title: Immunoblotting for the serodiagnosis of alveolar echinococcosis in alive and dead Eurasian beavers (Castor fiber).
abstract: A novel species-specific anti-beaver-IgG-alkaline-phosphatase conjugate was synthesized for the development of a new serological test for echinococcosis in beavers. Two different ELISAs conventionally used for human Echinococcus multilocularis serology (Em18-ELISA and Em2-ELISA) yielded diagnostic sensitivities of 0% and 46%, respectively. In contrast, the subsequently developed immunoblotting assay gave an 85% diagnostic sensitivity (11 out of 13 beavers with alveolar echinococcosis were immunoblotting-positive, i.e. showed reactivity with a specific 21 Mr band), and maximal specificity. In conclusion, this immunoblotting assay should be the method of choice for use in serological studies on E. multilocularis in Eurasian beavers, and the test proved suitable to investigate both animals alive and post-mortem.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Switzerland. Electronic address: bruno.gottstein@vetsuisse.unibe.ch.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gottstein
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Frey
authors.affiliation: The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Edinburgh EH12 6TS, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Campbell-Palmer
authors.affiliation: The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Edinburgh EH12 6TS, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pizzi
authors.affiliation: Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barlow
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hentrich
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Posautz
authors.affiliation: Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M-P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Ryser-Degiorgis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood*; D004443:Echinococcosis; D004444:Echinococcosis, Hepatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D004446:Echinococcus / Q000276:immunology; D015151:Immunoblotting / Q000662:veterinary*; D012377:Rodentia / Q000469:parasitology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth
keywords: Beaver; Echinococcus multilocularis; Em18-ELISA; Em2-ELISA; EmVF-antigen; Immunoblotting