Epidemiological survey of hypodermosis in western Spain.

A serological survey was carried out to establish the prevalence of hypodermosis in Extremadura, a region of western Spain. Direct clinical methods and an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to examine 1668 cattle between February 1992 and March 1993. An overall prevalence of 19.54 per cent was observed by the direct methods, and a prevalence of 42.3 per cent by the ELISA. The sensitivity and specificity of the ELISA for hypodermosis were assessed, and the fluctuation of antibody levels was studied throughout the year and correlated with the age of the host, the intensity of parasitism and the mean larval burden.