Veterinary Epidemiology and Zoonosis

Rose bengal plate agglutination test

DIAGNOSIS OF BRUCELLOSIS BY ROSE BENGAL PLATE AGGLUTINATION TEST

• The test is mainly used for screening of brucellosis in a herd to detect the presence of infection qualitatively. It is a rapid test, useful in screening large number of sera samples quickly.

Materials required

Materials required	Quantity and purpose
Rose Bengal plate agglutination test antigen (RBPAT) (available at IVRI, Izatnagar)	30µL per sample
Known brucella positive and negative serum	Each 30µL per test
White tile	One
Test serum suspected for brucellosis	30µL per test
Micropipette and microtips	Adequate numbers

Procedure

• Equilibrate test samples and reagents to room temperature and re-suspend the RBPAT antigen.
• Place 30µL of RBPAT antigen on the white tile.
• Place 30µL of test serum adjacent to RBPAT antigen and mix the contents to produce a zone approximately 2cm in diameter.
• Always keep positive and negative controls.
• Rock the mixture gently and observe for agglutination.

Figure: Rose Bengal  Plate Agglutination Test