title: Seroepidemiology of abdominal angiostrongyliasis: the standardization of an immunoenzymatic assay and prevalence of antibodies in two localities in southern Brazil.
abstract: Abdominal angiostrongyliasis is a nematode disease produced by Angiostrongylus costaricensis, a metastrongylid parasite of wild rodents. Accidental human infection occurs through ingestion of food or water contaminated with third-stage larvae present in the mucous secretion of terrestrial molluscs. An ELISA test was standardized for detection of IgG antibodies recognizing a surface antigen prepared from female worms. Competitive absorption of sera with Ascaris suum crude antigen resulted in a test with 86% sensitivity and 83% specificity. The disease is endemic in Southern Brazil and a number of cases are diagnosed every year through anatomo-pathological examination of biopsies or surgical specimens, since no other diagnostic method is available. According to seroepidemiological studies, prevalences in two transmission foci are 29.8 and 66%, attesting to the widespread occurrence of the infection in those endemic areas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, WHO Collaborating Center for Research and Training in the Immunology of Parasitic Diseases, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Graeff-Teixeira
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Agostini
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Camillo-Coura
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Ferreira-da-Cruz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000801:Angiostrongylus / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012015:Reference Standards; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D007074:Immunoglobulin G