A short, reliable, highly reproducible complement fixation test for the serological diagnosis of contagious equine metritis.

The research article discusses the development and efficacy of a quick and reliable complement fixation test for the serological detection of a disease in horses called contagious equine metritis.

Objective of the Research

• The goal of the research was to develop a complement fixation test that efficiently detects antibodies related to contagious equine metritis in horse sera. The contagious equine metritis is a sexually transmitted disease in horses.

Method and Approach

• The researchers based their test on a similar diagnostic tool used for brucellosis, a bacterial infection that affects various animal species.
• They used round-bottomed microtitration plates and an 8-channel microdiluter for the test.
• The test’s performance was evaluated using two known positive sera, tested 116 times in 27 distinct experiments.

Findings and Results

• The results were mostly reproducible within a twofold range, seldom exceeding this limit and never going beyond a fourfold range, ensuring the test’s reliability.
• The entire test operation can be performed within 90 minutes, emphasizing its speed and efficiency.
• Results showed that the test was slightly more sensitive when the sera were inactivated in a hot air oven for 50 minutes at 58 degrees Celsius, compared to inactivation at 62 degrees Celsius in a water-bath for the same duration.
• The test showed no false-negative or false-positive responses, which means it accurately identified all positive and negative samples. The test also did not show any untoward anticomplementary activity in the sera tested, further confirming its efficacy and reliability.