TABLE 6.
Options for the diagnosis of E. multilocularis in animals
| Animal group | Material required | Test, sensitivity and specificitya |
|---|---|---|
| Live animals | ||
| Dogs and cats: individual animals and populations | Feces in buffer | Screening: coproantigen ELISA. S, 84-95%; SP, 96-99% |
| Secondaryb: copro-PCR. S, 89-94%; SP, ∼100%. | ||
| Population of foxes | Feces collected in the environment | Screening: coprogantigen ELISA. Secondary: copro-PCR. S and SP similar to above. |
| Aberrant hosts: dogs, monkeys, pigs | Serum, fine needle biopsy | Abdominal ultrasonography, other imaging techniques, serology possible but not validated for all species detection of specific antigens and DNA in liver biopsy samples |
| Dead animals | ||
| Dogs, cats, foxes, etc. | Small intestine | Standard option: parasite detection at necropsy by intestinal smear technique (S, 78%; SP, ∼100%) or by sedimentation technique and counting technique (S, ∼100%; SP, ∼100%). |
| Feces from rectum or contents from intestine in buffer | New option: coprogantigen ELISA and/or copro-PCR can also be used for routine screening. | |
| Aberrant and intermediate hosts | Internal organs | Normal necropsy procedures, histology, in conjunction with PCR in doubtful cases. |
a
Average values of various studies. Data from references 36, 37, 41, 49, and 134. S, sensitivity; SP, specificity.
b
Secondary test for confirmation or exclusion.