Serology: what the tests do and do not indicate.
Of this group, 299 out of 313 (95.58 %) had positive serology, and only 14 (4.4 %) were negative.
However, it is clear that, after this pre-seroconversion period, the sensitivity of serology to detect infected dogs was high.
All cases included were subsequently confirmed by a positive serology result performed at the national referral laboratory.
Because serology may be less reliable in children <2 years of age, these children were excluded from the analysis.
Serology in the diagnosis of meningococcal disease 71 (17 %) had been notified, namely 68 as meningococcal disease and three as meningitis of unknown aetiology.
Fieldwork logistics to conduct serology tests are difficult and time-consuming when venous blood needs to be collected.
Blood samples for serology and virus isolation were collected daily.
