Problems in the diagnosis of bovine brucellosis

In any disease eradication program, it is the unusual animal which assumes the greatest importance. There are no easy formulae for the diagnosis of brucellosis and many problems remain to be solved. A large variety of diagnostic methods has been studied and each has advantages and limitations. Simple agglutination tests will surely remain the basis for examinations of large numbers of sera and they should often be used only for screening. Selected supplemental tests are often necessary to confirm preliminary test findings. Any diagnostic procedure should not fail to correctly identify infected cattle and interpretations of results should not lead to excessive overcondemnation. Serologic methods must always be evaluated through bacteriologic attempts. There is no substitute for expertise to constantly study disease patterns in individual cattle and herds.