Sensitivity of Antigen ELISA Test for Detecting Trypanosoma evansi Antigen in Horses in the Subtropical Area of Argentina

The sensitivity of an antigen detection enzyme immunoassay (Ag-ELISA) based on a Trypanosoma brucei group-specific monoclonal antibody was evaluated to detect circulating Trypanosoma evansi antigen in horse sera. Three horses and 2 mules were experimentally infected with T. evansi. Circulating antig...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of parasitology 1995-10, Vol.81 (5), p.806-808
Main Authors: Monzón, Carlos M., Jara, Alicia, Nantulya, Vinand M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal protozoal diseases
Animals
Antigens
Antigens, Protozoan - blood
Antigens, Protozoan - cerebrospinal fluid
Argentina
Biological and medical sciences
Blood
Diminazene - therapeutic use
Disease Outbreaks
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - veterinary
Equidae
Horse Diseases - diagnosis
Horse Diseases - drug therapy
Horses
Infections
Infectious diseases
Medical sciences
Memory interference
Mules
Parasites
Parasitic diseases
Parasitism
Parasitology
Protozoal diseases
Research Notes
Sensitivity and Specificity
Suramin - therapeutic use
Trypanocidal Agents - therapeutic use
Trypanosoma - immunology
Trypanosoma evansi
Trypanosome
Trypanosomiasis - diagnosis
Trypanosomiasis - drug therapy
Trypanosomiasis - veterinary
Veterinary medicine
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Description
Summary:The sensitivity of an antigen detection enzyme immunoassay (Ag-ELISA) based on a Trypanosoma brucei group-specific monoclonal antibody was evaluated to detect circulating Trypanosoma evansi antigen in horse sera. Three horses and 2 mules were experimentally infected with T. evansi. Circulating antigens were detected on 7 and 21 days postinfection. Antigen levels increased during the course of the illness and remained high even when parasitemia was low or when parasites could not be detected. Antigens were cleared from serum when drug treatment was effective but persisted when it was not. In 6 outbreaks of "mal de caderas" involving 125 horses, T. evansi was found in 78 horses using standard parasite detection methods and antigenemia was detected in 58 of them (74%). The Ag-ELISA sensitivity rate varied between 63% and 100% for the 6 different outbreaks. A combination of Ag-ELISA and parasitologic methods diagnosed a total of 93 infected animals. These results show that the Ag-ELISA test is useful both to diagnose T. evansi and to assess the efficacy of drug treatment in horses.
ISSN:0022-3395
1937-2345
DOI:10.2307/3283985