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Weil-Felix and Typhus Complement-Fixation Tests in Relapsing Fever, with Special Reference to B. Proteus OX-K Agglutination

From the Cairo Unit of the U. S. A. Typhus Commission

Abstract

During the past two years, Weil-Felix agglutination tests and the typhus complement-fixation tests with purified rickettsial antigens have been used extensively in this laboratory in the serologic diagnosis of typhus fever. The complement-fixation test has been of great value because of its ability to differentiate between epidemic and murine typhus in non-vaccinated cases (1, 2, 3). Thus, in addition to its value to the clinician, the complement-fixation test has obvious significance to the epidemiologist. In fact, typhus surveys in Morocco, Egypt, Greece, Yugoslavia, Italy, Germany, Arabia, and other countries have been greatly aided by this test (4). In these studies, the complement-fixation test has maintained its specificity, and no false-positive reactions have been encountered (3). However, in view of the fact that epidemic typhus fever and relapsing fever epidemics repeatedly occur simultaneously, it was felt that it would be of value to extend these typhus tests to sera from cases of relapsing fever and to note whether or not false-positive or other interfering reactions occurred.