title: Multiplex polymerase chain reaction for detection of Dirofilaria immitis (Filariidea: Onchocercidae) and Wuchereria bancrofti (Filarioidea: Dipetalonematidae) in their common vector Aedes polynesiensis (Diptera: Culicidae).
abstract: In French Polynesia, Aedes polynesiensis (Marks) is the vector of the human filarial parasite Wuchereria bancrofti (Cobbold) and dog heartworm, Dirofilaria immitis (Leidy). A multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was designed to screen pools of field-collected Ae. polynesiensis for the presence of both parasites simultaneously using primers specific for each parasite. The sensitivity of detection on purified DNA was 1 and 10 pg, equivalent to 0.1 and 1 L3 larva per pool for W. bancrofti and D. immitis, respectively. Codetection was performed at an hybridization temperature of 58 degrees C to avoid competition between heterologous DNA and primers that was observed at 55 degrees C. In addition, D. immitis was detected by PCR in the blood of infected dogs.
authors.affiliation: Institut Territorial de Recherches Médicales Louis Malardé, Tahiti, French Polynesia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nicolas
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Scoles
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000469:parasitology*; D000818:Animals; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000032:analysis; D004183:Dirofilaria immitis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004285:Dogs; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000469:parasitology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D014958:Wuchereria bancrofti / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D018509:DNA, Helminth