Molecular diagnostic procedures using RT-PCR to alleviate taxonomic impediments of parasite species segregation

Abstract

The development of reliable tools for surveillance, diagnosis and detection of such diseases at a quicker pace has indeed been challenging in context of the emerging infectious diseases, particularly in the tropical regions of the world. The primary requirement of an effective tool of such diagnosis is the skill of a tool to detect absence of neglected tropical diseases. Meltpoint DNAbased diagnostics are being developed for a number of diseases and although qRT-PCR is the most common detection method at present, there is extensive interest in improving and diversifying detection technologies, which may provide more field-friendly tools. The technicalities of biotechnological tools, appropriateness of technological application, and rapid adaptability, as according to the alterations and adjustments suited to the progress of the control programs through different phases, from the peak prevalence of infections to the definitive diagnostics to the infections that have disappeared. The preference for an easier to use tool that had a cost-effective efficiency was propagated [1,2] even if it bore a moderate sensitivity. This was particularly because rapidity of mapping to mark high priority regions, where infection prevalence was high and frequency of screening at a brisk pace was the requirement. The sensitivities and specificities of comparable diagnostic tests were considerably improved after introduction of PCR oriented estimations and analysis before which the methods incorporating meta-analyses of diagnostic test proficiencies were invariably relied upon, examples of which are commonly available in cases for the assessment of Chagas disease, leishmaniasis and malaria [3-5], as well as Soil Transmitted Health (STH) diagnostic technology [6-9]. Some of the most common techniques for detection and diagnosis of Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and Ancylostoma duodenale involving KatoKatz [10], direct microscopy[11], formol-ether concentration (FEC)[12], McMaster[13], FLOTAC[14] and Mini-FLOTAC [15] methodology. In recent years, the sensitivity of different diagnostic tests [16,17] was assessed by the application of Bayesian latent class model [18].