A review of some simple immunoassays in the serodiagnosis of cystic hydatid disease.

Laboratory diagnosis of cystic hydatid disease (CHD) in the field or rural health centres catering to the needs of rural populations, especially in the developing countries, is faced with many difficulties. This paper reviews the need for simple and rapid immunoassays for the diagnosis of hydatid disease in such conditions. Simple and rapid immunoassays such as Dot-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), hydatid antigen dot immunobinding assay (HA-DIA) and Co-agglutination (Co-A) which have the potential for wider use in the field or poorly equipped laboratories for serodiagnosis of hydatid disease are discussed.