Method for Malaria Diagnosis Based on Extractions of Samples Using Non-Invasive Techniques: An Opportunity for the Nursing Clinical Practice.

Malaria has been for millennia one of the best known and most destructive diseases affecting humans. Its high impact has aroused great interest for the development of new effective and reliable diagnostic techniques. Recently it has been recently published that hairs from mammal hosts are able to capture, hold and finally remove foreign DNA sequences of parasites.

Application of qPCR method to hair and cerumen samples for the diagnosis of canine leishmaniosis in Araçatuba, Brazil.

Visceral leishmaniosis (VL) remains a serious public health problem in Brazil. Dogs are the main hosts of the parasite, developing canine leishmaniosis (CanL), hence the importance of an accurate diagnosis of the animals. Recently, the application of qPCR method to non-invasive samples obtained from dogs with CanL has shown high sensitivity.

A large-scale field randomized trial demonstrates safety and efficacy of the vaccine LetiFend® against canine leishmaniosis.

Canine leishmaniosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Leishmania infantum. Extensive research is currently ongoing to develop safe and effective vaccines to protect from disease development. The European Commission has granted a marketing authorization for LetiFend®, a new vaccine containing recombinant Protein Q.

Treatment of canine leishmaniasis with marbofloxacin in dogs with renal disease.

Treatment of canine leishmaniasis (CanL) represents a challenge. Due to the high prevalence of renal disease associated to CanL, it is important to find an effective drug that does not damage the kidneys. Marbofloxacin has been shown to be effective and well tolerated in non-azotemic dogs with leishmaniasis.

First detection of Leishmania kDNA in canine cerumen samples by qPCR.

Nowadays, searching for alternative non-invasive methods for molecular diagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniosis is getting increasingly important. We previously described the presence of Leishmania kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) in canine hair; in this case we hypothesized whether foreign DNA might be present in cerumen of dogs with leishmaniosis, and be detected by Real time quantitative PCR (qPCR). A population of 38 dogs that lived in Leishmania endemic areas was divided in two groups: A (33 dogs with confirmed leishmaniosis by serological techniques) and B (5 healthy dogs).

First detection of Leishmania infantum DNA within the brain of naturally infected dogs.

Visceral leishmaniasis is an anthropozoonosis caused by the protozoan Leishmania infantum (L. chagasi). In dogs, the disease presents with systemic manifestations, including neurological disorders.

First detection of Leishmania infantum kinetoplast DNA in hair of wild mammals: application of qPCR method to determine potential parasite reservoirs.

The data presented in this paper describe the application of a method for a reliable and non-invasive diagnosis of leishmaniosis in wild reservoirs, based on the detection of Leishmania infantum kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) in hair samples by Real Time PCR (qPCR). The study has been performed on 68 ear/leg hair samples from 5 different wild species (Vulpes vulpes, Canis lupus, Martes foina, Rattus norvegicus and Erinaceus europaeus) from several geographic areas of West and North Spain. The presence of Leishmania kDNA was detected in 14 of the 68 analyzed samples, being the highest quantity of DNA observed in foxes.

Detection of Leishmania infantum kinetoplast minicircle DNA by Real Time PCR in hair of dogs with leishmaniosis.

It is known that hair can accumulate environmental toxics and excrete foreign chemical or biological substances. In this context, we hypothesized that foreign DNA could be found in the hair of an infected organism, and thus, be detected by Real Time PCR in the hair of Leishmania infantum naturally infected dogs. A population of 28 dogs living in Leishmania endemic areas was divided into two groups: A (13 Leishmania infected dogs) and B (15 healthy dogs).