Rapid ELISA Test Research Articles

Evaluation of InBios Scrub Typhus Detect IgM Rapid Test in Acute Fever Cases from Southwest and East India.

Scrub typhus is clinically undifferentiated from other aetiologies for acute febrile illness such as enteric fever, dengue, malaria, and leptospirosis. Rapid ELISA tests are being used as an alternative to immunofluorescence assay in tropical countries. In this study, we compared and evaluated commercially available InBios Scrub Typhus Detect IgM Rapid Test (USA) for diagnosing human scrub typhus infection using archived and prospectively collected samples against the reference standard, InBios Scrub Typhus Detect IgM ELISA (USA). The data analysis of archived samples on rapid test revealed a moderate sensitivity of 53.92% and a specificity of 100%. Meanwhile, prospective serum samples demonstrated higher sensitivity and specificity of 96.4% and 94.6%, respectively. The InBios Scrub Typhus Detect IgM rapid test can be a good point-of-care assay during surveillance, outbreak investigations, and case identification.

SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody status in unvaccinated and 2-dose vaccinated Indonesians by AstraZeneca.

Indonesia began deploying a COVID-19 vaccine in January 2021, prioritising vaccination for high-risk groups such as healthcare workers, the elderly and those with comorbidities, and ending with the general public due to limited vaccine availability. Our study aimed to evaluate antibody response in Indonesians who had received two doses of the vaccine vs. those who had not. The study design was a cohort study involving 46 unvaccinated people and 23 people who had received the second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine in three months. Methods used for the qualitative and quantitative detection of IgG antibodies included rapid RI-GHA and ELISA tests. Findings showed that positive IgG antibodies qualitatively detected by the rapid RI-GHA test were significantly higher in those vaccinated (60.9%) than in unvaccinated people (26.1%). Using the ELISA assay, all vaccinated individuals qualitatively showed positive antibodies (cut-off ≥4.33 BAU/ml), and the average quantitative titer of anti-SARS-CoV-2 s-RBD IgG was significantly higher in vaccinated (157.06±238.68 BAU/ml) than in unvaccinated (51.90±87.60 BAU/ml) individuals. Some unvaccinated individuals with no history of infection were found to have anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies that may have been previously asymptomatic, although their mean antibody titers were certainly lower than those in the 2-dose group. Approximately 56% of vaccinated individuals had antibody titers above 60 BAU/ml as a cut-off for protective threshold, a significantly higher proportion than unvaccinated individuals. In conclusion, vaccination with two doses AstraZeneca increased anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies which resulted in enhanced immunity against symptomatic COVID-19.

COMPARISON OF ANTIBODY DETECTION BY RAPID DIAGNOSTIC KIT AND ELISA TEST FOR DIAGNOSIS OF HEPATITIS C VIRUS INFECTION

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of healthcare problem along with burden of health management care cost of international concern. Hepatitis C is a serious threat with long term complication. The present study is undertaken to compare rapid card test based on Immunochromatography principle with ELISA test for detection of anti HCV antibodies. In the absence of vaccine, primary prevention of Hepatitis C should be targeted to reduce transmission of virus. High risk people should be provided with education, counselling and screening. A cross-sectional study was done at Dept. of Microbiology, M.G.M.M.C, Indore Method: for one year comprising of 500 samples after getting Institutional Scientic Research and Ethics Committee approval. Rapid card and ELISA tests were performed in the samples received for detection of Anti-HCV ab. Out of 500 blood samples test Result: ed on Rapid card 22 were positive while 478 were negative. Further testing on same 500 samples with ELISA test 22 were positive and 478 were negative. Discussion: Present study ndings suggest that for screening of anti HCV antibody ELISA and Rapid card tests both can be used as diagnostic tool depending upon facilities available in the laboratory. Rapid card Conclusion: tests were found to be equally diagnostic as compared to ELISA test and hence can be recommended in screening of HCV

Improving dengue diagnosis and case confirmation in children by combining rapid diagnostic tests, clinical, and laboratory variables

