[Identification of various porcine mycoplasmas using epi-immunofluorescence]

The responses of the field strains and type strains of Mycoplasma hyorhinis are compared in epi-immunofluorescence, in growth-inhibition tests, and growth-precipitation tests. The type strains, together with the field strains, could be definitely identified by direct and indirect epi-immunofluorescence. In indirect epi-immunofluorescence, all rabbit antiserums against the strains of Mycoplasma hyorhinis tested by us always gave positive cross reactions with all the tested strains of Mycoplasma hyorhinis. On the other hand, in the growth-inhibition cross test and growth precipitation cross test, the type strains of Mycoplasma hyorhinis always reacted positively only with the homologous antiserums, whereas the heterologous reactions were mostly negative or dubious. The clearly positive epi-immunofluorescent reactions with serums against any strain of Mycoplasma hyorhinis suggest that this method is more suitable for the identification of Myocplasma species than the other two tests studied.