Patent ID: 8865422

Claim:
A method for diagnosing a tuberculosis infection in an animal caused by Mycobacteria belonging to the Mycobacteria tuberculosis complex group, the method comprising: acquiring sample material or tissue from the animal from which the detection of antibodies or a cell mediated immune response upon contact with OmpAtb can be detected upon analysis; contacting the sample material or tissue acquired from the animal with a test reagent comprising an antigen having antigenicity of OmpAtb; and detecting in vitro the presence or absence of antibodies to OmpAtb or a cell mediated immune response to OmpAtb in the sample material or tissue contacted with the test reagent; wherein the presence of antibodies to OmpAtb or a cell-mediated immune response to OmpAtb in the sample material or tissue contacted with the test reagent constitutes a positive diagnosis of a tuberculosis infection in the animal from which the sample material or tissue was acquired caused by Mycobacteria belonging to the Mycobacteria tuberculosis complex group, and wherein the absence of antibodies to OmpAtb or a cell-mediated immune response to OmpAtb in the sample material or tissue contacted with the test reagent constitutes a negative diagnosis of a tuberculosis infection in the animal from which the sample material or tissue was acquired caused by Mycobacteria belonging to the Mycobacteria tuberculosis complex group.