Mc. Mohanty et al., Setaria digitata infections in cattle: parasite load, microfilaraemia status and relationship to immune response, J HELMINTH, 74(4), 2000, pp. 343-347
A total of 110 cattle were examined in an area endemic for Bancroftian fila
riasis for the prevalence of infection of the bovine filarial parasite Seta
ria digitata. About 12.5% of cattle were found to harbour both adult worms
in the peritoneum and microfilariae (mf) in circulation; 70% of the cattle
were amicrofilaraemic but with an adult worm infection. A third group of ca
ttle (16.5%) was free of detectable mf and adult worms. The presence of adu
lt worms and/or mf did not influence the antibody levels to any of the four
antigen preparations of S. digitata. However, there was a significant inve
rse relationship between the presence of antibodies to microfilarial sheath
s and the absence of circulating mf as shown by the immunoperoxidase assay.
Cattle immunoglobulin containing high titres of anti-sheath antibodies cle
ared circulating microfilariae very effectively in Mastomys coucha thus dem
onstrating the protective nature of anti-sheath antibodies in eliminating c
irculating microfilariae in vivo.