Toxoplasmosis in sheep 2. Serological response in the early stages of infection

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Abstract
Extract Dye-test reactivity in sheep serum can result from either of two different types of anti-body, distinguishable by their stability to heat (Te Punga and Penrose, 1964 Te Punga, W. A. and Penrose, Mary E. 1964. N.Z. vet. J., 12: 150–150. [Taylor & Francis Online] [Google Scholar] ). Heat-labile antibody was found in sheep that showed low (less than 1: 16) non-fluctuating titres in their sera from several successive bleedings, and heat-stable antibody in sheep with high (more than 1: 256) titres in their sera. It was suggested that high titres were probably induced by infection with Toxoplasma gondii but no explanation of the heat-labile antibodies was attempted. It was therefore of interest to determine whether inoculation of sheep with Toxoplasma gondii resulted in the formation of two different populations of antibody molecules distinguishable on the basis of their stability to heat.