Performance of bovine genital campylobacteriosis diagnostic tests in bulls from Uruguay: a Bayesian latent class model approach

The sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of three diagnostic tests for the detection of Campylobacter fetus venerealis (Cfv) using field samples were estimated using a Bayesian latent class model (BLCM), accounting for the absence of a gold standard. The tests included in this study were direct immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and real-time PCR (RT-PCR). Twelve farms from two different populations were selected and bull prepuce samples were collected. The IFAT was performed according to the OIE Manual. The conventional PCR was performed as multiplex, targeting the gene nahE for C. fetus species identification and insertion element ISCfe1 for Cfv identification. The RT-PCR was performed as uniplex: one targeting the gene nahE for C. fetus and the other targeting the insertion ISCfe1 (ISC2) for Cfv. Results from the BLCM showed a median Se of 11.7% (Bayesian credibility interval (BCI): 1.93–29.79%), 53.7% (BCI: 23.1–95.0%), and 36.1% (BCI: 14.5–71.7%) for IFAT, PCR, and RT-PCR respectively. The Sp were 94.5% (BCI: 90.1–97.9%), 97.0% (BCI: 92.9–99.3%), and 98.4% (BCI: 95.3–99.7%) for IFAT, PCR, and RT-PCR respectively. The correlation between PCR and RT-PCR was positive and low in samples from both sampled population (0.63% vs 8.47%). These results suggest that diagnostic sensitivity of the studied tests is lower using field samples than using pure Cfv strains.