The immunodiagnosis of Schistosoma mansoni infection in the different clinico-parasitological stages.

A total of 52 bilharzial mansoni patients were examined, 20 patients with early intestinal infection with living ova in stools, 20 patients with hepatosplenomegaly but without ascites, also with viable ova in stools, and 12 patients with hepatosplenomegaly and ascites without ova in stools; but in the rectal snip. Also 20 normal persons were examined. An IDT test was performed by S. mansoni adult worm antigen. S. mansoni adult worm and egg antigen extracts were used for performing CIEP, IHAT and ELISA tests showed statistically the same high sensitivity. In cases with hepatosplenomegaly whatever the clinical (with or without ascites) or the parasitological status (passing or not passing ova in stools) of the patients, the ELISA test with egg antigen is found to be a highly sensitive and a specific test.