Question

How can ELISA be used in epidemiological studies, especially in infectious agents that tend to mutate rapidly?

Answer 1

The ELISA- Enzyme linked Immunosorbent assay test showed an excellent sensitivity and specificity for both infections;the reading and recording of the extinction rates can be automated by using in time and money.The test can be strongly recommended for epidemiological surveys.The ELISA test was studied to assess its applicability in epidemiological surveys of schistosomiasis.Specimens of serum,stool and urine from persons attending an out patient clinic in an endemic area of S.mansoni and S.haematobium in Egypt were tested in the laboratories of the Theodor Bilharz research institute,Ciaro.The ELISA test results were compared with parasitological findings and with the results of indirect immunofluorescence and indirect hemagglutination tests as reference data.The specificity for both infections, the reading and recording of the extinction rates can be automated by using in time and money.The test can be strongly recommended for epidemiological surveys.

ELISA : A practical tool for rapid diagnosis of viruses and other infectious agents .

Tissue culture techniques are inadequate to diagnose some viral infections.Thus, solid phase immunoassay have been developed for direct detection of Viral antigens in clinical specimens. While radioimmunoassays (RIA) have attained widespread use, solid phase enzyme linked Immunosorbent assays offer a number of advantages over RIA systems.ELISAs can be established with approximately the same sensitivity as radioimmunoassays without utilising unstable,gamma emitting isotopes.However, before ELISA systems can obtain widespread usage a number of aspects of the test must be optimised.These include the preparation and use of reagents,the nature of solid phase,the choice of enzyme and enzyme antibody conjugation method.With the solving of these problems,ELISA should attain widespread usage for rapid diagnosis of a large number of infectious agents.