Due to its role in human Trichinellosis, there are increasing global requirements for reliable diagnostic
method for Trichinella spiralis infection in pigs. Consequently, there is a need for selection of potent
diagnostic antigen that could be successfully utilized in the diagnosis. Currently, two antigens (somatic and
excretory-secretory antigens of T. spiralis larvae) were evaluated for the diagnosis of pig trichinellosis using
ELISA. The ES antigen exhibited highest diagnostic potential (88.3%) as compared to somatic antigen (68.3%).
The diagnostic potential of ES antigen is attributed to five immunogenic bands identified by infected pig sera
in immunoblot. These bands are of molecular weight 127, 58, 35, 20.5 and 12 KDa. While in somatic antigen six
immunogenic bands of molecular weight 230, 89, 58, 27, 15 and 6 KDa were identified. In conclusion, monitoring
for T. spiralis antibodies in swine farms should be based on screening pig sera by means of ELISA in
which larval ES antigen was utilized.