Indirect estimation of variations in cellular and humoral immune responses in bovine tuberculosis; field experience
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63207/ai.v9i17.197Keywords:
Intradermal tuberculin test, Mycobacterium bovis, Indirect ELISA, In vivo diagnosisAbstract
Bovine tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium bovis, presents a complex immunological dynamic in which the cellular response predominates during the early stages, while the humoral response becomes more evident as the infection progresses. However, under field conditions, these immune responses may show variability and intermittence. The objective of this study was to indirectly evaluate the evolution of both responses through periodic repetitions of the tuberculin skin test (TST) and an indirect ELISA (iELISA) in the sanitary herd of a naturally infected dairy farm. Two groups were formed: animals that entered the sanitary herd as TST-positive (n = 79) and animals that entered as iELISA-positive (n = 40). Each group underwent four repetitions of the same diagnostic technique over a ten-month period. In the TST group, only 20% remained positive in all repetitions, while 80% showed negativization or erratic patterns. In the iELISA group, 40% remained positive, although 60% exhibited fluctuations. These results indicate that both techniques may display unexpected behavior under field conditions, reinforcing the need to interpret them in an integrated manner and to avoid repeating them in animals previously classified as positive by either method.
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