the ELISA used in dairy cattle herds participating in the Victorian Bovine Johne's Disease Test and Control Program (TCP). Procedure The percentage of ELISA reactors in age and test cohorts was estimated from age‐specific test data derived from TCP herds...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAustralian veterinary journal Vol. 82; no. 9; pp. 569 - 573
Main Authors JUBB, TF, SERGEANT, ESG, CALLINAN, APL, GALVIN, JW
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.09.2004
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Summary:Objective To estimate the sensitivity of the ELISA used in dairy cattle herds participating in the Victorian Bovine Johne's Disease Test and Control Program (TCP). Procedure The percentage of ELISA reactors in age and test cohorts was estimated from age‐specific test data derived from TCP herds with long testing histories. Age‐distribution data from production‐tested herds enabled estimation of reactor rates in animals that were culled or died. Results ELISA sensitivities at the first test round in herds achieving five, six and seven annual herd tests were 16.1, 14.9 and 13.5% respectively. The ELISA sensitivity in 2, 3 and 4‐year‐old animals at the first test round in herds testing seven times was 1.2, 8.9 and 11.6% respectively but remained between 20 and 30% in older age‐groups. Conclusion The sensitivity of the ELISA is considerably lower than previous estimates, probably because previous estimates were predominantly measured against faecal culture, which has subsequently been shown to have low sensitivity itself, and did not appreciate the long period that appears to precede detectable faecal excretion in most animals.
Bibliography:ark:/67375/WNG-Q6926R8P-R
istex:8A9FB5481818091745079BAE414775E72989ECB4
ArticleID:AVJ569
Department of Primary Industries, Box 2500, Bendigo Delivery Centre, Victoria 3554
AusVet Animal Health Services Pty Ltd, PO Box 2321, Orange, New South Wales 2800
ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 23
ISSN:0005-0423
1751-0813
DOI:10.1111/j.1751-0813.2004.tb11206.x