BackgroundDengue is the most widely distributed arboviral disease in tropical and subtropical countries. Most suspected cases are diagnosed according to the clinical criteria, and early diagnosis is difficult. Moreover, in underdeveloped countries, several factors continue to challenge the diagnosis and surveillance of dengue cases. This study aimed to design a diagnostic algorithm using rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), ELISA tests, and clinical and hematological variables to confirm dengue cases in febrile patients in Colombia.MethodsAltogether, 505 samples were collected. Serum samples were evaluated by RDTs (IgM and IgG antibodies and NS1 antigen), capture IgM and IgG ELISAs, and endpoint hemi-nested RT-PCR assay (qualitative). We statistically analyzed the performance of individual tests to determine the most useful ones to confirm dengue cases accurately.ResultsIndividual results for IgM, IgG, and NS1 RDTs yielded lower sensitivity and specificity values than the reference standard. High sensitivity and specificity were obtained after combining IgM and NS1 ELISA results (96.3% and 96.4%) and NS1 RDT plus IgM ELISA results (90.3% and 96.2%), respectively. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) were calculated for clinical variables and laboratory tests to differentiate dengue from other febrile illnesses (OFI). This approach showed that myalgia, abdominal tenderness, and platelet count were identified with higher sensitivity to confirm dengue cases. IgM RDT and NS1 RDT differentiated dengue cases from OFI. A positive IgM RDT or a positive NS1 RDT combined with specific signs or symptoms confirmed 81.6% of dengue cases. A combination of clinical findings and a positive NS1 RDT or positive ELISA IgM confirmed 90.6% of the cases.ConclusionOur findings showed that clinical diagnoses in pediatric population alone cannot confirm true dengue cases and needs to be complemented by laboratory diagnostic tests. We also demonstrate the usefulness of combining clinical criteria with RDTs, suggesting that their implementation with the IgM ELISA test improves dengue case confirmation.

Feline leukemia as a still relevant problem in domestic and wild animals – the current state of knowledge

The aim of this review is to present information about leukemia caused by feline leukemia virus (FeLV) infection in felids. Despite widespread vaccinations, leukemia is still one of the most common diseases in cats. FeLV infection occurs by direct contact between animals, especially through contact with saliva. Infection with this highly contagious virus is characterized by immunosuppression and non-specific signs, such as cytopenia or tumorigenesis. The virus is transmitted horizontally through close contact between cats and vertically from infected queens to their kittens. Persistently infected cats are the reservoir of the virus. Rapid ELISA tests and immunochromatography play a major role in diagnosis, but RT-PCR is the most reliable diagnostic method. There is no specific therapy against FeLV, so treatment is mainly symptomatic. Research on the use of antiviral drugs, i.e. tenofovir, raltegravir, and fozyvudine, is underway. Proper prophylaxis, including regular vaccination of animals, is important to minimize the risk and consequences of infection

Seroprevalence of Fasciola-infection using Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in large ruminants from Pakistan

Fasciolosis, caused by liver fluke species of the genus Fasciola, are well recognized because of its high veterinary impact. Stool examination for Fasciola eggs is not a sensitive method, and limited efforts to find a reliable and cheaper means of detection are available. The present study aimed to develop rapid diagnostic ELISA test against fasciolosis. The excretory/secretory (ES) and somatic (SA) products of Fasciola helminths were analysed using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Immunogenicity was evaluated by immunoblotting using hyperimmune sera raised in rabbits and seroprevalence was determined by indirect ELISA. The results of SA antigen of Fasciola species showed polypeptide bands ranged from 10kDa-100kDa, while ES antigen of Fasciola showed bands of 15kDa-55kDa. The immunoblotting results showed the most prominent bands against ES antibodies were 25, 35, 55-70, 100 and 250 kDa and SA antigens showed 10, 15-25, 35, 70, 100 and 250 kDa polypeptide bands. The sensitivity and specificity of developed indirect ELISA for SA antigens was 95.45% and 87.1%, while for ES antigens was 100% and 77.42% respectively. The overall seroprevalence recorded for fascioliasis based on SA antigen was 39.8% and 29.8% for ES antigen. The fasciolosis did not show significant association with host type, sex and age groups of examined animals, however significantly higher infection was found in months of September and October. The result provides sensitive in house immunodetection assay for diagnosis of fasciolosis alternative to commercial kits with high import cost.

