Research on Cysticercus bovis antibodies by ELISA test in slaughterhouse animals

Abstract

In order to standardize a serological test for diagnosing cysticercosis in bovine cattle, 812 animals have been tested, most of them halfblooded zebu cattle, males and females, from age groups ranging from 18 months to 60 months. The animals were properly identified and slaughtered in a slaughterhouse - Frigorífico Argus Ltd., SIF 1710, located in São José dos Pinhais, in the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba – PR- Brazil. The animals had come from 139 municipalities in the State of Parana. From the animals that presented cysts during the post-mortem inspection, blood samples were also collected and submitted to the ELISA test for antibodies against cysticercosis. The Sensitivity Coefficient in the ELISA test was 83.62%, and the Specificity Coefficient was 92.85%. Therefore, the ELISA test proved to be more sensitive than the post-mortem examination, because the latter failed to detect 06 carcasses with mild infection with cysticercosis PPV 99.71% (ELISA).