Comparison of indirect haemagglutination test, gel-diffusion precipitin test, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of serum antibodies to Pasteurella multocida in naturally and experimentally infected rabbits.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), gel-diffusion precipitin test (GDPT), and indirect haemagglutination test (IHAT) were evaluated for the detection of antibodies to Pasteurella multocida in both naturally and experimentally infected rabbits. A total of 285 rabbit serum samples from 7 rabbit colonies were tested by ELISA, GDPT, and IHAT, and nasal cultures were taken coincidentally to use as the standard in the serological tests. There was better correlation (98.0%) between the results of ELISA and positive nasal culture than between the GDPT (86.3%) or IHAT (23.5%) and positive nasal culture. In addition, ELISA and GDPT were positive in 26 (11.1%) and 21 (9.0%) of 234 serum samples from nasal culture negative rabbits, respectively. In experimentally infected rabbits, antibodies detected by the ELISA and GDPT began to rise one to 3 weeks post-inoculation. IHAT did not detect antibodies. These results are discussed in terms of value to serodiagnosis of rabbit pasteurellosis.