Multi-antigen print immunoassay for seroepidemiological surveillance of bovine tuberculosis on Indian cattle farms

Bovine tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis is a zoonotic disease that is responsible for significant economic losses in many countries. The standard diagnostic method, the tuberculin test (TST) that is used in control programmes has serious shortcomings and, given the complex nature and the economic impact of the disease, a number of other diagnostic methods have been examined. The authors have attempted to characterise antibody response using the multi-antigen print immunoassay (MAPIA). A total of 511 serum samples were collected from farms in India on which bovine tuberculosis was prevalent and on farms with low incidence. These were tested using the MAPIA against a panel of five defined M. bovis recombinant antigens and two purified protein derivatives (bovine PPD and avian PPD) to study the seroprevalence of the disease on Indian cattle farms. Results indicated that the fusion protein of antigen CFP-10:MPB83 showed a positive response in 142 out of 298 serum samples from tuberculosis-prevalent farms, thereby indicating the serological dominance of the proteins post infection. The antigen selected could be used further in the development of a simple, rapid and accurate serological diagnostic test, paired with TST, for use in bovine tuberculosis control programmes.