BackgroundVisceral schistosomosis caused by Schistosoma spindale is an economically important chronic wasting snail-borne trematode infection which often goes undiagnosed in field condition due to lack of efficient diagnostic assays. ELISA and Colloidal gold immunofiltration assay were used to evaluate the state of active visceral schistosomosis in cattle through detection of antibodies against S. spindale ES antigen.Methodology/Principle FindingsThe present study included development and evaluation of enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and colloidal gold immunofiltration assay (CGIFA) with conventionally prepared S. spindale excretory-secretory (ES) antigen using postmortem mesenteric examination as a reference standard. Statistical analysis was performed using Cochran Q test, Chi-square test and kappa statistics which showed no significant difference between the developed tests and strong agreement with the postmortem examination which was considered as gold standard test. CGIFA showed sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 92.98 %, 96.74 % and 95.55 % respectively whereas that of ELISA was 94.73 %, 95.12 % and 95% respectively.Conclusion/SignificanceCGIFA was found to be simpler, rapid, effective, less expensive and required least expertise for interpretation of results. It can be used as portable diagnostic device for rapid diagnosis of S. spindale infection at field condition making it an ideal pen side diagnostic kit.

One hundred and eighty mesentery samples of cattle were collected during a period of October 2019- March 2020 for screening visceral schistosomosis from Perambur slaughter house, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Schistosoma indicum was identified in eleven mesenteries of Nellore breed of cattle based on morphology and worm number varied from 1-114 per mesentry. Molecular confirmation based on 16s RNA revealed it to be S. indicum. It was found that the infection of S. indicum in cattle was first report in Tamil Nadu in last two decades. The slaughtered cattle originated from neighboring states especially Andhrapradesh. The tract of infection needs to be traced accordingly for future control strategies. Awareness must be created among the livestock farmers to prevent production loss due to S. indicum infection while purchasing cattle from neighboring states within India.