Evaluation of the anaplasmosis rapid card agglutination test for detecting experimentally-infected elk

Anaplasma marginale was experimentally transmitted from cattle to elk to cattle. Six intact adult elk (Cervus canadensis canadensis) inoculated with freshly collected heparinized blood from cattle chronically infected with A. marginale became asymptomatic carriers. Although the elk did not develop clinical or hematologic evidence of infection, they became seropositive by the serum(SRCA) and plasma rapid card agglutination (PRCA) tests. Blood from the experimentally-infected elk produced disease in splenectomized bovine calves and the carrier state persisted for at least one year. Infection did not occur when two elk were inoculated with 0.5 ml of frozen blood from known bovine carriers. The blood had been frozen for four weeks in liquid nitrogen with 6% dimethyl-sulfoxide. The bovine SRCA and PRCA tests were adapted for use with elk serum. To obtain accurate test results, serum collected from clotted elk blood had to be held for at least 72 h at 21-27 C before performance of the SRCA test. Comparative serologic and infectivity studies indicated that the carrier (reactor) status of elk was accurately identified with the serologic tests in 61 of 68 samples evaluated. Incorrect serologic results with the SRCA and PRCA tests were false-negative readings. In no case were uninfected elk identified as seropositive.