Detecting Nasal Parasite Infections in Camels Using Purified Glycoprotein

Greg Howard
4th July, 2024

Detecting Nasal Parasite Infections in Camels Using Purified Glycoprotein

Image Source: Denys Gromov (photographer)

Key Findings

  • Researchers in Egypt developed a new ELISA test to diagnose nasal myiasis in camels
  • The test uses a specific glycoprotein from the third larval stage of the parasite C. titillator
  • The ELISA test showed 99.3% sensitivity and 100% specificity, making it highly accurate
The larvae of Cephalopina titillator, responsible for nasopharyngeal myiasis in camels, present a significant health challenge, impacting camel well-being, meat, and milk production, and can even lead to death. Addressing this issue, researchers from the National Research Centre have developed a sensitive and specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to improve the immunodiagnosis of camel nasal myiasis[1]. Nasopharyngeal myiasis, characterized by the infestation of camels' nasal and paranasal sinuses, pharynx, and larynx by C. titillator larvae, is prevalent in regions such as the Middle East and North Africa[2]. This condition results in severe economic losses in camel breeding areas due to reduced health and productivity of the animals. Previous studies have shown that essential oils like camphor can effectively kill C. titillator larvae, but there remains a need for improved diagnostic tools to better manage this disease[2]. In the current study, the researchers aimed to develop an accurate diagnostic method using an indirect ELISA based on a specific glycoprotein fraction from the third larval instar of C. titillator. They prepared crude antigens from the larvae and evaluated them using the ELISA technique. Among the various antigens tested, the third larval instar antigen (L3Ct) showed the highest protein content and diagnostic value (P < 0.001). This antigen was further purified using Concanavalin-A (Con-A) affinity chromatography, which isolates glycoproteins based on their affinity to specific sugars. The purified Ct-GlucNAc glycoprotein fraction was identified as the most effective antigen for detecting C. titillator antibodies, demonstrating 99.3% sensitivity and 100% specificity in ELISA tests. This means that the test accurately identified nearly all camels with the infection and did not produce false positives in healthy camels. The diagnostic accuracy was 99.7%, with no cross-reactivity observed with other parasitic diseases, such as those caused by Echinococcus granulosus and Cryptosporidium species[3][4]. To confirm the ELISA results, the researchers used western immunoblotting, a technique that separates proteins based on their size and detects specific proteins using antibodies. This method revealed immunoreactive antigenic bands at 63, 50, 30, and 18 kDa in sera from camels with nasopharyngeal myiasis, which did not react with sera from healthy camels or those with other parasitic infections. This specificity underscores the reliability of the ELISA test for diagnosing camel nasal myiasis. The study also compared the effectiveness of the new ELISA test with traditional postmortem diagnosis methods. The ELISA detected a positive rate of 48.6% for C. titillator infection, significantly higher than the 31% detection rate of postmortem examination (chi-square = 483, P < 0.001). This indicates that the ELISA is not only more accurate but also less invasive and faster than traditional methods. In conclusion, the study introduces a novel diagnostic tool based on the Ct-GlucNAc glycoprotein fraction from the third larval instar of C. titillator. This ELISA method is highly accurate, simple, and fast, offering a significant improvement in the detection of nasal myiasis in camels. The development of this diagnostic tool by the National Research Centre represents a major advancement in managing and controlling nasopharyngeal myiasis, ultimately benefiting camel health and the economies of camel-rearing regions.

MedicineBiochemAnimal Science

References

Main Study

1) Serodiagnosis of nasal myasis in camels (Camelus dromedaries) in Egypt using third larval instar affinity-purified glycoprotein

Published 3rd July, 2024

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11259-024-10441-w

Related Studies

2) Efficacy of some essential oils on Cephalopina titillator with special concern to nasal myiasis prevalence among camels and its consequent histopathological changes.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-018-0982-2

3) Evaluation of a vaccine candidate isolated from Cryptosporidium parvum oocyst in mice.

https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2022.2772-2784

4) Distribution of Taenia solium Diagnostic Glycoproteins in the Different Developmental Stages of the Parasite.

Journal: The Journal of parasitology, Issue: Vol 105, Issue 4, Aug 2019


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