Cross antigenicity among ovine trichostrongyloidea. Preliminary report

A preliminary trial on the extent of cross-antigenicity among the sheep strongylids Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongylus colubriformis, Teladorsagia circumcinta and Nematodirus battus in 2.5-to 4-month-old lambs has been carried out using ELISA and Western blotting (WB). Cross antigenicity was tested using soluble extracts from adult and third stage larvae (L 3) of H. contortus as antigenic source probed with sera from lambs with monospecific heterologous infections. There was cross-antigenicity between L 3 of H. contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis in ELISA and WB. Immunodetection results with adult H. contortus antigen showed a closer relationship to Teladorsagia circumcincta. Certain heterologous sera reacted with H. contortus antigens more strongly than the homologous one, but sera from the H. contortus-infected animals had reactivity around the 25 kDa region from adult antigens which could have potential diagnostic use.