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Estimation of Microorganism Counts in Agglutination and Enzyme Linked Immuno‐Sorbent Assays: Consequences of Ignoring Censored Data
Author(s) -
Trajstman A.C.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
biometrical journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.108
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1521-4036
pISSN - 0323-3847
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1521-4036(200005)42:2<131::aid-bimj131>3.0.co;2-0
Subject(s) - statistics , mathematics , maximum likelihood , estimation , econometrics , biology , economics , management
The consequences of ignoring censored data on the estimation of mean microorganism counts using agglutination assays or certain classes of enzyme linked immuno‐sorbent assays are examined. It is shown that both overestimation and underestimation of the maximum likelihood estimate of the mean number of microorganisms per unit volume may occur if censored data are ignored. It is also shown that the asymptotic variance of the maximum likelihood estimate may either be increased or decreased if censored data are ignored. Data from a trial of vaccines against pig pneumonia and data from an equine health certification process are used as illustrations.