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Precipitating antibodies againstMicropolyspora faeni in equines in north-western India

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Abstract

Prevalence of serum precipitins againstMicropolyspora faeni, Thermoactinomyces vulgaris andAspergillus fumigatus, employing the counterimmunoelectrophoresis (COTE) and Ouchterlony's double diffusion (DD) techniques, is reported in 162 of the equines stationed at two military installations in northwestern India.M. faeni specific precipitins were demonstrable in 58 of 112 mules from site I in the mountainous region whereas the results were negative for all of the 50 horses examined from site IT located in the plains. Of the 58M. faeni positive mules, 45 (78%) had signs and symptoms suggestive of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) while the remaining 13 (22%) were apparently free from any respiratory disorder. The more frequent occurrence ofM. faeni precipitins in the symptomatic than in the asymptomatic group of mules was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.01). Precipitins againstA. fumigatus were concomitantly demonstrated in 5 of the mules afflicted with COPD and found to be positive forM. faeni.

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Khan, Z.U., Misra, V.C. & Randhawa, H.S. Precipitating antibodies againstMicropolyspora faeni in equines in north-western India. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 51, 313–319 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02439940

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