Application of an indirect ELISA to milk samples to identify cows with Mycoplasma bovis mastitis

An indirect ELISA was used to detect antibodies to Mycoplasma bovis in milk samples collected from a herd with M bovis mastitis. Antibodies were detected in samples from nine cows which had developed clinical M bovis mastitis. Milk from only three consistently antigen-negative cows tested positive for M bovis antibodies. These results indicate the potential value of the indirect ELISA for the detection of cows which have recently developed M bovis mastitis during the early stages of an outbreak.