Assessment of a Rapid Semi-Quantitative Immunochromatographic Test for the Evaluation of Transfer of Passive Immunity in Calves

Calves are born agammaglobulinemic and they rely on transfer of passive immunity
(TPI) through ingestion of colostrum from the dam. Ensuring the effectiveness of TPI through
blood serum immunoglobulins (IgG) quantification is of critical importance for the prevention
of calf diseases. The main objective of this study was to assess the performance of a novel onfarm
immunochromatographic quick assay (SmartStripsTM, Bio-X Diagnostics, Rochefort, Belgium)
compared to the ELISA reference method to directly measure serum IgG concentration and assess
TPI status in beef and dairy calves. Additional comparison was made with the commonly used
Brix refractometer. Jugular blood samples were collected from beef (n = 71) and dairy (n = 26)
calves in Belgium within 7 days post-birth. Quantitative (Pearson correlation coefficients, Bland-
Altman plots) and qualitative (diagnostic test characteristics, weighted kappa for classification into
4 categories of TPI) analyses were performed to evaluate the performances of the quick test and the
refractometer compared to ELISA. The quick test showed a correlation of 0.83 and a classification
agreement (weighted kappa) of 0.79 with the reference method (average values for two types of
blood anticoagulants). Performances were better for low IgG concentrations and the assessment of
poor TPI status and they outperformed those of the Brix refractometer. Results suggested that the
immunochromatographic quick test can be considered as a suitable on-farm method for direct serum
IgG measurement and the assessment of TPI status in calves, contributing to timely interventions in
the management of calves with inadequate TPI.