A TRICHURIS SPECIFIC DIAGNOSTIC ANTIGEN FROM CULTURE FLUIDS OF TRICHURIS-SUIS ADULT WORMS

Trichuris suis is a nematode parasite of swine which can cause serious pathology in infected pigs, such as anorexia, diarrhea, anemia, and d eath in heavy infections, especially in young animals. Infection with Trichuris suis is difficult to diagnose because much of the pathology occurs when only larval stages are present, and because of sporadic eg g production by adult female worms. We have isolated a 20 kDa excretor y/secretory (E/S) glycoprotein from culture fluids of adult worms by c olumn chromatography and preparative gel electrophoresis which is diag nostic for Trichuris suis infection in pigs. The antigen did not cross react in Western blots or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with sera from pigs infected with Ascaris suum, Trichinella spiralis, Oesophagos tomum dentatum, or Toxoplasma gondii. The antigen was also diagnostic for Trichuris vulpis infection in dogs, and did not crossreact with se ra from dogs infected with Toxocara canis, Ancylostoma caninum, or Str ongyloides stercoralis. The antigen may be useful in clinical serologi c assays for diagnosis of Trichuris infection in pigs and dogs in case s of scouring diarrhea of unknown etiology, and in epidemiological sur veys of Trichuris suis infection in swine feeder/finishing operations.