Specificity of an immunochromatographic test for anthrax

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the specificity of an immunochromatographic test (ICT) for anthrax in cattle. Design: A comparison of an ICT with blood smear and culture in uninfected cattle. Procedure: Two hundred and forty blood samples were collected from dead cattle at two knackeries within Victoria and tested on-site with an ICT for the detection of protective antigen (PA) of Bacillus anthracis. Blood smears were prepared on-site and blood samples transported to the laboratory for aerobic and anaerobic culture. The results of the ICT were compared with blood smear and culture. Animals were regarded as not infected with B anthracis if the organism was not detected in a stained blood smear or on c..