Evaluation of the ELISA test as an epidemiological tool in schistosomiasis

The ELISA test was studied to assess its applicability in epidemiological surveys of schistosomiasis. Specimens of serum, stool and urine from persons attending an outpatient clinic in an endemic area for S. mansoni and S. haematobium in Egypt were tested in the laboratories of the Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Cairo. The ELISA test results were compared with parasitological findings and with the results of indirect immunofluorescence and indirect hemagglutination tests as reference data. The ELISA test showed an excellent sensitivity and specificity for both infections; the reading and recording of the extinction rates can be automated by using in time and money. The test can be strongly recommended for epidemiological surveys.