Evaluation of the one-point microcapsule agglutination test for diagnosis of leptospirosis

We have developed a one-point microcapsule agglutination test (MCAT) for the serodiagnosis of leptospirosis. The MCAT kit was evaluated for use in humans by six WHO Collaborating Centres for Reference and Research on Leptospirosis. The laboratories classified their serum samples on the basis of the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) and the following screening tests: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), macroscopic (slide) agglutination test, or the complement fixation test. The MCAT may in some instances give a positive result earlier in the course of the disease than MAT or the ELISA IgM; on the other hand, it did not detect antibodies against some serovars, for example, those of the Sejroe or Australis serogroup in Slovakia. In contrast, however, the MCAT detected antibodies to serovar hardjo (the same serogroup as Sejroe) in patients from the United Kingdom and the Russian Federation.