Diagnosis of sheep fasciolosis caused by Fasciola hepatica using cathepsin L enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA).



López Corrales, Jesús ORCID: 0000-0003-2996-7904, Cwiklinski, Krystyna ORCID: 0000-0001-5577-2735, De Marco Verissimo, Carolina, Dorey, Amber ORCID: 0000-0001-5125-0382, Lalor, Richard, Jewhurst, Heather, McEvoy, Amanda, Diskin, Michael, Duffy, Catherine, Cosby, S Louise ORCID: 0000-0002-2617-8603
et al (show 2 more authors) (2021) Diagnosis of sheep fasciolosis caused by Fasciola hepatica using cathepsin L enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Veterinary parasitology, 298. 109517-.

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Abstract

Fasciolosis, a global parasitic disease of agricultural livestock, is caused by the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica. Management and strategic control of fasciolosis on farms depends on early assessment of the extent of disease so that control measures can be implemented quickly. Traditionally, this has relied on the detection of eggs in the faeces of animals, a laborious method that lacks sensitivity, especially for sub-clinical infections, and identifies chronic infections only. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) offer a quicker and more sensitive serological means of diagnosis that could detect early acute infection before significant liver damage occurs. The performance of three functionally-active recombinant forms of the major F. hepatica secreted cathepsins L, rFhCL1, rFhCL2, rFhCL3, and a cathepsin B, rFhCB3, were evaluated as antigens in an indirect ELISA to serologically diagnose liver fluke infection in experimentally and naturally infected sheep. rFhCL1 and rFhCL3 were the most effective of the four antigens detecting fasciolosis in sheep as early as three weeks after experimental infection, at least five weeks earlier than both coproantigen and faecal egg tests. In addition, the rFhCL1 and rFhCL3 ELISAs had a very low detection limit for liver fluke in lambs exposed to natural infection on pastures and thus could play a major role in the surveillance of farms and a 'test and treat' approach to disease management. Finally, antibodies to all three cathepsin L proteases remain high throughout chronic infection but decline rapidly after drug treatment with the flukicide, triclabendazole, implying that the test may be adapted to trace the effectiveness of drug treatment.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Ovum, Feces, Animals, Sheep, Fasciola hepatica, Fascioliasis, Sheep Diseases, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Cathepsin L
Divisions: Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 24 Feb 2022 09:35
Last Modified: 18 Jan 2023 21:11
DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2021.109517
Open Access URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/...
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URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3149568