Comparisons of serological tests for Babesia in British cattle

A comparison was made between the microplate enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) and complement fixation (CF) tests for the detection of antibodies in the serum of cattle experimentally infected with Babesia divergens and B major. Antibodies were detected using all three tests but they were detected earlier using the CF test. However CF titres were consistently lower than those obtained using the other tests. Although there was little to choose between the IFA and ELISA tests, it was suggested that the ELISA may be preferable since it is less subject to operator error and operator stress, and can be adapted readily to field use.