[Demonstration of respiratory syncytial virus infection in calves by the complement fixation reaction]

Studied was tentatively the occurrence of a respiratory syncytial virus infection on some farms with records of the disease. Investigations were carried out on the base of the complement-fixation test (CFT) specially worked out and on the specific complement-fixing antigen obtained from a bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV). Tested were several methods for the production of a complement-fixing antigen. Most appropriate proved the one obtained by the extraction of an infected cell monolayer in glycerine buffer saline. It was stated that CFT was a proper test for the rapid herd diagnosis of BRSV infection. The study of double serum samples from 240 calves involved in 40 enzootics revealed that CFT could successfully be employed in 18 per cent of the cases of respiratory infections in calves in as many as 17 enzootics. However, the etiologic part played by the virus was dominating in some of these enzootics only. In the remaining ones the participation of the virus was either partial or sporadic.