Usefulness of indirect haemagglutination (IHA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the diagnosis of human hydatidosis.

This communication reports on the usefulness of the IHA test and the ELISA in the diagnosis of human hydatid disease. The study was conducted on 40 surgically confirmed cases of hydatid disease, 40 normal individuals, and sera from individuals with various parasitic infections and other conditions namely: hook-worm-8, taeniasis-5, schistosomiasis-10, malaria-15, visceral leishmaniasis-12, multiple myeloma-3, syphilis-6, and gonorrhoea-10. The results show a sensitivity of 85% and specificity of 100%. The results indicate that it is no longer scientifically rational to hold the view that the Turkana do not mount adequate immune response against Echinococcus infections.