Evaluating the feasibility of using digital Brix refractometry to determine the passive immune status of lambs.

Digital Brix refractometry accurately determines passive immune status in lambs with established thresholds.

This study evaluated digital Brix refractometry as a practical alternative to radial immunodiffusion (RID) for assessing passive immune transfer in lambs. Researchers collected blood samples from 417 healthy 1-7 day-old lambs across nine farms in western Turkey and compared Brix refractometer readings with RID-determined serum IgG concentrations. A strong correlation (r=0.86) was demonstrated between the two methods. Optimized Brix thresholds were established for detecting various IgG concentration levels, ranging from 8.2% or less for detecting IgG <6 g/L to 9.9% or less for IgG <40 g/L. Sensitivity and specificity exceeded 80% at each threshold evaluated. The prevalence of inadequate passive transfer (IgG <10 g/L) was 23.7%. While the study validates Brix refractometry as an accurate, cost-effective field diagnostic tool, limitations include lack of production type stratification and failure to account for farm-level clustering in the statistical analysis, potentially affecting generalizability of prevalence estimates.

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