Evaluation of three immunoserological techniques in the detection of porcine trichinellosis

STELLA MARIS VENTURIELLO, GUILLERMO G. NUÑEZ, MARCELA CALCAGNO, SUSANA N. COSTANTINO

National Park Plitvicie Lakes, Croacia

Conferencia; International Conference on Trichinellosis XII; 2007

International Comission on Trichinellosis

Three methods used for the detection of porcine trichinellosis (immunofluorescence, IF, EIA and western blot, WB) were compared. Three groups of animals were analysed: 1: pigs with parasite burdens (PB) <1 ML/g (n:18), 2: pigs with PB >2 ML/g (n:23), and 3: animals raised in farms subjected to artificial digestion (AD) of 5 g (n:59). Groups 1 and 2 belonged to outbreaks and analysed by AD of ³30 g. The detection percentages in pigs’sera with the lower PB were IF:100%, EIA:72% and WB:50%, and serologically positive by 2-3 techniques a 83% of the animals. In pigs with a higher PB the detection percentage was similar for IF and EIA (100%vs91% respectively) and for WB:61%, and serologically positive by 2-3 techniques a 96%. The group 3 had similar percentages for the 3 techniques (IF:30%, EIA:29% and WB:42%) and serologically positive by 2-3 techniques a 25%. Two animals were AD-positive with PB of 0.33 and 2.4 ML/g presenting IF and WB or IF, EIA and WB respectively. Results indicate that: 1-the sensitivity (S)of each technique depends on the PB, always being IF>EIA>WB. For low PB, the decrease in the S is more pronounced for the EIA. 2-Considering that ³83% of the animals parasitologically positive had 2 or 3 positive serological techniques, pigs negative by the officially recommended AD but positive by two serological techniques must be regarded as infected pigs.