Performance of laboratory ELISA and rapid ELISA tests for Ehrlichia spp. and Anaplasma spp. antibody detection in dogs

The aim of the study was to compare the performance of two diagnostic approaches for the detection of antibodies against Ehrlichia canis (E. canis) and Anaplasma phagocytophilum (A. phagocytophylum). Two types of tests were used. Anti-E. canis ELISA Dog (IgG) and Anti-A. phagocytophilum ELISA Dog (IgG) are ELISA kits for the detection of relevant antibodies in laboratory conditions, and SNAP® 4Dx Plus is a pet-side ELISA-based serological screening test for simultaneous detection of antibodies against A. phagocytophilum/A. platys, E. canis/E. ewingii, B. burgdorferi and Dirofilaria immitis antigens. A total of 61 blood samples obtained from dogs with clinical signs and haematological changes suspect for granulocytic anaplasmosis or monocytic ehrlichiosis were analysed. Antibodies against E. canis were found out in 29 (47.54%) and A. phagocytophilum in 7 (11.48%) of the samples tested by laboratory ELISA. When using the SNAP test, the results were 35 (57.38%) and 11 (18.03%), respectively. Using the laboratory ELISA kit, 18 samples (29.50%) were positive for antibodies against both pathogens vs 9 (14.75%) samples tested by SNAP. The comparison of the two tests showed a greater agreement of the results in the detection of antibodies against Ehrlichia spp. (52 samples) than against Anaplasma spp. (44 samples). This difference was attributed to possible cross-reactions

Clinical and Molecular facets of Dengue Virus infection from Bengaluru, South India.

BackgroundDengue virus (DENV) continues to be an epidemic with high mortality rates. The clinical features, especially in the early phase of infection, are nonspecific and there is no single marker that can be reliably deployed for diagnostics. Further, serotype and genotype diversity is not clearly understood. This study was conceived to understand the performance characteristics of various diagnostic markers; serotype and genotype distribution is thus a vital requirement.MethodsA subset of blood samples was obtained for all the clinically suspected Dengue cases during the period January to December 2017. The samples were tested for IgM and IgG antibodies and NS1 antigen by both ELISA and rapid tests. Real-time PCR, Conventional PCR and sequencing was performed based on the serology results. Correlation of the data with demographic and clinical details was used to analyze the performance characteristics of various tests.ResultsClinical signs and symptoms could not predict dengue positivity due to lack of specific symptoms. The performance of IgM rapid test was found to be lower than the ELISA method (53.5% agreement). The NS1 rapid and NS1 ELISA tests were comparable (89.2% agreement). Majority of the infections were caused due to DEN-2 serotype and phylogenetic analysis revealed all the sequenced DEN-2 serotypes belong to Genotype IV. Three sequences were deposited into NCBI GenBank (GenBank accession number MW583116, MW579054 and MW579053).ConclusionOur comprehensive data suggests that NS1 ELISA and PCR are best used in the early phase of dengue infection (< 5 days post-onset of fever), whereas IgM antibody detection is reliable only in the late phase. We also highlight the unreliable performance of rapid tests.

Diagnosis of HCV Infection Using Different Rapid Methods, ELISA and Anti HCV Test

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) mainly cause liver associated problem worldwide. Most of the affected people develop liver cirrhosis which develop as a major health issue. Aim: This study aimed towards HCV infection in rural population in India. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted at Rama Medical College and Research Centre over a period of 6 months from 1 January to 30 June, 2021. A total of 721 patients of age between (1 – 85) years were screened and checked for presence of anti-HCV antibody using ELISA and Immunochromatography test. Result: A total of 53 (7.35%) from 721 samples were positive 26 (49.05%) male and 27 (50.9%) females using Immunochromatography test, and then these 53 positive samples were further tested by ELISA as confirmatory test. Out of 53 samples 48 samples were found true positive while 5 samples were found false positive. Conclusion: HCV Infection in this study was found 6.65% in rural area in Hapur District of Utter Pradesh. Disease mostly observed in elder person (50-65) then younger ones. About 49.05 % males and 50.9 % female were found positive.

