Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Rapid test to detect Chagas disease in dogs with heart problems
By Jimenez-Coello, Matilde et al.·Published in Vector borne and zoonotic diseases (Larchmont, N.Y.)·2018·1 Laboratorio de Biologia Celular·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Efficacy of Recombinase Polymerase Amplification to Diagnose Trypanosoma cruzi Infection in Dogs with Cardiac Alterations from an Endemic Area of Mexico.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs in Mexico with heart problems were tested for a parasite called Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes Chagas disease. Researchers developed a new quick test that could identify the infection effectively, showing a high accuracy rate compared to standard tests. Most of the dogs tested positive for the parasite, indicating a significant risk of Chagas disease in the area. The new test could help veterinarians diagnose infected dogs more easily in regions where this disease is common.
People also search for: dog heart problems Chagas disease · Trypanosoma cruzi test for dogs · symptoms of Chagas disease in dogs
Abstract
Chagas disease is a lingering Public Health problem in Latin America with ∼5.7 million people infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. Transmission is still taking place in most countries of the Americas, including the United States. Dogs are frequently infected with T. cruzi and its high infection prevalence is associated with increased risk of Chagas disease in humans. The city of Mérida in the Yucatan peninsula is endemic for Chagas disease and canines are frequently infected with T. cruzi. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of a qualitative point of care (POC) molecular test (RPA-LF, recombinase polymerase amplification-lateral flow) developed in our laboratory for identifying infected dogs. We used retrospective samples of dogs that came for consultation because of cardiac alterations and proved to be infected with T. cruzi as determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western blot, and quantitative PCR (qPCR). The analytical sensitivity indicated that RPA-LF amplified T. cruzi DNA in samples containing almost equal to one to two parasites per reaction. Serial twofold dilutions of T. cruzi epimastigotes showed that the test had 95% (19/20) repeatability at concentrations of two parasites per reaction. The test showed no cross reactivity with human DNA or other protozoan parasites (Trypanosoma rangeli, Leishmania spp., and Plasmodium spp.). RPA-LF had the capacity to amplify all discrete typing units (DTUs I-VI) of T. cruzi that circulate in domestic or extradomestic environments. The RPA-LF had 93.2% (95% confidence interval 87.2-98.1) sensitivity and excellent agreement with qPCR used as gold standard (Cohen's Kappa test = 0.963). ELISA was positive in 96.6% (85/88) of dogs, which together with the molecular tests confirmed the frequent contact with infected triatomine bugs in the city of Mérida. These preliminary results on the diagnostic efficacy of the RPA-LF deserve further large-scale field testing of this POC test for T. cruzi infection in endemic areas.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29768103/