Recent advances in the diagnosis of Schistosoma infection: the detection of parasite DNA.
As Schistosoma sp. control programs are chiefly based on treatment of infected population, adequate case finding has a crucial role. The available diagnostic methods are far from ideal, since the search for eggs in stools and the detection of circulating antigens lack sensitivity in low prevalence and post-treatment situations and antibody detection lacks specificity. In most endemic foci, repeated treatment of infected people leaves a number of non-diagnosed and consequently non-treated persons, enough to maintain a persistent residue of 5 to 10% prevalence. In an attempt to surpass these diagnostic limitations we have developed a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of Schistosoma sp. in feces that, in a first population study, has shown to be more sensitive than three-repeated stool Kato-Katz examination. The PCR may constitute a valuable tool for the diagnosis of the Schistosoma sp. infection in special situations, when high sensitivity and specificity are required and infrastructure is available.
Rabello
Ana
A
Laboratório de Pesquisas Clínicas, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, MG, 30190-002, Brasil. ana@cpqrr.fiocruz.br
Pontes
Luís André
LA
Dias-Neto
Emmanuel
E
D000818:Animals; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology*; D051379:Mice; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D016054:DNA, Protozoan