Blood sample collection at Dangrena

The outcall case at Dangrena provided me an opportunity to observe field-level disease investigation and procedures of rapid serological screenings for brucellosis. We attended a suspected brucellosis case involving a cow and a calf where we used vacutainers to collect the blood. After collecting the blood the sample was sent to the laboratory to perform Rose Bengal Plate test for diagnosis(RBPT). Although we had learnt about the test kit, it was my first time assisting and observing the procedure. The test includes serum separation from the blood through centrifugation. 

Equal amount of blood serum was mixed with Rose Bengal-stained Brucella antigen on a plate. A positive result is indicated by visible agglutination caused by antigen–antibody interaction, whereas a negative result shows a smooth mixture without agglutination, indicating the absence of detectable antibodies. The test showed negative due to the absence of agglutination so the suspected case of brucellosis was negative.