Development of an Anti-Elicitin Antibody-Based Immunohistochemical Assay for Diagnosis of Pythiosis.

Pythiosis is an emerging and life-threatening infectious disease of humans and animals living in tropical and subtropical countries and is caused by the fungus-like organism Pythium insidiosum. Antifungals are ineffective against this pathogen. Most patients undergo surgical removal of the infected organ, and many die from advanced infections.

The elicitin-like glycoprotein, ELI025, is secreted by the pathogenic oomycete Pythium insidiosum and evades host antibody responses.

Pythium insidiosum is a unique oomycete that can infect humans and animals. Patients with a P. insidiosum infection (pythiosis) have high rates of morbidity and mortality.

Performance comparison of immunodiffusion, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunochromatography and hemagglutination for serodiagnosis of human pythiosis.

Pythiosis is a life-threatening infectious disease caused by the fungus-like organism Pythium insidiosum. Morbidity and mortality rates of pythiosis are high. The treatment of choice for pythiosis is surgical debridement of infected tissue.