title: [Evaluation of two DNA probes specific for Leishmania infantum in the diagnosis of canine leishmaniasis].
abstract: This study reports on the evaluation of two L. infantum specific DNA probes for the diagnosis of canine leishmaniasis. The probes presented very satisfying performances in terms of specificity (100%) and predictive value of the positive result (100%). However, their sensitivity (35.3%) and the clinical complexity of canine infections render their use difficult in epidemiological surveys of visceral leishmaniasis aiming at measuring the prevalence of the dog infection by L. infantum. The sensitivity of these tools has improved (66.7%) when dogs presenting patent leishmaniasis were considered. Such probes constitute appropriate tools to confirm suspected cases of leishmaniasis. Unlike the classical parasitological and serological tools, this kind of tools allows a concomitant detection and identification of the causative agent. Therefore, despite their low sensitivity, these probes can still be of importance in epidemiological investigations.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Epidémiologie et d'Ecologie Parasitaire-Institut Pasteur de Tunis-BP 74-1002 Tunis-Belvedère-Tunisie.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Guizani
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aoun
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ben Hamouda
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Diwani
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jedidi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kilani
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dellagi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ben Ismaïl
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015342:DNA Probes / Q000235:genetics; D018105:DNA, Kinetoplast / Q000235:genetics*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006824:Hybridization, Genetic; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000235:genetics*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D018105:DNA, Kinetoplast