A description of the schistosome parasite and its life cycle,rnits immunology and the fact that the parasite causes a disease ofrnworld-wide significance is made. The existing distribution ofrnschistosomiasis in Ethiopia and its recorded vectors and thernpossibility that the disease may rapidly be coming a public healthrnthreat is mentioned. As possible tools for the sero-diagnosis of schistosomiasis,rnshort accounts of the skin test, the indirect immuno-fluorescencerntest, the complement fixation test and the radio-immunoassay arerngi ven. '['he enzyme linked immunosorben t assay (ELISA) as a promisingrndiagnostic method has been elaborated '['he primary objective of this study was the assessement ofrnELISA as a sero-epidemiologic tool for schistosomiasis. In thisrnstudy, samples from S .mansoni and- S .haematob.iill!! endemic areas andrnsamples from non-endemic area were used. ~ljicroscopic examinationrnof stool and/or urine ELISA on blood samples and skin tests forrnschistosomiasis were done. ELISA with a sensitivity of 86.86 torn96% and a specificity or 80 to 81% was preferred as a sero-diagnosticrnmethod for schistosomiasis from: the conventional microscopyrnwhere sensitivity was 101'1 and from the intradermal test which showedrnpoor specifici ty (40% posi ti vi ty was observed in" non-endemi c area).