The "gold standard" for epidemiological typing of Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is the capsular reaction test (Neufeld test) with antisera against the 90 pneumococcal polysaccharide capsules, i.e., serotyping. The method is labor intensive and requires a certain level of experience to be performed satisfactory, and thus it has been restricted for use in specialized reference or resear...

In order to demonstrate that cells of Candida spp. may show considerable nonspecific agglutination in latex agglutination tests, 150 clinical and reference isolates of 12 yeast species were systematically studied by applying various test parameters. In fact, 40 (26.7%) of these isolates revealed nonspecific results, significantly associated with the time allowed for agglutination.

Fibrinogen antigens were measured either with an agglutination inhibition method (using latex particles coated with fibrinogen; Diagen test) or with a direct agglutination technique (using latex particles coated with a mixture of anti-D and anti-E antibodies; Thrombo-Wellcotest). Both methods were compared with the tanned red cell haemagglutination inhibition immunoassay (TRCHII) during progres...

The value of a latex agglutination test (Escherichia coli O157 latex test; Oxoid Ltd.) for rapid presumptive detection of E. coli serotype O157:H7 was determined by laboratory trials and during an outbreak of hemorrhagic colitis. The latex test was found to be a simple, highly efficient and reliable test in detecting E. coli O157:H7 with 100% sensitivity and specificity. It was also found that ...

In mice infected with an avirulent strain of Toxoplasma gondii, circulating Toxoplasma antigens were detectable in the sera during weeks 1 to 3 of infection by a simple agglutination test that uses latex particles coated with anti-Toxoplasma antibodies. An infection in athymic nude mice resulted in high agglutination titers in the anti-Toxoplasma antibody-coated latex particle test and the abse...

Brucella canis is the causative agent of canine brucellosis and facultative intracellular pathogen. The diagnosis of canine brucellosis is based on bacteriological examination and serological methods including agglutination and gel diffusion tests. In this study, crude antigens were extracted from B. canis using hot saline, coated on to latex beads and their usefulness in the serological diagno...