STAINING BACTERIAL SMEARS WITH FLUORESCENT ANTIBODY VI

Abstract

The potential value of employing fluorescent antibody solutions for the direct identification of salmonellae in fecal smears was investigated. Cross serological reactivity was a serious problem as shown by the results of studying pure cultures of various Enterobacteriaceae. This was confirmed by further studies of fecal specimens from typhoid carriers, from patients with gastroenteritis, and from normal persons. At the present time, no method has been found to resolve this difficulty although it is postulated that the problem may be less important in certain specialized areas of application. It appeared that incomplete antibody may influence the interpretation of fluorescent antibody tests to a significant degree and that these tests constituted an effective tool for measuring the prevalence of this antibody. The importance of analyzing pre-immunization sera to prevent misleading interpretations of fluorescent antibody tests was stressed. Variations in types of staining reactions obtained were pointed out and their significance discussed. The value of fluorescent antibody as a tool for the study of cellular architecture was emphasized.