[Use of the rose bengal test in the diagnosis of brucellosis in hares].

The diagnostic effectiveness of the Rose bengal test was verified in a set of 72 samples of the blood of hare shot in a focus of brucellosis; the blood was found to be serologically positive by the following methods: rapid agglutination with serum, surface fixation test, method of slow agglutination, and the complement fixation reaction. The Rose bengal test was found positive in 57 cases (79.17%), the surface agglutination test was positive in 60 cases (83.33%), rapid agglutination with serum in 41 cases (56.94%), slow agglutination in 55 cases (76.39%), and the complement-fixation reaction in 63 cases (87.50%). In nine cases (12.5%) a positive reaction was obtained only when the Rose bengal test was used. The results confirm that the Rose bengal test is a sensitive qualitative serological method of low technical and time requirements, suitable for routine diagnostic uses. In the field epizootological investigations in the foci of hare brucellosis, the Rose bengal test is a good screening serological method.