Demonstration and activity of anodal antigens of Campylobacter fetus in the counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIE) system

Abstract

Anodal antigens of six strains of C. fetus subsp fetus, three of C. fetus subsp venerealis and one of C. jejuni were analysed by the crossed antigen-antibody method of Laurell (1965) and the CIE system. Some isolates had four or five such antigens, while all isolates had at least two such antigens. The antigens reacted with rabbit anti-C. fetus sera in the CIE system to produce immunoprecipitates in agarose except in the case of C. jejuni. However, the antigens failed to react with phenol-saline extracts. They also failed to react with 1:4 saline homogenized vaginal mucus samples from cows known to be infected with C. fetus and which were positive in the routine vaginal mucus agglutination test.