Comparison of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and indirect hemagglutination test for quantitating antibody responses in chickens against Pasteurella multocida.

An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed to measure humoral antibody responses of chickens against Pasteurella multocida. A standard indirect hemagglutination (IHA) test was used to compare serologic results with those of ELISA. The ELISA was also used following challenge with P. multocida to compare the efficacy of three commercial fowl cholera vaccination regimens. Although antibody titers measured by ELISA and IHA were highly correlated, ELISA was at least twice as sensitive as IHA. Antibody measured by ELISA and IHA also correlated significantly with protection against P. multocida challenge. No mortality occurred in any of the three vaccinated challenged groups. However, control unvaccinated chickens experimentally infected with P. multocida developed signs of acute pasteurellosis and died by the 10th day post-challenge. Impression smears made of hepatic tissue from all chickens were stained (Wright's stain), and typical bipolar rods characteristic of Pasteurella were identified in smears from unvaccinated challenged controls only.