A Specific Antigen Recovered from Tissue Infected with M. Paratuberculosis (Johne's Bacillus)

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Abstract
Summary: A specific antigen has been found in the mucous membrane of the intestine of sheep infected with paratuberculosis (Johne's disease). This antigen fixes complement in the presence of sera from natural cases of the disease. The antigen in the mucosa is masked so that saline extracts of the fresh mucous membrane are not active in the complement fixation test. However, after drying and extraction with ether infected intestines yielded active specific antigens in 14 out of 17 experiments. Complement-fixing antibodies were found to be present in the blood of a high percentage of natural cases of the disease and appear early in the infection. Nonspecific reactions seem to be rare.