Improved antiserum agar method for the serogroup differentiation of Neisseria meningitidis Y and W135.

Rabbit antisera prepared to meningococcal serogroups Y and W135 strains were compared with horse antisera using the antiserum agar method (ASA) for the serogroup identification of Neisseria meningitidis. Thirty-seven group Y strains formed immunoprecipitates with the Y rabbit serum only, whereas the same Y strains formed immunoprecipitates with both the Y and W135 horse antisera. Forty-seven W135 strains formed specific immunoprecipitates with both the rabbit and horse W135 antisera by ASA. None of the 166 meningococcal isolates, representative of other meningococcal serogroups, formed immunoprecipitates with the groups Y and W135 rabbit or horse antisera. Use of specific Y and W135 rabbit antisera in ASA provides an improved technique for the serogroup differentiation of groups Y and W135 meningococci.