Saliva as an easy specimen for diagnosis of human and animal fascioliosis.

In the present study saliva was evaluated for detection of human and animal fascioliosis. Both saliva and serum samples were collected from 12 Fasciola infected patients, 17 cattles and 20 sheep harboring Fasciola eggs only in their faeces. Samples from negative non-infected hosts were also collected. Experimental infection by F. gigantica in rabbits was carried out for determination of the first time appearance of anti-F. gigantica antibodies (AFAb) and circulating F. gigantica antigen (CFAg). This was carried out by indirect and sandwich ELISA using purified antigen (26-28 KD) and monoclonal antibodies. AFAb were detected in saliva of naturally infected patients, cattles and sheep, the sensitivity of the assays reached 66.6%, 64.7% and 65% respectively, while the sensitivity using serum samples was 91.66, 94.11 & 100% respectively. In the contrary AFAb in saliva was more specific (100%) than that in serum as it was 100%, 92.0% and 96.0% in humans, cattle and sheep respectively. CFAg showed higher sensitivity in diagnosis using saliva in comparison with AFAb as it was 83.3, 76.47 & 85% in patients, cattles & sheep respectively. Similarly, the specificity of CFAg in saliva was higher than that recorded using serum samples as it was 100%, 96.0% and 96.0% in the three groups respectively. AFAb and CFAg were detected in serum of experimentally F. gigntica infected rabbits at the end of the first week post infection, and in saliva at the 15th and 18th day post infection. These data introduce saliva as an easily collected sample that can be used for diagnosis of zoonotic fascioliosis.