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Test strip detection of Wuchereria bancrofti amplified DNA in wild‐caught Culex pipiens and estimation of infection rate by a PoolScreen algorithm
Author(s) -
Helmy Hanan,
Fischer Peter,
Farid Hoda A.,
Bradley Mark H.,
Ramzy Reda M. R.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
tropical medicine and international health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.056
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 1365-3156
pISSN - 1360-2276
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-3156.2003.01155.x
Subject(s) - wuchereria bancrofti , biology , filariasis , lymphatic filariasis , culex pipiens , veterinary medicine , culex , vector (molecular biology) , nile delta , virology , immunology , helminths , larva , medicine , genetics , ecology , history , ancient history , gene , recombinant dna
Summary Bancroftian filariasis is targeted for elimination in the Nile Delta of Egypt. Improved simple methods are needed for monitoring Wuchereria bancrofti infection in the mosquito vector and thereby the success of elimination programmes. We evaluated the performance of the Ssp I‐PCR assay combined with a DNA Detection Test Strip TM method and used the PoolScreen algorithm method for estimating mosquito infection rates. A total of 769 indoor‐resting Culex pipiens were captured in 79 randomly selected houses from a filaria‐endemic village in the Nile Delta of Egypt (24.4% antigenaemia and 8.6% microfilaraemia). Collected mosquitoes were pooled by house, and assayed by the Ssp I‐PCR. Amplified parasite DNA was detected by both electrophoresis of agarose gel stained with ethidium bromide (EtBr) and by test strips. PCR based on EtBr and test strip methods identified 43 (54.4%) and 45 (56.9%) houses, respectively, as being filaria positive. The minimum mosquito infection rate, assuming one infected female/pool was 6.85% by the PCR test strips. Mosquito infection rate calculated by the PoolScreen2 algorithm software amounted to 8.1% [95% confidence interval 5.85, 10.47]. Because it is faster and safer, the PCR test strip is a practical tool, especially when combined with the PoolScreen algorithm method, for xenomonitoring the success of elimination programmes.