Recent Possibilities for the Diagnosis of Early Pregnancy and Embryonic Mortality in Dairy Cows.

Simple SummaryPregnancy diagnosis plays an essential role in decreasing days open in dairy farms; therefore, it is very important to select an accurate method for diagnosing early pregnancy. Besides traditional pregnancy diagnoses made by rectal palpation of the uterus from 40 to 60 days after AI and measuring the serum or milk progesterone concentration between 18 to 24 days after AI, there are several new possibilities to diagnose early pregnancy in dairy farms. However, it is very important to emphasize that before introducing any new diagnostic test, we need to make sure the accuracy of that particular test to be able to decrease the rate of iatrogenic pregnancy losses caused by prostaglandin or resynchronization treatments. This review focuses on the diagnostic possibilities and limitations of early pregnancy diagnosis in the field.One of the most recent techniques for the on-farm diagnosis of early pregnancy (EP) in cattle is B-mode ultrasonography. Under field conditions, acceptable results may be achieved with ultrasonography from Days 25 to 30 post-AI. The reliability of the test greatly depends on the frequency of the transducer used, the skill of the examiner, the criterion used for a positive pregnancy diagnosis (PD), and the position of the uterus in the pelvic inlet. Non-pregnant animals can be selected accurately by evaluating blood flow in the corpus luteum around Day 20 after AI, meaning we can substantially improve the reproductive efficiency of our herd. Pregnancy protein assays (PSPB, PAG-1, and PSP60 RIA, commercial ELISA or rapid visual ELISA tests) may provide an alternative method to ultrasonography for determining early pregnancy or late embryonic/early fetal mortality (LEM/EFM) in dairy cows. Although the early pregnancy factor is the earliest specific indicator of fertilization, at present, its detection is entirely dependent on the use of the rosette inhibition test; therefore, its use in the field needs further developments. Recently found biomarkers like interferon-tau stimulated genes or microRNAs may help us diagnose early pregnancy in dairy cows; however, these tests need further developments before their general use in the farms becomes possible.

Role of rapid antibody and ELISA tests in the evaluation of serological response in patients with SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity.

From 7 to 8 days after the onset of symptoms in COVID-19 infection, the sensitivity of serological tests was found to be higher than that of nucleic acid tests. The aims of this study were to investigate antibody levels in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, to examine the relationship between antibody levels and virus load, and to evaluate the performance of 2 different commercial kits. A total of 103 patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were included in the study. Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in serum samples taken from patients were investigated simultaneously with anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgA ELISAs (Euroimmun) and COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) IgG/IgM (Deep Blue) kits. No positivity was detected with any of the test kits in 18 (17.4%) of the 103 samples. In symptomatic patients, 100% of IgM and IgA tests were found to be positive in the group sampled after 10 days, while 100% of IgG tests were found positive after 20 days. The sensitivity of the Deep Blue COVID-19 IgG antibody kit was calculated as 81.48% and the specificity was 97.96%. While there was no statistically significant difference between the PCR CT and ELISA OD values, a positive correlation was found between the ELISA OD values and the days since the date of symptom initiation. The sensitivity and specificity of the rapid antibody test used in this study were found to be quite high. In conditions where ELISA tests cannot be applied, it is thought that it can give an idea in terms of the presence of antibodies as a simple and fast test. Although ELISA tests are valuable in the diagnosis of COVID-19 during the acute period, they are tests that can be used safely in the diagnosis of previous infections and seroepidemiological studies.

Development of a Fast SARS-CoV-2 IgG ELISA, Based on Receptor-Binding Domain, and Its Comparative Evaluation Using Temporally Segregated Samples From RT-PCR Positive Individuals.

