Comparative study of immunocytological, immunohistochemical and in-situ hybridization methods in small ruminant neonatal mortality

Abstract

It was aimed to identify diseases using immunocytochemical, immunohistochemical, and in-situ hybridization methods, to determine sensitivity and specificity among these techniques, and to highlight their advantages and disadvantages for certain respiratory (Mycoplasma pneumonia, Pasteurella spp., Respiratory syncytial virus, Parainfluenza virus 3) and enteric (Coronavirus, Rotavirus, Escherichia coli, Clostridium spp.) agents. The obtained results were compared, and although the immunocytochemical method was found to be the fastest, immunohistochemistry was proved to be the most reliable method. Our other aim was to establish pathological diagnostic panels for neonatal infections. All antibodies tested were found to be positive except for Pasteurella multocida. The immunohistochemical findings of the study indicate that nearly all cases that result in death involved mixed infections.