Comparative evaluation of Ziehl Neelsen staining and immunohistochemical detection of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis using polyclonal antibodies against M. tuberculosis in bovine tissues.

摘要

Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of acid-fast bacteria has been reported to be superior to Ziehl Neelsen (ZN) staining in the detection of mycobacteria in tissues. The potential use of commercial antibodies against M. tuberculosis has been evaluated for the detection of MAP infection in bovine tissues and compared it to the more commonly used ZN staining. From this study, commercial anti-M. tuberculosis antibodies may be used in the detection of MAP in animal tissues as a screening test as compared to ZN staining, in the absence of lesions indicative of other mycobacterial infections, in lieu of Ziehl Neelsen staining.