Abstract
Background Leprosy is a skin disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. It is the second mycobacterial disease after tuberculosis still presenting a public health problem in many countries today. With the advent of multidrug therapy in 1982, much progress has been made in the fight against this disease, which causes severe social consequences. Côte d’Ivoire, like many African countries, reached the elimination threshold of disease and MDT is available throughout the country. However, Côte d’Ivoire has not managed to break the chain of transmission of M. leprae. Thus, in the country where leprosy is endemic, the number of Grade II disabilities observed remains significant. Methods and results The diagnosis of infection is often made by default, based only on clinical and microscopic evidence; we are committed to implementing PCR, a previously unavailable diagnostic tool, to help confirm suspected leprosy cases. Samples consisting of nasal mucus and slits skin smears were collected from 39 suspect cases for confirmation by PCR. DNA was extracted and amplified, targeting M. leprae repeated elements (RLEP). Results showed a PCR positivity rate of 38.5%. PCR products of the repetitive elements were sequenced and BLASTn analysis confirmed that the amplified products obtained were part of the M. leprae genome. PCR is now available for confirmation of leprosy cases in Côte d’Ivoire. This will help to reduce the consequences of leprosy and promote its elimination.
Highlights
Leprosy is a chronic infectious tropical disease caused by an obligate intracellular pathogen, Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae)
The eradication of a disease being conditioned by the performance of diagnostic measures implemented, we have undertaken to implement M. leprae polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection in Côte d’Ivoire, a diagnostic tool unavailable in the country up to now, to contribute to case confirmation and help the National Leprosy Eradication Program to fight against the disease
The bioinformatic analysis of 6 of the amplified PCR products sequenced with the BLASTn program confirmed that those sequences obtained from PCR products were related to the M. leprae genome with 99–100% sequence identity
Summary
The diagnosis of infection is often made by default, based only on clinical and microscopic evidence; we are committed to implementing PCR, a previously unavailable diagnostic tool, to help confirm suspected leprosy cases. Samples consisting of nasal mucus and slits skin smears were collected from 39 suspect cases for confirmation by PCR. DNA was extracted and amplified, targeting M. leprae repeated elements (RLEP). Results showed a PCR positivity rate of 38.5%. PCR products of the repetitive elements were sequenced and BLASTn analysis confirmed that the amplified products obtained were part of the M. leprae genome. PCR is available for confirmation of leprosy cases in Côte d’Ivoire. This will help to reduce the consequences of leprosy and promote its elimination
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