Performance of Alere™ immunochromathographic test for the diagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniasis

Abstract

The diagnosis and control of canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) has fundamental importance in the control of human visceral leishmaniasis. In this context, the immunochromathographic test (ICT) has emerged as a valuable diagnostic tool. Currently, in Brazil, the algorithm for the diagnosis of CVL uses Dual Path Platform (DPP) ICT as a screening test and ELISA as a confirmatory test. However, the DPP® ICT has been facing a problem of insufficient production to meet the national demand. Here, the Alere™ canine visceral leishmaniasis ICT was tested with serum samples from 159 dogs, including symptomatic, asymptomatic and healthy dogs, characterized by DPP® ICT and ELISA (panel A), or ELISA and Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA) (panel B), and parasitological examination as gold standard. In this study, the Alere™ ICT obtained 0.974 sensitivity for panel A and 0.854 sensitivity for panel B. The specificity was 1.0 for both panels. Thus, the Alere™ ICT has potential to be used for the serological diagnosis of CVL.