Pili (fimbriae) of the causative agents of plague and pseudotuberculosis: their detection in the hemagglutination reaction, the passive hemagglutination reaction and in an immunoenzyme analysis system

Newly developed serological methods for the detection of pili in the passive hemagglutination (PHA) test with the use of immunoglobulin erythrocytic diagnosticum and in the enzyme immunoassay (EIA) with the use of specific immunoglobulins labeled with horse radish peroxidase have been found to exceed the method of detecting pili, based on the determination of their hemagglutinating activity, in sensitivity and specificity. Besides, the PHA test and EIA have proved to be capable of detecting low molecular fragments of pili, obtained by sonication and having lost their hemagglutinating activity.