Reliable serodiagnosis of imported cystic echinococcosis with a commercial indirect hemagglutination assay.

Journal article

A commercially available indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA) (Echinococcosis Fumouze; Laboratoires Fumouze, Levallois-Perret, France) was evaluated using sera from 52 patients with proven cystic echinococcosis. The specificity was assessed using 247 sera from patients with various parasitic, bacterial, viral, and fungal infectious diseases; sera containing autoimmune antibodies; and sera from healthy blood donors. With a cutoff value for a positive result of 320 (as recommended by the manufacturer), the sensitivity and specificity were 88% and 98.4%; with a cutoff of 160, the sensitivity and specificity were 94% and 95.1%, respectively. The IHA is rapid, easy to perform, and is a very sensitive serodiagnostic test for cystic echinococcosis.

Authors: Van Doorn, H; Hofwegen, H; Koelewijn, R; Gilis, H; Wentink-Bonnema, E

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Diagnostic microbiology and infectious disease
• Volume: 57
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 409-412
• Publication date: 2007-04-01
• DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2006.10.002
• EISSN: 1879-0070
• ISSN: 0732-8893
• Language: English
• Keywords: Hemagglutination Tests; Antigens, Helminth; Humans; Sensitivity and Specificity; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; Echinococcus; Animals; Echinococcosis