The fibre-web blood sampling technique applied to serological diagnosis of schistosomiasis mansoni

The fibre-web technique for sampling, storing and transport of venous or capillary blood has been evaluated, in 84 schoolchildren from the Mwanza region of Tanzania, with regard to diagnostic efficacy for determination of the schistosome circulating anodic antigen (CAA) under conditions similar to those prevailing in the field. Although the average concentrations determined in fibre-web eluates were only about half of those determined in serum, the prevalences of CAA-positive individuals for the 2 sample materials were approximately the same. The average coefficient of variation calculated on determination of CAA in venous-blood fibre-web eluates amounted to 7%. The study shows that the fibre-web technique is well suited for use under field conditions.