Application of interferon-γ testing and the comparative cervical skin test in herds infected with Mycobacterium bovis / 中国人兽共患病学报

ABSTRACT

The interferon-γ testing and the comparative cervical skin test were compared with the simple cervical hypersensitivity test routinely used in our country in herds infected with Mycobacterium bovis, in which 167 infected cattle from 5 herds were tested with interferon-γ testing and the comparative cervical test (CCT) simultaneously and other 106 cattle were tested with other hypersensitivity tests used as control for comparison. In these 167 cattle tested with both tests, 89 cattle were proved to be positive both in interferon-γ testing and CCT using the bovine PPD of Netherland with a coincidence rate of 92.7% (89/96). In 106 cattle the coincidence rate of positive reactions detected by γ-interferon test and CCT was 93.41% (78/83.5), that detected by the routine skin of foreign country was 62.26%(66/106); and that between the hypersensitivity test of China and foreign country was 92.19% (59/64). It is obvious that the interferon-γ testing and CCT seem to have higher coincidence rate and the specificity of the skin tests used in our country was rather low. Consequently, the use of the comparative cervical skin test should be considered to replace the routinely used shin tests.