To determine if 12 moose (Alces alces) from northern Alaska with agglutinating antibodies specific for Brucella spp. had been exposed to either B. suis biovar 4 or B. abortus biovar 1, western immunoblot serologic analysis was performed. Differential serologic responses to strain specific A and M antigenic variances of the lipopolysaccharide O-polysaccharide sugar allowed strain identification. Prior to examination, test sera were absorbed with killed whole cells from either B. abortus biovar 1, containing predominately A antigen (A M−); B. melitensis biovar 1, containing essentially M antigen (A−M ); or B. suis biovar 4, containing both antigenic types (A M ). The resulting sera were then examined by western immuno-blot for recognition of either B. abortus biovar 1, B. melitensis biovar 1, or B. suis biovar 4 cell lysates. The results of this study indicate that these moose were exposed to B. suis biovar 4, a known pathogen of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) from arctic Alaska.
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1 July 1999
Use of Western Immunoblot Analysis for Testing Moose Serum for Brucella suis biovar 4 Specific Antibodies
Matthew D. Edmonds,
Felicia M. Ward,
Todd M. O'Hara,
Philip H. Elzer

Journal of Wildlife Diseases
Vol. 35 • No. 3
July 1999
Vol. 35 • No. 3
July 1999
Alces alces
Brucella suis biovar 4
moose
serology
survey
western immunoblot