Screening for rubella antibodies by a single radial haemolysis test

A commercially produced single radial haemolysis (SRH) test for rubella antibodies was compared to the standard haemagglutination inhibition (HAI) test. There was a generally good correlation between haemolysis zone and HAI titres except for a few small and intermediate zones of haemolysis which were not dependable. The haemolysis was determined by the presence of rubella antigen. The SRH test is technically simple and can be recommended for screening programmes. IgM antibodies could not be detected by SRH.