ABSTRACT An evaluation of anti-rubella virus immunoglobulin G (IgG) immunoassays that report in international units per milliliter (IU/ml) was performed to determine their analytical performance and the degree of correlation of the test results. A total of 321 samples were characterized based on results from a hemagglutination inhibition assay. The 48 negative and 273 positive samples were used to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the assays. When equivocal results were interpreted as reactive, the sensitivity of the immunoassays ranged from 98.9 to 99.9% and the specificity ranged from 77.1 to 95.8%. All assays had positive and negative delta values of less than 2. A significant difference between the mean results of all assays was demonstrated by analysis of variance. However, post hoc analysis showed there was good correlation in the mean results expressed in IU/ml between some of the assays. Our results show the level of standardization between anti-rubella virus IgG immunoassays reporting results expressed as IU/ml has improved since a previous study in 1992, but further improvement is required.

ABSTRACT A 44-year-old man with a bioprosthetic aortic valve suffered destructive endocarditis with severe embolic disease due to Bartonella henselae infection. Multilocus sequence typing was successfully performed with crude preparations of operative tissue as templates, and the infecting organism was determined to be typical of the Houston clonal group, although it was never cultured from blood or tissue. This is the first report of B. henselae infection in the South Pacific, and it reminds one that B. henselae is a cause of potentially lethal culture-negative endocarditis which may respond poorly to conventional empirical therapy. Nothing is known of the epidemiology of the infection in this region, but it is likely to be common and to contain representatives of both major clonal complexes. This study emphasizes the ease with which multilocus sequence typing can be used directly with tissue, which is important because of suggestions of strain-dependent clinical outcomes.

ABSTRACT A novel commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for prevaccination screening and diagnosis of Q fever (PanBio Coxiella burnetii immunoglobulin G [IgG] ELISA) was compared to the complement fixation test (CFT), and the indirect fluorescent-antibody test (IFAT) was used to resolve discrepant results between the other two tests. A total of 214 serum samples was tested. The ELISA demonstrated a specificity of 96% (46 of 48 samples) and a sensitivity of 71% (95 of 134 samples). Of the six serum pairs showing CFT seroconversion, three pairs showed a corresponding ELISA seroconversion. No cross-reactivity was observed in the ELISA with serum samples from patients with mycoplasma, brucella, and chlamydia infections. One of the 13 patients with leptospirosis demonstrated a positive result in the ELISA but not in the CFT or the IFAT, and Legionella pneumophila serogroup 4 antibody was found in one of the two sera that were false-positive by ELISA. The results presented in this study suggest that the PanBio Q fever IgG ELISA is a specific alternative method for prevaccination testing and an aid for the diagnosis of Q fever. This test is suitable for use as a screening assay, with CFT and/or IFAT used to confirm negative results.

Australian Veterinary JournalVolume 70, Issue 10 p. 389-390 A serological survey of dogs, cats and horses in south-eastern Australia for leptospiral antibodies D DICKESON, D DICKESON Clinical Microbiology, Institute of Clinical Pathology & Medical Research, Westmead Hospital, Westmead New South Wales 2145Search for more papers by this authorDN LOVE, DN LOVE Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006Search for more papers by this author D DICKESON, D DICKESON Clinical Microbiology, Institute of Clinical Pathology & Medical Research, Westmead Hospital, Westmead New South Wales 2145Search for more papers by this authorDN LOVE, DN LOVE Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006Search for more papers by this author First published: October 1993 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.1993.tb00823.xCitations: 40AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. References Anon (1989) Aust Vet Pract 19: 154. Baldwin CJ and Atkins CE (1987) Comp Small Anim Pract 9: 499. Cotbould A (1968) Aust Vet J 44: 529. Desmarchelier PM (1987) Med J Aust 146: 353. Faine S (1982) Guidelines for the Control of Leptospirosis, WHO Offset Publication No. 67, World Health Organisation, Geneva . Forbes BRV and Lawrence JJ (1952) Aust Vet J 28: 72. Glazebrook JS, Campbell RSF, Hutchinson GW and Stallman ND (1978) Aust Vet J 56: 147. Rothwell JT (1989) Aust Vet J 67: 232. Slatter DH and Hawkins CD (1982) Aust Vet J 59: 84. Spradbrow PB (1962) Aust Vet J 38: 20. Sullivan ND (1974) Aust Vet J 50: 216. Swart KS, Calvert K and Meney C (1982) Aust Vet J 59: 25. Watson ADJ, Davis PE and Johnson JA (1976a) Aust Vet Pract 52: 84. Watson ADJ, Wannan JS, Porges WL and Testoni FJ (1976b) Aust Vet J 52: 425. Citing Literature Volume70, Issue10October 1993Pages 389-390 ReferencesRelatedInformation