Kinetic development and decline of antiscrewworm (Diptera: Calliphoridae) antibodies in serum of infested sheep.
Sheep infested with screwworms, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel), produced specific serum antibodies detectable by ELISA. Significant antibody levels were found beginning at 1 wk after infestation and persisting for 2 mo, with peak levels at 3 wk after infestation. Mean response values and corresponding larval survivorship were similar over a range of 25 to 200 larvae per individual sheep. Anomalous seropositive responses in some noninfested sheep suggested the possibility of cross-reactivity between antigens of screwworm and those of related myiasigenic blowflies.
Thomas
D B
DB
USDA-ARS Screwworm Research Laboratory, Chiapas, Mexico.
Pruett
J H
JH
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D012610:Screw Worm Infection / Q000276:immunology* / Q000662:veterinary*; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000276:immunology*