HOG CHOLERA. 3. INVESTIGATION OF THE COMPLEMENT-FIXATION TEST FOR THE DETECTION OF THE VIRUS IN SWINE TISSUE.

The complement-fixation test was investigated as a means of detecting hog cholera virus in spleen from experimentally infected swine. Various methods of extracting the tissue for production of antigen are described and emphasis is placed on the necessity of using the modified direct complement-fixation test to obtain reactions. The tissue should be obtained from animals showing advanced clinical manifestations of the disease. Preferably, the tissue should be maintained frozen or at least well refrigerated. The results indicate that tissue from dead animals or from breeding sows should be avoided. The 77 per cent positive reactions obtained suggest the test could be of diagnostic value provided two or three samples are obtained from the same herd.