SARS-CoV-2 antibody detection assays are crucial for gathering seroepidemiological information and monitoring the sustainability of antibody response against the virus. The SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein’s receptor-binding domain (RBD) is a very specific target for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies detection. Moreover, many neutralizing antibodies are mapped to this domain, linking antibody response to RBD with neutralizing potential. Detection of IgG antibodies, rather than IgM or total antibodies, against RBD is likely to play a larger role in understanding antibody-mediated protection and vaccine response. Here we describe a rapid and stable RBD-based IgG ELISA test obtained through extensive optimization of the assay components and conditions. The test showed a specificity of 99.79% (95% CI: 98.82–99.99%) in a panel of pre-pandemic samples (n = 470) from different groups, i.e., pregnancy, fever, HCV, HBV, and autoantibodies positive. Test sensitivity was evaluated using sera from SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positive individuals (n = 312) and found to be 53.33% (95% CI: 37.87–68.34%), 80.47% (95% CI: 72.53–86.94%), and 88.24% (95% CI: 82.05–92.88%) in panel 1 (days 0–13), panel 2 (days 14–20) and panel 3 (days 21–27), respectively. Higher sensitivity was achieved in symptomatic individuals and reached 92.14% (95% CI: 86.38–96.01%) for panel 3. Our test, with a shorter runtime, showed higher sensitivity than parallelly tested commercial ELISAs for SARS-CoV-2-IgG, i.e., Euroimmun and Zydus, even when equivocal results in the commercial ELISAs were considered positive. None of the tests, which are using different antigens, could detect anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgGs in 10.5% RT-PCR positive individuals by the fourth week, suggesting the lack of IgG response.

Assessment of Rapid Diagnostic Tests Algorithms in Transfusion Medicine Setting

Background: The rapid diagnostic tests play a pivotal role in the screening of viral markers in blood qualification for transfusion in limited resource setting. Therefore, it is important to assess their analytical performances to ensure their proper functioning. Material and Methods: We performed a cross- sectional study by successive recruitment to assess the diagnostic value of rapid diagnostic tests algorithms using ELISA as a reference test. A total of 661 blood from donors were enrolled for this study. Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) and ELISA tests were performed for each sample by a couple of double-blinded biotechnologists. Data were collected on case report form and captured in Microsoft Excel then the file was imported and analyzed using R software version 4.0.3. Results: The diagnostic accuracy for the algorithms are summarized in Table 1. For HIV-algorithm, the internal validity parameters were as follow: sensitivity (sens) 99.0% (95% CI = 97.8, 99.5); specificity (spec) 98.3% (95% CI = 90.9, 99.7); positive likelihood ratio (PLR) 57.4 (95% CI = 8.2, 401.0); negative likelihood ratio (NLR) 0.01 (95% CI = 0.0005, 0.02); diagnostic odd ratio (DOR) 4710. HBV-Ag/Ab RDTs achieve the following diagnostic accuracy: sens 99.7% (95% CI = 98.3, 99.9); spec 98.8% (95% CI = 96.9, 95.5); PLR 81.8 (95% CI = 30.9, 217.0); NLR 0.003 (95% CI = 0.0004, 0.02); DOR 14,110. The analytical performances of HCV-Ab RDTs were as follow: sens 98.7% (95% CI = 97.5, 99.4); spec 93.1% (95% CI = 78.0, 98.1); PLR 14.3 (95% CI = 3.8, 54.5); NLR 1.5 (95% CI = 0.8, 2.8); DOR 962.6. The parameters evaluating the external validity of RDTs screening for the three viral markers when the theorical prevalence was 5% are summarized in Figure 3. At the prevalence , 99.99% and 99.94%. At the same prevalence, we found the following Positive Predictive Values (PPV) 70.82%, 77.59% and 37.35% for HIV-Ag/Ab RDTs, HBV-Ag RDTs and HCV-Ab RDTs algorithms, respectively. The overall areas under the received operating characteristic (ROC) curves were 98.6%, 99.2% and 99.2%; 95.9% for HIV-Ag/Ab RDTs, HBV-Ag RDTs and HCV-Ab RDTs algorithms, respectively. Conclusion: RDTs algorithms can play a pivotal role in the screening of HIV-Ab/Ag, HBs-Ag in the setting of resources limited-countries where financial and technical expertise shortages are a standard fare. However, their use for diagnostic purposes must be done with great caution and the result must necessarily be confirmed with an ELISA or molecular technique particularly for HCV-RDTs algorithm which achieved an NLR value > 0.1.

