title: Comparison of two enzyme immunoassays for the detection of Haemonchus contortus infections in sheep.
abstract: Two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) using either excretory/secretory (ES) products or crude somatic antigens (CSA) of adult Haemonchus contortus were compared for their ability to detect antibodies against H. contortus in sheep. Serum samples obtained from a group of 32 H. contortus mono-infected sheep were tested in the two ELISAs and the obtained data were compared with the results of the faecal examinations of these sheep. The first sheep became patent 3 weeks post infection (p.i.) and all sheep had positive egg counts at week 5 p.i. The first antibodies against H. contortus were detected 1 week p.i. and all sheep were found positive by both ELISAs at week 4 p.i. Using sera from a large number of H. contortus-infected sheep a difference in sensitivity between the ES ELISA (97.7%) and the CSA ELISA (89.2%) was found. The specificity of each assay was determined by testing sera obtained from sheep with mono-infections of H. contortus, Trichostrongylus colubriformis, Trichostrongylus vitrinus, Ostertagia circumcincta, Nematodirus battus, Cooperia curticei, Fasciola hepatica, Taenia ovis or Eimeria spp. The specificity of the ES ELISA was 87.2%, whereas the specificity of the CSA ELISA was 82.7%.
authors.affiliation: Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Parasitology, Netherlands.
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Schallig
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hornok
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Cornelissen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000662:veterinary*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D006188:Haemonchiasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006189:Haemonchus / Q000276:immunology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D000947:Antigens, Helminth