Comparison of four serological tests in the diagnosis of caprine brucellosis

Results from four serological tests for diagnosing brucellosis--serum tube agglutination (SAT), agar gel immunodiffusion (AGIT), Rose Bengal plate (RBPT) and complement fixation (CFT)--were compared using sera from goats from farms infected with Brucella melitensis. Ninety-two goats were negative and 29 positive to all four tests. The remaining 85 reacted to one or more tests. The RBPT was the most sensitive test and the AGIT the most specific, when compared with the CFT. The results suggest that the SAT adds little information when used with other tests but that RBPT and AGIT are useful for testing caprine brucellosis where facilities for the CFT are not available.