Rapid immunodetection assay based on somatic and excretory secretory antigen of fasciola species in large ruminants

Fasciolosis, caused by liver fluke species of the genus Fasciola, are well recognized because of its high veterinary impact. Stool examination for Fasciola eggs is not a sensitive method, and limited efforts to find a reliable and cheaper means of detection are available. The present study aimed to develop rapid diagnostic ELISA test against fasciolosis. The excretory/secretory (ES) and somatic (SA) products of Fasciola helminths were analyzed using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Immunogenicity was evaluated by immunoblotting using hyperimmune sera raised in rabbits and seroprevalence was determined by indirect ELISA. The results of SA antigen of Fasciola species showed polypeptide bands ranged from 10kDa-100kDa, while ES antigen of Fasciola showed bands of 15kDa-55kDa. The immunoblotting results showed the most prominent bands against ES antibodies were 25, 35, 55-70, 100 and 250 kDa and SA antigens showed 10, 15-25, 35, 70, 100 and 250 kDa polypeptide bands. The sensitivity and specificity of developed indirect ELISA for SA antigens was 95.45% and 87.1%, while for ES antigens was 100% and 77.42% respectively. The overall seroprevalence recorded for fascioliasis based on SA antigen was 39.8% and 29.8% for ES antigen. The fasciolosis did not show significant association with host type, sex, and age groups of examined animals, however significantly higher infection was found in months of September and October. The result provides sensitive in house immunodetection assay for diagnosis of fasciolosis alternative to commercial kits with high import cost.

5-Years Prevalence Study of HBV and HCV infections in Babylon Province: Forensic Helping Data

HBV and HCV infections are serious global health care problem because they may end with chronichepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. HBV infection results in approximately 2 billion humaninfections while HCV approximately 160 million individuals. Raw database were collected from Generalhealth department at Babylon Health directorate for 715505 investigated person during a period from Jan.2015 to Dec. 2019. Blood samples was drawn in Gel tube from suspects and centrifuged to separate theserum. Serum submitted for investigation of HbsAg and HCV Ab by both rapid immunochromatographictest and ELISA test. Actually the database taken from Babylon Health directorate and the results analysisdepends upon dividing of data records from four health sectors, blood bank record lab, health care checkinglab, pre-surgery checking, Marriage lab, thalassemia lab, Hemodialysis lab Prisoner and foreigners lab. Theresults revealed that , total positive cases were 4284 and 2260 for “HBV and HCV” respectively. The highestno. of cases for both “HBV and HCV” were recorded in 2018 (976 and 467) and (961 and 557) for “HBVand HCV” respectively. The incidence rate of “HBV and HCV” were varies worldwide. The results revealedthat the occurrence rate (Mean ± SD) of “HBV” was (0.627±0.134) while for HCV was (0.327±0.084). Theresults revealed that, there is no defined month or semester for high rate infections. The high prevalencepercentage were showed for prisoner-foreigner category (48.53 and 45.95 for HBV and HCV respectively)followed by surgery (22.66 and 19.03 for HBV and HCV respectively), blood bank (14.03 and 13.95 forHBV and HCV respectively) and in married (7.79 and 3.92 for HBV and HCV respectively. The current studyconclude the high prevalence percentage of HBV (duplicate) than HCV with no seasonality of occurrenceand the Prisoners and foreigners, Surgery, blood donor and hemodialysis were mostly involved with HBVand HCV infection.

