DEVELOPMENT OF A DOT-ENZYME IMMUNOASSAY FOR THE DETECTION OF CIRCULATING ANTIGEN IN CATTLE INFECTED WITH TAENIA-SAGINATA CYSTICERCI

A monoclonal antibody-based dot-ELISA was developed for the detection of antigen in the sera of cattle with Taenia saginata cysticercosis. After pretreatment of the sera with trichloroacetic acid, antigen could be detected in experimentally infected animals from five weeks after infection. The assay distinguished animals harbouring living cysts from those carrying only dead cysts. A reliable diagnosis of animals harbouring less than 100 cysticerci was not possible, but in cattle with more than 100 living cysticerci the sensitivity was 87.5 per cent; the specificity of the test was 93.5 per cent. These values were very similar to those obtained with a sandwich ELISA.