Detection of Leishmania infantum in 4 different dog samples by real-time PCR and ITS-1 nested PCR.
The canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) diagnosis is an important step of visceral leishmaniasis control program in Brazil, which involves the elimination of infected dogs, the main animal reservoir host of the disease. The aim of the present study was to evaluate a sensitive real-time PCR method for Leishmania infantum detection in 4 different clinical samples of dogs, including the noninvasive conjunctival swab (CS) sample. The results of real-time PCR were compared with those obtained using internal transcribed spacer 1 nested PCR. Animals were divided into 2 groups based on the absence or presence of CVL clinical sings. The CS associated with real-time PCR, using primers addressed to kinetoplast DNA minicircles, was able to detect L. infantum infection in 96.7% of dogs without clinical signs and in 100% of the symptomatic animals, demonstrating the importance of these procedures for diagnosing CVL.
Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN), Rua Professor Mário Werneck S/N°, Cidade Universitária - Campus da UFMG, 31120-970, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: alineleandra@hotmail.com.
Aline Leandra
AL
Carvalho Ferreira
Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN), Rua Professor Mário Werneck S/N°, Cidade Universitária - Campus da UFMG, 31120-970, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: streptos@gmail.com.
Virgínia Mendes
VM
Carregal
Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN), Rua Professor Mário Werneck S/N°, Cidade Universitária - Campus da UFMG, 31120-970, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: vidasnino@yahoo.com.br.
Sidney
S
de Almeida Ferreira
Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN), Rua Professor Mário Werneck S/N°, Cidade Universitária - Campus da UFMG, 31120-970, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: rleite2005@gmail.com.
Rodrigo Souza
RS
Leite
Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN), Rua Professor Mário Werneck S/N°, Cidade Universitária - Campus da UFMG, 31120-970, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: antero@cdtn.br.
Antero Silva Ribeiro
AS
de Andrade
D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000469:parasitology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods
Canine visceral leishmaniasis; Conjunctival swab; Diagnosis; PCR; Real-time PCR