title: Use of FTA®card methodology for sampling and molecular characterization of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato in Africa.
abstract: Cystic Echinococcosis is a parasitic disease caused by the cestode Echinococcus granulosus widely distributed in Africa. Monitoring of this parasite requires access to cyst samples on intermediate hosts observed at the slaughterhouse. In order to facilitate sampling in the field and analysis, the French National Reference Laboratory for Echinococcus spp. has developed a tissue derived from DNA sampling with FTA®card technology. The DNA samples were taken by applying the FTA®paper on the germinal layer after opening the cysts. The sampling technique was validated using frozen cysts (n = 76) stored in the laboratory and from field samples (n = 134) taken at the slaughterhouse by veterinarian technicians during meat inspection in Morocco, Mali and Mauritania. DNA was extracted after several weeks of storage at room temperature. PCR assays were performed using primers for generic cestode (cox1) and amplified fragments were sequenced. All samples taken in the lab and 80% of field samples were capable of molecular characterization. Cyst-derived DNA from FTA®samples can be useful for easy sampling, storage and rapid, safe and cheap shipment. The use of the FTA methodology will facilitate studies in the field to investigate the presence and genetic characterization of E. granulosus sensu lato in African countries.
authors.affiliation: ANSES, Nancy Laboratory for Rabies and Wildlife, National Reference Laboratory for Echinococcus spp., Wildlife Surveillance and Eco-epidemiology Unit, Technopôle Agricole et Vétérinaire, CS 40009, 54220 Malzéville, France. Electronic address: franck.boue@anses.fr.
authors.forename: Franck
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boué
authors.affiliation: Institute of Agronomy & Veterinary Medicine Hassan II, Department of Pathology and Veterinary Public Health, Rabat, BP 6202, Rabat, Morocco.
authors.forename: Ikhlass
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: El Berbri
authors.affiliation: ANSES, Nancy Laboratory for Rabies and Wildlife, National Reference Laboratory for Echinococcus spp., Wildlife Surveillance and Eco-epidemiology Unit, Technopôle Agricole et Vétérinaire, CS 40009, 54220 Malzéville, France.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hormaz
authors.affiliation: ANSES, Nancy Laboratory for Rabies and Wildlife, National Reference Laboratory for Echinococcus spp., Wildlife Surveillance and Eco-epidemiology Unit, Technopôle Agricole et Vétérinaire, CS 40009, 54220 Malzéville, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Boucher
authors.affiliation: National Center for Livestock and for Veterinary Research, Parasitology Department, B.P. 167, Nouakchott, Mauritania.
authors.forename: Ahmed Bezeid
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: El Mamy
authors.affiliation: Central Veterinary Laboratory, km 8, Route de Koulikoro, B.P. 2295, Bamako, Mali.
authors.forename: Abdallah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Traore
authors.affiliation: Institute of Agronomy & Veterinary Medicine Hassan II, Department of Pathology and Veterinary Public Health, Rabat, BP 6202, Rabat, Morocco.
authors.forename: Ouafaa Fassi
authors.initials: OF
authors.lastname: Fihri
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Medical Mycology, Lyon 1 University, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Anne-Françoise
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Petavy
authors.affiliation: Institute of Agronomy & Veterinary Medicine Hassan II, Department of Pathology and Veterinary Public Health, Rabat, BP 6202, Rabat, Morocco.
authors.forename: Allal
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dakkak
authors.affiliation: ANSES, Nancy Laboratory for Rabies and Wildlife, National Reference Laboratory for Echinococcus spp., Wildlife Surveillance and Eco-epidemiology Unit, Technopôle Agricole et Vétérinaire, CS 40009, 54220 Malzéville, France.
authors.forename: Gérald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Umhang
mesh_terms: D000003:Abattoirs; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic / Q000469:parasitology; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000469:parasitology; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004443:Echinococcosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D048209:Echinococcus granulosus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008302:Mali; D008435:Mauritania; D009018:Morocco; D010274:Parasitology / Q000379:methods*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D018509:DNA, Helminth
keywords: Cystic Echinococcosis; FTA card; Molecular diagnosis; Sampling method