Comparison of serological procedures for diagnosis of infection with Chlamydophila sp. in bovines

In order to diagnose chlamydiosis caused by bacteria Chlamydophila sp., the humoral immunity response in domestic bovines was examined. A possible difference in titre of specific antibodies between latently, acutely and chronically infected animals was also studied. At the same time we confirmed the applicability and reliability of complement-fixation tests (CFT) and enzyme–linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on the basis of their specificity, sensitivity and comparativeness. Of 276 bovines examined, originating from 10 herds on Croatian territory, CFT revealed Chlamydophila sp. specific antibodies in 14.2% of sera samples, ELISA in 35.8%, and indirect immunofluorescent test (IIF) in 27.1% sera samples. These results suggest that CFT, ELISA and IIF can be used as reliable serological methods for diagnostics of chlamydiosis, being in accordance with Office International des Epizooties (OIE) recommendations.