Lamb serum recognition of infective larvae and adult Haemonchus contortus antigens.

Sixteen- to eighteen-week-old lambs were infected with 2500 3rd stage larvae (L-3) of Haemonchus contortus or kept as uninfected controls. Two months later all animals were challenged with 5000 L-3 of this parasite. Soluble antigens of H. contortus L-3 and adult worms were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting during experimental infection and challenge. Antigens from both sources, particularly of low molecular weight under reducing conditions, were recognised by the pooled sera of infected lambs. No single L-3 antigen was recognised by all infected lambs, whereas two peptides having around 25 and 26 kDa from adults were recognised by infected animals during the patency and could be of potential use in the diagnosis of lamb haemonchosis.