Western Blot for the diagnosis of the acute and chronic phase of animal and human fasciolosis, using different antigens of Fasciola hepatica

Abstract

Fasciolosis is a zoonotic infection of high prevalence in Peru, being Fasciola hepatica the parasite responsible for this disease recognized as a public health emergency; this parasite infects humans and animals; human transmission occurs in rural Andean populations dedicated to agriculture becoming even hyperendemic in the poorest areas of Peru where immunoenzymatic and immunoelectrotransfer diagnostic techniques, currently considered as the most sensitive and specific in detecting the parasite, are not applied; however, research in this regard concludes that through the application of these techniques, some specific proteins have been determined from the second week of the chronic phase of the disease, thus making it essential to apply diagnostic methods that identify specific proteins of F. hepatica in the acute phase of the disease, even when the antigen is found in low concentration in the sample, so that, unlike routine diagnosis, the Western Blot is an effective alternative for the diagnosis of animal and human fasciolosis. Therefore, the aim of this review was to know the application of the Western Blot technique for the diagnosis of fasciolosis in the acute and chronic phase. The advantages and disadvantages of this technique have been discussed, as well as its potential in specific antigen recognition, all compiled from state-of-the-art scientific literature, considering the timely detection essential for the respective treatment in animals and humans.