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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #127092
Title: DETECTING ANTIBODIES TO SALMONELLA ENTERITIDIS IN SERUM AND EGG YOLKS FROM EXPERIMENTALLY INFECTED LAYING HENS BY FLUORESCENCE POLARIZATION

Author
item Gast, Richard
item JOLLEY, M - DIACHEMIX CORP, ILLINOIS
item NASIR, M - DIACHEMIX CORP, ILLINOIS
item Holt, Peter
item STONE, H - USDA COLLABORATOR

Submitted to: United States Animal Health Association Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/30/2001
Publication Date: 11/4/2001
Citation: Gast, R.K., Jolley, M.E., Nasir, M.S., Holt, P.S., Stone, H.D. 2001. Detecting antibodies to salmonella enteritidis in serum and egg yolks from experimentally infected laying hens by fluorescence polarization. United States Animal Health Association Proceedings.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The present study evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of detection of specific antibodies in sera and eggs yolks from experimentally infected chickens by an FP assay using tracers prepared from the O-polysaccharide of SE and an enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) using an SE flagellin antigen. In 2 trials, groups of specific-pathogen-free laying hens were infected orally with either 1 million or 100 million cfu of SE (phage type 13a) or with 10 million cfu of S. typhimurium. Serum and egg yolk samples were collected during the first 5 weeks after inoculation. Both assays detected a high percentage of hens infected with SE but also identified a substantial number of hens infected with S. typhimurium as antibody-positive. The FP test often demonstrated both superior sensitivity and specificity in comparison to the ELISA. FP may accordingly offer a fast and effective alternative to traditional serological assays for preliminary screening of laying flocks prior to bacteriological confirmation of SE infection or egg contamination.