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Australian veterinary journal2014; 92(9); 357-361; doi: 10.1111/avj.12224

Evaluation of a copro-antigen ELISA to detect Fasciola hepatica infection in sheep, cattle and horses.

Abstract: To determine the specificity and sensitivity of a commercial copro-antigen ELISA for the detection of Fasciola hepatica infection in cattle and sheep and to assess the suitability of the test for use in horses. Methods: Testing was done on more than 100 negative faecal samples from each of sheep, cattle and horses and on at least 40 positive faecal samples from each species. Positive samples were selected based on a positive sedimentation test for liver fluke eggs. Faecal samples of animals from Western Australia, which is free of liver fluke infection, served as negative controls. Specificity and sensitivity were assessed for each species using the recommended kit cut-off and also custom cut-offs specific for each species based on the mean plus 3-fold standard deviation of the mean of the negative samples for each species. Results: Using the cut-off recommended by the kit manufacturer, the specificity was 100% for all species and the sensitivity was 88%, 80% and 9% for sheep, cattle and horses, respectively. Using the lower custom cut-offs for each species improved the sensitivity to 100% for sheep, 87% for cattle and 28% for horses, while maintaining the specificity above 99% for all species. Conclusions: The sensitivity of the commercial copro-antigen ELISA can be improved by using custom cut-off values for each species. With this modification, it is a suitable alternative screening test to the currently used sedimentation test for border control of sheep and cattle movement. The test is not suitable for use in horses.
© 2014 Commonwealth of Australia Australian Veterinary Journal © 2014 Australian Veterinary Association.
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Publication Date: 2014-08-27 PubMed ID: 25156056DOI: 10.1111/avj.12224Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Evaluation Study
  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research evaluates the accuracy of a commercial test (copro-antigen ELISA) used to detect a parasite infection (Fasciola hepatica) in sheep, cow, and horses. It found that using custom cut-off values can improve the test’s sensitivity, but it is not suitable for testing in horses.

Methodology

  • The study was conducted on fecal samples from more than 100 cattle, sheep, and horses considered negative (not infected), and at least 40 samples from each species considered positive (infected) based on a preexisting sedimentation test for liver fluke eggs.
  • Negative control samples were collected from Western Australia, an area free of liver fluke infection.
  • The test’s specificity (ability to correctly identify negatives) and sensitivity (ability to correctly identify positives) were assessed using both the manufacturer-recommended cut-off and custom cut-offs specific to each species.

Results

  • According to the recommended cut-off provided by the kit manufacturer, the test’s specificity was 100% for all species, while sensitivity varied – 88% for sheep, 80% for cattle, and 9% for horses.
  • Using custom cut-offs improved the test’s sensitivity to 100% for sheep, 87% for cattle, and 28% for horses, while maintaining a specificity above 99% for all species.

Conclusions

  • The study suggests that sensitivity of this commercial copro-antigen ELISA can be heightened by using species-specific cut-off values.
  • With these modifications, the study proposes that the ELISA could be a suitable alternative to the sedimentation test currently used in border control for the movement of sheep and cattle.
  • However, given the low sensitivity scores, the test is unsuitable for identifying Fasciola hepatica infection in horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Palmer DG, Lyon J, Palmer MA, Forshaw D. (2014). Evaluation of a copro-antigen ELISA to detect Fasciola hepatica infection in sheep, cattle and horses. Aust Vet J, 92(9), 357-361. https://doi.org/10.1111/avj.12224

Publication

Australian veterinary journal
ISSN: 1751-0813
NlmUniqueID: 0370616
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 92
Issue: 9
Pages: 357-361

Researcher Affiliations

Palmer, D G
  • Animal Health Laboratories, Department of Agriculture and Food, 3 Baron-Hay Court, South Perth, Western Australia, 6151, Australia. Dieter.Palmer@agric.wa.gov.au.
Lyon, J
    Palmer, M A
      Forshaw, D

        MeSH Terms

        • Animals
        • Antigens, Helminth / isolation & purification
        • Cattle
        • Cattle Diseases / diagnosis
        • Cattle Diseases / parasitology
        • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / methods
        • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / veterinary
        • Fasciola hepatica / isolation & purification
        • Fascioliasis / diagnosis
        • Fascioliasis / parasitology
        • Fascioliasis / veterinary
        • Feces / parasitology
        • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
        • Horse Diseases / parasitology
        • Horses
        • Sensitivity and Specificity
        • Sheep
        • Sheep Diseases / diagnosis
        • Sheep Diseases / parasitology
        • Western Australia

        Citations

        This article has been cited 13 times.
        1. Nur Hafizah S, Noor Izani NJ, Ahmad Najib M, Wan-Nor-Amilah WAW. Immunodiagnosis of Fascioliasis in Ruminants by ELISA Method: A Mini-Review. Malays J Med Sci 2023 Aug;30(4):25-32.
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        9. French AS, Zadoks RN, Skuce PJ, Mitchell G, Gordon-Gibbs DK, Craine A, Shaw D, Gibb SW, Taggart MA. Prevalence of Liver Fluke (Fasciola hepatica) in Wild Red Deer (Cervus elaphus): Coproantigen ELISA Is a Practicable Alternative to Faecal Egg Counting for Surveillance in Remote Populations. PLoS One 2016;11(9):e0162420.
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        10. Mazeri S, Sargison N, Kelly RF, Bronsvoort BM, Handel I. Evaluation of the Performance of Five Diagnostic Tests for Fasciola hepatica Infection in Naturally Infected Cattle Using a Bayesian No Gold Standard Approach. PLoS One 2016;11(8):e0161621.
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        11. Martínez-Sernández V, Orbegozo-Medina RA, González-Warleta M, Mezo M, Ubeira FM. Rapid Enhanced MM3-COPRO ELISA for Detection of Fasciola Coproantigens. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016 Jul;10(7):e0004872.
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        13. Kahl A, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G, Helm C, Hodgkinson J, Williams D, Weiher W, Terhalle W, Steuber S, Ganter M, Krücken J. Efficacy of flukicides against Fasciola hepatica and first report of triclabendazole resistance on German sheep farms. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2023 Dec;23:94-105.
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