Application of latex agglutination test in the diagnosis of Riemerellosis in ducks

Riemerellosis, caused by Riemerella anatipestifer (R. anatipestifer) is a septicemic infection, mainly affecting ducks. Its occurrence is common and outbreaks are frequently reported with heavy mortality and morbidity. Currently, diagnosis of riemerellosis is mainly dependent on conventional methods like isolation and identification and molecular techniques like polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The available techniques demand time and require expensive equipment and reagents, making them impractical to be used under field conditions. In the present study, a latex agglutination test (LAT) was developed to detect antibodies against riemerellosis using the crude outer membrane protein (Omp) of R. anatipestifer as antigen. The developed LAT was easy to perform, economic, gave results rapidly and capable of testing large number of samples simultaneously. The comparative efficacy of the LAT was assessed using indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (I-ELISA).