DIAGNOSIS OF PORCINE CYSTICERCOSIS - A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF SEROLOGICAL TESTS FOR DETECTION OF CIRCULATING ANTIBODY AND VIABLE PARASITES

Epidemiological studies of porcine cysticercosis require identificatio n of pigs harbouring viable Taenia solium cysticerci and estimates of the degree of exposure to the parasite in the pig population destined for human consumption. Identification of infected pigs with viable lar vae is achieved through detection of their secretory products. However , detectable levels of circulating antibody may also be present in the absence of viable larvae. In this study, both types of tests have bee n evaluated in groups of pigs experimentally infected with T. solium. Detection of viable cysticerci was achieved using a monoclonal antibod y-based (HP10) antigen capture assay. HP10 epitope-bearing antigens ha ve now been demonstrated in T. solium and T. crassiceps cyst fluid and excretion/secretions. Serum antibodies were measured in ELISA assays using two parasite preparations as antigens; T. solium cyst fluid and T. crassiceps cyst fluid antigens bearing the HP10 epitope. Low-backgr ound values were obtained with sera from non-infected animals in all t he assays used. In heavily infected pigs, both antigens and antibodies were detected at least 29 days and up to 200 days post-infection (pi) , while in lightly infected pigs antigen and antibodies were first obs erved between 61-97 days pi. Thus, the levels of the serum antigen and antibody varied with the intensity of the infection. (C) 1998 Elsevie r Science B.V. All rights reserved.