SEROEPIDEMIOLOGY OF ABDOMINAL ANGIOSTRONGYLIASIS - THE STANDARDIZATION OF AN IMMUNOENZYMATIC ASSAY AND PREVALENCE OF ANTIBODIES IN 2 LOCALITIES IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL

Abdominal angiostrongyliasis is a nematode disease produced by Angiost rongylus costaricensis, a metastrongylid parasite of wild rodents. Acc idental human infection occurs through ingestion of food or water cont aminated with third-stage larvae present in the mucous secretion of te rrestrial molluscs. An ELISA test was standardized for detection of Ig G antibodies recognizing a surface antigen prepared from female worms. Competitive absorption of sera with Ascaris suum crude antigen result ed in a test with 86% sensitivity and 83% specificity. The disease is endemic in Southern Brazil and a number of cases are diagnosed every y ear through anatomo-pathological examination of biopsies or surgical s pecimens, since no other diagnostic method is available. According to seroepidemiological studies, prevalences in two transmission foci are 23.8 and 66%, attesting to the widespread occurrence of the infection in those endemic areas.