ARS | Publication request: Detection of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE) Antibodies in Serum Using A Polystyrene Bead/SE Flagella Agglutination Assay

Submitted to: American Association of Avian Pathologists
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: December 24, 2008
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Serologic screening of flocks can be an important method to detect Salmonella enteritidis (SE) infections but can be labor intensive or lack specificity. Our goal was to develop a rapid agglutination assay using SE flagella adsorbed to polystyrene beads as a simple, relatively specific test to detect serum SE antibodies. Birds were vaccinated with either a commercial SE bacterin or a bacterin composed of SE cells heated in a boiling water bath which destroyed the flagella but retained LPS O antigens. The serum was tested by mixing 10 ul serum with 20 ul beads. Sera from the birds receiving the commercial bacterin strongly agglutinated the beads while no bead agglutination was observed from the sera of birds receiving the boiled cell bacterin. This latter sera did exhibit strong agglutination of stained whole SE cells, indicating a potent response to the SE LPS antigens. These results indicate that SE flagella coupled to polystyrene can be used as a simple and specific means of serologically screening flocks for SE infection.