Serodiagnosis of sarcoptic mange in pigs.
A serodiagnostic test (ELISA) for detecting antibodies to Sarcoptes scabiei in the sera of pigs was evaluated. The ELISA results from 221 specific pathogen-free pigs of three different age categories were used to establish a cut-off value for the assay. Background optical density values differed significantly between the three groups, the sows having the highest values. The mean + 3 sd of their values was chosen as the cut-off. Four farrow-to-finish herds of pigs with sarcoptic mange were investigated. Skin scrapings were taken from each animal for the demonstration of S scabiei and their sera were assayed for the presence of antibodies to the mite. All the herds had active infections with S scabiei and antibodies to S scabiei were found in a significant number of the animals sampled. The sensitivity and specificity of the ELISA were 87.8 and 99.5 per cent, respectively, employing clinical diagnosis as the gold standard. A higher sensitivity (100 per cent), but a lower specificity (32.8 per cent) was obtained when the results of skin scrapings were used as the gold standard.
Bornstein
S
S
Department of Parasitology, National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden.
Wallgren
P
P
D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D012520:Sarcoptes scabiei / Q000276:immunology*; D012532:Scabies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012867:Skin / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
D000906:Antibodies