THE BENTONlTE FLOCCULATION TEST FOR TRICHINOSIS AND ITS EVALUATION WITH THE COMPLEMENT FIXATION TEST ON SERA
OBT AINED FROM INFECTED ANIMALS
BY
JOHN BOZICEVICH
Laboratory of Clinical Investigations, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Natio- nal lnstitutes of Health, Bethesda 14, Maryland, USA
A suspension of bentonite particles sensitized with an extract of Trichinella larvae will flocculate when it is mixed with serum obtained from animals infected with Trichinella spiralis. Thirty-four animals were infected and sera was obtained at varying intervals of time. These sera were tested by both the complement fixation test and the flocculation test.
The appearance and evanescence of antibodies appeared to be similar by both test methods. A relatively higher titer was obtained by the complement fixation test than the flocculation test.
The bentonite flocculation test is simpler to perform and is less expensive than the complement fixation test.
