A complement fixation test for the detection of Eperythrozoon infection in sheep.

A method is described for preparation of an antigen from E. ovis-infected blood first lysed by freezing and thawing, and then followed by sonic disruption of the centrifuged deposit. It was then used in a complement fixation test to demonstrate antibodies in sheep infected with E. ovis. The antigen was not anti-complementary and it retained its potency for long periods when stored concentrated, at about -20 degrees C. Repeated freezing and thawing also has had no effect on the potency of the concentrated antigen. The testing of 668 serums from commercial flocks where E. ovis infection has been diagnosed microscopically has shown the CFT to be a valuable diagnostic aid mainly on a flock sample basis, though the test could be of value on an individual sample basis if the sample were taken from a recently infected sheep.