Use of Somatic and Excretory- Secretory Antigens of Fasciola hepatica in Diagnosis of Sheep by ELISA

Abstract

Abstract<br><br> In the present study, ELISA kit was developed to diagnose infected sheep with Fasciola hepatica. The results were compared with eggs per gram of faecal samples. First, 30 blood and its corresponding faecal samples were collected from infected sheep (proven by inspection of fasciolosis in livers) slaughtered at Mashhad abattoir as positive control. Ten blood samples were collected from 2 weeks old healthy lamb as negative control. Then, 100 random faecal and blood samples were collected from sheep slaughtered at Torghabe of Mashhad abattoir. Serum samples were tested with indirect ELISA and faecal samples were also tested by Clayton Lane method.<br><br> Result showed that from 30 serum samples of infected sheep, 27 samples were positive and from 10 healthy samples, 8 of them were negative. From 30 faecal samples, 3 samples were positive. The sensitivity and specificity of test were %90 and %80 respectively. From 100 random samples of sheep, 10 samples with somatic antigen and 8 samples with excretory/secretory antigen were positive by ELISA respectively. However only one faecal sample was positive by Clayton Lane method. <br><br> It has been conducted that ELISA is an authentic test for diagnosis of infected sheep with Fasciola hepatica.