Detection of <i>Corynebacterium salmoninus</i> by Direct Fluorescent Antibody Test

Abstract

A direct fluorescent antibody test (FAT) was developed for detecting Corynebacterium salmoninus, causative agent of bacterial kidney disease. The direct procedure was found to be as specific as the previously described indirect test, and requires only 7 min—about [Formula: see text] as much time—to perform. A comparison of the direct FAT with the Gram stain for sensitivity of detecting the bacterium indicated the fluorescent procedure to be 100 to 1000 times more sensitive. Furthermore, the FAT is highly effective and efficient for screening large numbers of samples.Key words: Corynebacterium salmoninus, detection, bacterial kidney disease, direct fluorescent antibody test