title: Universal conventional and real-time PCR diagnosis tools for Sarcoptes scabiei.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The mite Sarcoptes scabiei has a known host-range of over 100 mammal species including humans. One of the prime objectives of the Sarcoptes-World Molecular Network (WMN) is to design and develop universal Sarcoptes PCR-based diagnosis methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe here for the first time two universal mitochondrial-based diagnosis methods: (i) conventional end-point PCR and (ii) TaqMan real-time PCR. The design of both of these universal diagnosis methods was based on Sarcoptes samples collected from 23 host species in 14 countries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  These methods, based on skin scrapings, were successfully used to etiologically confirm the diagnosis of different clinical degrees of sarcoptic mange in 48 animals belonging to six species. These universal PCR-based diagnosis methods are highly specific, technically sensitive and simple, and are based on the amplification of 135 bp from the Mitochondrial 16S rDNA. The method based on TaqMan real-time qPCR was more sensitive than the conventional end-point PCR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Two universal PCR-based diagnosis methods for S. scabiei were successfully designed and applied; one based on conventional end-point PCR and the other on TaqMan real-time PCR. We recommend further testing and the application of these new universal methods worldwide.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095, Grugliasco, Italy. sameralasaad@hotmail.com.|Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies (IEU), University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland. sameralasaad@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Samer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Angelone-Alasaad
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095, Grugliasco, Italy. annarita.molinar@unito.it.
authors.forename: AnnaRita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Molinar Min
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095, Grugliasco, Italy. mario.pasquetti@unito.it.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pasquetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. aalagaili@ksu.edu.sa.
authors.forename: Abdulaziz N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Alagaili
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy. stefano.damelio@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: D'Amelio
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy. berrilli@uniroma2.it.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Berrilli
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Services, Kenya Wildlife Service, Nairobi, Kenya. vobanda@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Obanda
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Animal Diseases, Veterinary Research Division, National Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt. Gebelym@Cardiff.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Mohamed A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gebely
authors.affiliation: Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Avda. Américo Vespucio s/n, 41092, Sevilla, Spain. soriguer@ebd.csic.es.
authors.forename: Ramón C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Soriguer
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095, Grugliasco, Italy. luca.rossi@unito.it.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rossi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012520:Sarcoptes scabiei / Q000235:genetics*; D012532:Scabies / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S