Latex agglutination tests for measurement of antiplague antibodies

A latex agglutination test was evaluated as a method for detection and titration of antiplague antibodies. Slide and microtiter techniques using polystyrene latex particles coated with specific fraction-I-antigen of Yersinia pestis were found to be comparable in specificity and sensitivity to serological tests commonly used in laboratory practice. The latex agglutination titers correlated well with those measured by the World Health Organization standard method of indirect hemagglutination, although there was a tendency for the former to be a little lower than the latter. With further study, the latex agglutination test may have application in the seroinvestigation of plague infection in rodents.