A seroepidemiological study of amebiasis in Surinam by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

Sera from nine populations in Surinam, South America, were screened for antibodies against Entamoeba histolytica by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique and a precipitin test (gel diffusion or counterimmunoelectrophoresis). In two small surveys in 1974 and 1978, a high rate of clinically significant ELISA titers was found in a rather isolated group of Amerindians living near the Brazilian border, predominately in the youngest age groups. Amerindians living near the coast showed a low level of seropositivity. Low levels were also found in Bush Negro villages in the interior of Surinam and in Hindustani school children from the savannah area. A high frequency of ELISA titers greater than or equal to 320, indicating a high rate of invasive amebiasis, was detected in persons in a mental institution in Paramaribo. It is concluded that the ELISA, which is much more sensitive than the precipitin tests, is a useful screening test for assessing the prevalence of invasive amebiasis on an epidemiological scale.