Corynebacterium renale as a cause of reactions to the complement fixation test for Johne's disease

Abstract

Complement fixation (C.F.) tests and fluorescent antibody (F.A.) tests were carried out on sera from rabbits inoculated with Corynebacterium renale and Mycobacterium johnei, and on sera from cattle with C. renale pyelonephritis and with Johne's disease. Cross-reactions were a feature of the C.F. test with both antigens on sera from rabbits and cattle with both infections. Positive C.F. tests for Johne's disease could, therefore, result from C. renale infection. The F.A. test was highly specific in the artificially infected rabbits and more specific than the C.F. test in cattle with the natural diseases.