1987 Volume 40 Issue 1 Pages 13-18
Adult flukes of Japanese Fasciola sp. were washed 4 times with sterile, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), pH 7.4, and then frozen at -20°C until use. After thawing, one adult fluke was placed in 10% of its weight (10% w/v) of PBS and homogenized. After incubation in a water bath at 37°C for 4 hours, the homogenate was centrifuged at 2, 500 rpm for 10 minutes. The supernatant was used as precipitating antigen for the double immunodiffusion test to make a diagnosis of fascioliasis.
Small discs (5×5 mm) of filter paper impregnated with blood from rabbits and goats infected experimentally with F. hepatica and Japanese Fasciola sp. were allowed to react with the antigen on an agar-gel plate. At least 2 precipitation lines were observed on the plate. When small discs of filter paper impregnated with blood from uninfected rabbits and goats formed no precipitation lines.
