Comparison of serological techniques for the identification of Renibacterium salmoninarum

The optimum conditions for staphylococcal co-agglutination (CoA), latex agglutination (LA) and the fluorescent antibody test (FAT) for the identification of Renibacterium salmoninarum isolated in culture were determined. Their sensitivities were then compared with that of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The ELISA was the most sensitive, followed by CoA, with the FAT and LA jointly the least sensitive. However, all four techniques were sufficiently sensitive for routine identification of R. salmoninarum. The agglutination techniques (CoA and LA) were preferred because of their speed, ease of use and low cost.