Epidemiological study of Giardia duodenalis infection in companion dogs from the metropolitan area of São Paulo Brazil.

Giardia duodenalis is a zoonotic pathogen associated with gastrointestinal disease that has a direct life cycle, with cysts eliminated in the faeces of an infected host being ingested by a susceptible host. In Brazil, studies of chronically infected adult dogs estimated a prevalence of 10%-20%. Diagnosis of giardiasis, as a cause of diarrhoea is important for the global One-Health guidelines when controlling cyst dissemination in the environment. We investigated the prevalence of G.duodenalis in the pet dog population of the metropolitan area of Sao Paulo, compared the efficacy of direct tests available to the veterinary clinical practice and attempted to identify possible risk factors associated with the parasite. Ten veterinary practices distributed throughout the municipality randomly performed the rapid SNAP ELISA test on canine faecal samples, and dog owners provided information specific to the animal via a questionnaire. The samples were also analysed using sucrose and zinc sulphate flotation techniques. Sensitivity and specificity of the tests were used to calculate required number of samples and true prevalence. Significance, agreement among tests, and odds ratio (OR) were assessed with a confidence interval (CI) of 95%. The prevalence of G.duodenalis in dogs (n=265) was 6.9% (CI 3.47-11.21). Positive tests were significantly more frequent in animals younger than 1year, with an OR for G.duodenalis occurrence nearly 7-fold that of older dogs. Direct diagnosis tests showed high agreement (96.1%, κ=0.729; p<.0001) showing that the combined techniques provide a highly accurate diagnosis. Results indicated that the control of the pathogen has been improving in the pet dog population in metropolitan Sao Paulo, but management tools including diagnosis, immunization, and treatment, especially in puppies, must be continued in order to advance towards continuous decrease of the disease.

Seroprevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia spp. and Borrelia burgdorferi infections in horses: first report from Northern Bulgaria - Short communication.

Lyme borreliosis, granulocytic anaplasmosis and monocytic ehrlichiosis are well studied in humans and dogs. In horses, these diseases are not widely investigated and limited information is available about their occurrence. The purpose of this study was to present the first ELISA-based report on the seroprevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia spp. and Borrelia burgdorferi in horses from Northern Bulgaria. A total of 192 horses were investigated from three regions in Northern Bulgaria (Northwestern, North-Central and Northeastern Bulgaria). All equine sera were tested for A. phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia spp. and B. burgdorferi antibodies by a commercial rapid ELISA test. Antibodies against A. phagocytophilum were found in all the three regions at a mean frequency of 12% (23/192), ranging from 9.38 to 15.63% by region. Antibodies against Ehrlichia spp. were found in horses from one region (Northeastern) at a rate of 0.5% (1/192). Anti-B. burgdorferi antibodies were detected in all the three regions with a mean frequency of 15.1% (29/192), ranging from 14.06 to 17.19% by region. A co-exposure to A. phagocytophilum and B. burgdorferi was observed in 6.3% of the cases (12/192). This is the first report on the natural exposure of horses to these bacteria (A. phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia spp. and B. burgdorferi) in Northern Bulgaria.

An outbreak of leptospirosis among reserve military recruits, Hulu Perdik, Malaysia.

Here, we investigated an outbreak of leptospirosis among reserve military recruits that occurred following a survival exercise in the Hulu Perdik forest within the Hulu Langat district, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Blood samples from the 12 patients that presented symptoms for febrile illness on clinical examination were subjected to laboratory investigation, comprising Lepto IgM rapid test, IgM ELISA, and microscopic agglutination test (MAT). All these patients were interviewed for possible risk factors for leptospirosis. Rodent trapping and environmental sampling for possible isolation of leptospires in the outbreak site was performed. The isolated leptospires were genetically characterized and investigated for the potential epidemiological link with human leptospirosis. Among the 12 patients, two (2/12; 16.6%) were confirmed positive for leptospirosis by microscopic agglutination test (MAT with titers 400-800; serovar autumnalis and hardjobovis). Two Leptospira species from rodents (L. interrogans and L. borgpetersenii) and two from the environment (L. kmetyi and L. wolffii) were identified. The possible epidemiological link between human serovars and animal Leptospira species indicates rodents as the potential reservoir while the environment (soil and water) serves as a transmission route. This investigation highlights the robust presence of pathogenic leptospires on Malaysian environment and rodents which may present the risk of infection, especially among high-risk individuals. Hence, occupational risk individuals are cautioned to observe appropriate preventive measures including prophylaxis and seek immediate medical attention for any illness following similar activities.

