title: A latex agglutination test for the detection of Echinococcus multilocularis coproantigen in the definitive hosts.
abstract: A latex agglutination test for detecting Echinococcus multilocularis coproantigen in definitive hosts was developed using latex beads sensitized with EmA9 monoclonal antibody raised against somatic antigens of adult E. multilocularis. A primary test (LA 1) was performed on 82 fecal samples of necropsied foxes, of which 46 were infected, and resulted in 61% sensitivity and 86% specificity. To increase the sensitivity, 4 ng/mL of excretory/secretory antigens of adult worms was added to the samples in a secondary test (LA 2), resulting in 91% sensitivity and 61% specificity. The positive predictive value of the LA 1 test and the negative predictive value of the LA 2 test were both 85%. The combination of the LA 1 and LA 2 tests is applicable and practical for use in situations that require quick diagnosis or screening based on the following interpretation: the samples that are positive in the LA 1 test are positive; the samples that are negative in the LA 2 test are negative; and the samples that are negative in the LA 1 test and positive in the LA 2 test are classified as suspicious.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan. nnonaka@vetmed.hokudai.ac.jp
authors.forename: Nariaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nonaka
authors.forename: Mari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oka
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kamiya
authors.forename: Yuzaburo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oku
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary; D004443:Echinococcosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D048210:Echinococcus multilocularis / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology*; D005589:Foxes / Q000469:parasitology*; D007841:Latex Fixation Tests / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan