Anti-Trichinella antibodies detected in chronically infected horses by IFA and Western blot, but not by ELISA.

The article is centered on the prevalence and detection of Trichinella infection in horses in Balkan countries where trichinellosis is re-emerging. The study indicates that the indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and Western blot techniques were effective in detecting anti-Trichinella IgG in horses up to 32 weeks post infection (p.i.), while the ELISA method was only effective in a short period of time.

Objective and Methodology

• The main objective of the research was to investigate and understand the prevalence of Trichinella infection among horses in the Balkan regions, and to validate the effectiveness of different serological methods in detecting this infection.
• Three horses were chosen as the experimental subjects and each of them was intentionally infected with a specific species of parasite, Trichinella spiralis.
• The study monitored the production of anti-Trichinella IgG and the circulation of Excretory/Secretory (ES) antigens in the horses, which were slaughtered 32 weeks after the infection.

Results

• At the point of termination, all three horses were found to have low worm burdens, indicating minimal infections.
• Two serological methods – Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA) and Western blot could detect the presence of the anti-Trichinella IgG up to 32 weeks p.i, indicating that these methods may indeed be effective in long-term monitoring of the infection in horses.
• On the other hand, ELISA could only detect the presence of the anti-Trichinella antibodies for a short duration (up to 18 weeks using ES antigen and 20 weeks using Tyvelose-BSA antigen), indicating that ELISA might not be as accurate for long-term monitoring.

Significance

• These findings are very important for disease control and prevention in regions where trichinellosis is a re-emerging problem. It proves the need for effective surveillance methods for monitoring the infection in major hosts like horses.
• Our results give valuable insights into the patterns of immune response against Trichinella infection in horses – a low burden of worms can elicit a lasting immune response, which can be effectively detected by certain lab techniques bu not by others.
• This highlights the importance of selecting the right techniques for disease surveillance, prevention and control.