In general, these tests have high sensitivity but often have poor specificity. The tests can identify animals that have been previously exposed to trypanosome infection, but they do not reflect current infection, as the infection could have been cured a long time in the past. At the present stage of development, the indirect fluorescent antibody test is the procedure of choice, as it allows detection of species-specific antibodies. Air dry and fix in acetone for 5 minutes. Mark circles of 5 mm in diameter on glass slides, using nail varnish.
Air dry the slides.
Incubate and wash as above. Rinse in distilled water. Air dry the slides. Mount the slides in PBS or buffered glycerol and examine for fluorescence. No biological products are in use at present.