Immunodiagnosis of Haemonchus contortus infection in sheep by counter immuno-electrophoresis using somatic antigen.

The present study was undertaken for the immuno-diagnosis of Haemonchus contortus infection in sheep by counter immuno-electrophoresis (CIEP) using crude somatic antigen. Adult worms of H. contortus were found in 57 out of 100 abomasums screened. A total of 250 serum samples which includes, 100 serum from local abattoir in and around Shimoga region from the sheep from which the abomasums were collected for H. contortus worms and 150 serum from the migratory sheep were collected to detect the circulating antibody of H. contortus by CIEP using crude whole worm somatic antigen. Out of 100 abomasums screened, 18 were heavily infected with adult worms of H. contortus and their serum samples showed positive reaction with clear thick precipitin line with crude somatic antigen of H. contortus by CIEP and 39 samples showed light precipitin line, which were moderately infected with adult worms of H. contortus during necropsy. However, the 12 serum samples showed positive reaction with clear precipitin line, but their abomasums did not show H. contortus and the remaining 31 were not harbouring any adult worms of H. contortus and no precipitin line observed by CIEP. The sensitivity and specificity of CIEP was found 100 and 72.09 %, respectively. In the present study, 62 % sero-prevalence was observed with CIEP among 150 serum samples from migratory sheep screened for antibodies of H. contortus using crude whole worm somatic antigen of H. contortus.