Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Sensitive and rapid detection of Giardia lamblia infection in pet dogs using loop-mediated isothermal amplification.
- Journal:
- The Korean journal of parasitology
- Year:
- 2013
- Authors:
- Li, Jie et al.
- Affiliation:
- College of Veterinary Medicine · China
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Giardia lamblia is a common parasite that affects dogs. Researchers developed a new test called loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) to quickly and accurately detect this parasite in dog feces. They found that this test can identify Giardia lamblia much faster than traditional methods, completing the process in about an hour. The LAMP test was shown to be ten times more sensitive than another common test called PCR, meaning it can detect lower amounts of the parasite. This new method could help veterinarians better control and prevent giardiasis (a disease caused by Giardia) in dogs.
Abstract
Giardia lamblia is recognized as one of the most prevalent parasites in dogs. The present study aimed to establish a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for rapid and specific detection of G. lamblia from dogs. The fecal samples were collected and prepared for microscopic analysis, and then the genomic DNA was extracted directly from purified cysts. The concentration of DNA samples of G. lamblia were diluted by 10-fold serially ranging from 10(-1) to 10(-5) ng/µl for LAMP and PCR assays. The LAMP assay allows the amplification to be finished within 60 min under isothermal conditions of 63℃ by employing 6 oligonucleotide primers designed based on G. lamblia elongation factor 1 alpha (EF1α) gene sequence. Our tests showed that the specific amplification products were obtained only with G. lamblia, while no amplification products were detected with DNA of other related protozoans. Sensitivity evaluation indicated that the LAMP assay was sensitive 10 times more than PCR. It is concluded that LAMP is a rapid, highly sensitive and specific DNA amplification technique for detection of G. lamblia, which has implications for effective control and prevention of giardiasis.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23710094/