Weil–Felix test
agglutination test for the diagnosis of rickettsial infections
The Weil–Felix test is an agglutination test for the diagnosis of rickettsial infections. It was first described in 1916. By virtue of its long history and of its simplicity, it has been one of the most widely employed tests for rickettsia on a global scale, despite being superseded in many settings by more sensitive and specific diagnostic tests. The Weil–Felix antibody was recently found to target the rickettsial lipopolysaccharide O-antigen.
History and basis for test
The basis of the test is the presence of antigenic cross-reactivity between Rickettsia spp. and certain serotypes of non-motile Proteus spp., a phenomenon first published by Edmund Weil and Arthur Felix in 1916. Weil-Felix is a nonspecific agglutination test which detects anti-rickettsial antibodies in patient’s serum. Weil-Felix test is based on cross-reactions which occur between antibodies produced in acute rickettsial infections with antigens of OX (OX 19, OX 2, and OXK) strains of Proteus species. Dilution of patient’s serum are tested against suspensions of the different Proteus strains. William James Wilson (1879-1954) had noticed a similar cross reaction of anti-rickettsial antobodies with other enteric bacteria.
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