A novel assay for detecting soluble antigen of Cryptosporidium parvum using particle agglutination technology

Abstract We have successfully developed a novel assay; coagglutination/latex capture (CL) technique for detecting soluble antigen of Cryptosporidium parvum using particle agglutination technology. Sensitivity and specificity of CL technique were evaluated by purified oocysts of C. parvum . Evaluation was undertaken with 30 faecal samples passing through the Department of Clinical Parasitology, Hospital for Tropical Diseases (HTD) London. It was shown that the most sensitive fluorescent staining method detected 3 × 10 3 oocysts ml −1 of faeces, whereas a soluble antigen was clearly detected by CL method when there was −1 of faeces.