Abstract
Summary. Antigen extracts obtained by sonication of 22 strains of Mycobacterium bovis from cattle and badgers together with extracts of strains of M. tuberculosis, M. paratuberculosis, M. avium, M. africanum, M. kansasi, M. leprae and BCG were examined with a panel of 10 monoclonal antibodies to M. tuberculosis or M. leprae. Antigen extracts were coated in aqueous solution (wet coating) and the extracts were also dried on to the polyvinyl plates (dry coating). When dry coating was compared to wet coating, there was a major increase in the binding of monoclonal antibody ML03 to M. avium and M. paratuberculosis, monoclonal antibody ML02 to M. paratuberculosis, and monoclonal antibodies TB71 and TB72 to the majority of M. bovis isolates.