Reliability of results of the Rose Bengal test performed for export control in northern Somalia.

Sera from sheep and goats in northern Somalia which are exported to countries of the Persian Gulf are systematically checked for brucellosis by local veterinary teams. The standard test used is rapid seroagglutination using the Rose Bengal test (RBT) and seropositive animals are not exported. In order to assess the reliability of the serological results, three randomised batches of samples (653 sera), corresponding to an equivalent number of shipments (October and December 1994 and March 1995) were counterchecked. Control RBTs were carried out by expatriate veterinarians working on behalf of international non-governmental organisations and by the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale of Padua, Italy, which also performed the complement fixation test (CFT). A fourth batch (n = 100), including a group of sera found positive by the local veterinary teams, was also checked. Agreement ranged from 96.3% to 98.5%.