Kinetics of antibody-based antigen detection in serum and faeces of sheep experimentally infected with Fasciola hepatica

The monoclonal antibody ES78 was used in a sandwich immunosorbent assay (Sa ndwich ELISA) for the detection of antigens in sera and faeces in the cours e of Fasciola hepatica infection in 10 experimentally infected sheep.. All infected sheep had circulating antigens in the first week post-infection (W PI), Antigenemia was detectable until WPI 3 in four infected sheep, WPI 4 i n five infected sheep and in only one sheep by WPI 5. The detection of copr oantigens (Fa(g)) was possible in five infected sheep at WPI-4, in four she ep at WPI-5 and in one sheep only at WPI-6. This technique was compared to an indirect ELISA for the detection of antibodies using excretory secretory antigens of F. hepatica. A significant correlation was found between Fa(g) and egg output and also with adult worm numbers. Our method demonstrated t hat the diagnosis of active fasciolosis in sheep is possible during all per iods of infection. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.