Coproantigen detection in a survey of Echinococcus multilocularis infection among red foxes, Vulpes vulpes schrencki, in Hokkaido, Japan.

Detection of Echinococcus coproantigen using sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (sELISA) was performed on fecal samples of red foxes in Hokkaido, Japan. Fecal samples were collected around fox dens in 1990 and 1992. The antibodies used for sELISA recognize heat-resistant antigens, thus all fecal samples were heated to render it safe for handling before examination. Detection of taeniid egg in fox feces collected was considered as an indication of E. multilocularis infection. In fecal samples collected in 1990 and 1992, coproantigen positive results out of taeniid-egg positive cases were 38/40 (95.0%) and 95/97 (97.9%), respectively. In addition, coproantigen was detected regardless of fecal condition when collected from the field, suggesting that the antigens detected by this method are quite stable. These results suggest that detection of coproantigen is useful for field surveys of foxes naturally infected with E. multilocularis.