Diarrhoea in north Karnataka: Rotavirus versus non-rotavirus

Background: As children with diarrhoea are often prescribed antibiotics, it was decided to study the causative organisms. Rotavirus is a major cause of diarrhoea and diarrhoea related mortality in most parts of India. Rotavirus vaccine is available but expensive. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) the vaccine should be used in areas where diarrhoea related under five mortality is around 10%. The situation in north Karnataka is not known. Objectives : To find proportions of rotavirus and non-rotavirus diarrhoea in children of north Karnataka and study the key clinical features of rotavirus diarrhoea. Study design and settings : Prospective observational study conducted in patients from the paediatric ward and outpatient department in a tertiary care hospital. Method: Children 1 to 36 months old, presenting with acute diarrhoea from July 2014 to May 2016 and fulfilling selection criteria were included. Demographic and clinical details were noted. Stools were collected within 24 hours and subjected to routine and microscopic examination, test for presence of reducing substance, bacterial culture and Rapid ELISA test for rotavirus using antigen detection micro-well ELISA kit by Premere Rotaclone. Results: A total of 168 children was recruited . Children positive for rotavirus ELISA were labelled as having rotavirus diarrhoea and comprised 52 (31%) of total, including 17 with mixed infection and 15% were bacterial culture positive. Most common age group affected was 7 to 18 months (79%).Male female ratio was same in rotavirus and non-rotavirus diarrhoea. The clinical features defining rotavirus diarrhoea were fever, vomiting, watery stools, respiratory symptoms and perianal excoriations. Moderate and severe dehydration were common. There was no mortality. Conclusions : Around one third (31%) of diarrhoea cases were positive for rotavirus and 15% were of only bacterial aetiology. Key clinical features in rotavirus infection were fever, vomiting, watery stools, respiratory symptoms and perianal excoriations. Sri Lanka Journal of Child Health , 2018; 47 : 204-209

An epidemiological study of association of different dermatological and venereological manifestations with HIV

&lt;p class="abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background:&lt;/strong&gt; Dermatological problems occur in more than 90% of patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection.In recent years, epidemiological studies have shown that persons with ulcerative and non-ulcerative Sexually Transmitted Infections are more susceptible to HIV but minimal data exist that describe the epidemiology of HIV positivity in different dermatological manifestation. The objective of the study was to study the epidemiology of different dermatological and venereological disease associated with HIV.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods:&lt;/strong&gt; A retrospective study was performed in patients attending in Dermatology &amp;amp; Venereology OPD of a tertiary care hospital and referred for HIV ELISA testing with suspicious manifestation that can be associated with HIV infection from the period to June 2015 to May 2016 using a structured questionnaire. These patients were included on the basis of clinical symptoms, signs, morphology of the lesion and then HIV testing done by rapid ELISA test.&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results:&lt;/strong&gt; Out of 3234 patients with suspicious dermatological and venereological manifestation 56 patients were diagnosed as seropositive. Out of these 56 patients 30 (53.57%) had dermatological manifestation while 26 (46.43%) had venereological features.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions:&lt;/strong&gt; Persistent and recurrent nature of viral infections is responsible for their increasing trend in the current scenario. Though HIV and STIs are perfect examples of epidemiologic synergy as they are core transmitters of each other, different dermatological manifestations can also give the idea to diagnose HIV infections. HIV being higher in married individuals further underlines the importance of contact tracing, counseling, and prompt management of the partners.&lt;/p&gt;