Serodiagnosis of Taenia saginata cysticercosis in experimentally and naturally infected cattle by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay

The sensitivity and specificity of enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the diagnosis of Taenia saginata cysticercosis was studied among laboratory reared experimenlally infected calves and conventionally raised naturally infected cattle by using a T crassiceps metacestode anligen. The intensity of the metacestode burden in experimentally infected animals had a direct effect on Hie first appreciable rise in the spectrophotometric extinction values and also on the progressive elevation of these values during the later stages of infection. The animals harbouring less than 100 metacestodes were Hie most difficult lo detect by ELISA. Serum from sheep infeeled willi Cysticercus tenulcollis showed cross-reaction. Among the naturally infeeled cattle the sensitivity of ELISA was poor; only 37·5 per ceni of lhe 24 proven cases could be diagnosed. One of the nine calile harbouring natural infection of l’usciola hepatica showed cross-reaction. Of lhe 69animals 4·3 per ceni showed false positive reactions.