Application of the latex agglutination test for human paragonimiasis in South America.

The latex agglutination test (LAT) was compared with the complement fixation test (CFT), double diffusion test (DDT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the serodiagnosis of South American paragonimiasis. Sera from 17 Peruvian and Ecuadorian patients with paragonimiasis, from 15 Japanese patients with other helminthiases, and from 100 healthy students were analyzed. The tests were also compared using serum samples from patients treated with bithionol. There was remarkable agreement among the methods and it was concluded that the LAT could be a useful serodiagnostic technique for paragonimiasis, especially in field surveys.