Comparative titration of Anaplasma marginale antibodies by card agglutination and complement-fixation tests

The card agglutination test for anaplasmosis was improved so that bovine serum could be titrated for Anaplasma antibodies. The modified test was validated when its results on 1 set of serum samples were compared with the results furnished by the complement-fixation test on the same set. The samples tested were from cows inoculated with an Anaplasma vaccine or with either 1 of 2 virulent strains of Anaplasma marginale. A correlation coefficient of 0.60 was calculated between the values of the titers furnished by the 2 tests, and regression equations were calculated and used to estimate the serum titer in 1 test from a titer measured in the other. The results indicate that the simple card agglutination test can yield titers comparable with those of the complement-fixation test.