Use of western immunoblot analysis for testing moose serum for Brucella suis biovar 4 specific antibodies. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • To determine if 12 moose (Alces alces) from northern Alaska with agglutinating antibodies specific for Brucella spp. had been exposed to either B. suis biovar 4 or B. abortus biovar 1, western immnnoblot serologic analysis was performed. Differential serologic responses to strain specific A and M antigenic variances of the lipopolysaccharide O-polysaccharide sugar allowed strain identification. Prior to examination, test sera were absorbed with killed whole cells from either B. abortus biovar 1, containing predominately A antigen (A+ M-); B. melitensis biovar 1, containing essentially M antigen (A- M+); or B. suis biovar 4, containing both antigenic tyes (A+ M+). The resulting sera were then examined by western immunoblot for recognition of either B. abortus biovar 1, B. melitensis biovar 1, or B. suis biovar 4 cell lysates. The results of this study indicate that these moose were exposed to B. suis biovar 4, a known pathogen of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) from arctic Alaska.

published proceedings

  • J Wildl Dis

author list (cited authors)

  • Edmonds, M. D., Ward, F. M., O'Hara, T. M., & Elzer, P. H.

citation count

  • 14

complete list of authors

  • Edmonds, MD||Ward, FM||O'Hara, TM||Elzer, PH

publication date

  • July 1999