An ELISA was developed and tested to detect antibodies to Eperythrozoon suis in swine. Results were compare with those of the indirect hemagglutination (IHA) test. Antigen isolated from swine heavily infected with E suis was used for both tests. Comparison of the ELISA with the IHA test revealed a significant (P < 0.001) correlation between results. Of 114 samples obtained from 9 swine infected with E suis, 8 7.7% were seropositive (titer greater than or equal to 200) via the ELISA, and 80.7% were seropositive (titer greater than or equal to 20) via the IHA test. The sensitivity of the ELISA was greater than that of the IHA test. All blood samples obtained from specific-pathogen-free swine tested negative for E suis antibody. Cross-reactions were not observed between E suis antigen and antisera against various swine and cattle disease agents using ELISA. We concluded that the ELISA may be used for rapid and effective diagnosis of infection with E suis in swine.

The Malaysian Pangolin (Manis javanica) is an endangered species,&#xD;but is widely hunted for its medicinal value in body parts. A total of sixteen pangolins were screened for blood protozoa and six&#xD;pangolins were confi rmed to be positive for eperythrozoonosis infection based on morphology from blood smears stained with 8% Giemsa. The causative organism, Eperythrozoon sp., with a size of 0.3 μm were observed under a compound microscope at 100× magnification on the surface of red blood cells as blue coloured dots. This is the fi rst report of Eperythrozoon infection from pangolins in Malaysia. Further identifi cation using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is necessary to confi rm E. ovis or wenyonii,&#xD;which is uncultivatable in artifi cial media.

Basic biological and epidemiological observation on eperythrozoonosis like disease of swine in Korea R. was taken, using 157 naturally affected pigs and blood samples of 250 normal pigs. Although infection rates, morphology and sizes of the organisms in stained blood films varied depending on the season, all of the affected pigs showed positive infection and the normal pigs were found 54% positive over the year. The organisms appeared to have 5 morphological forms with sizes of 0.5-5.0 micron but the sizes had increment to 1.4-8.5 micron with cytoplasmic granules when the blood was stored under 0 deg C for more than 1 week or -20 deg C for 24 hrs.