A Novel Field-Deployable Point-of-Care Diagnostic Test for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is caused by the protozoan Leishmania and is generally transmitted by the bite of sand flies of the genus Lutzomyia or Phlebotomus, The disease has significant global impact, producing 10-20 million cases of leishmaniasis worldwide. Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is characterized by chronic skin ulcers that can impact the individuals functional status, lead to expensive and untimely treatment, and result in disfiguring scarring. Military training and combat operations resulted in cases of CL in soldiers (USA, UK) deployed to Central America. More recently (2003-2004), CL was reported in almost 1,200 members of the U.S. Armed Forces deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and the infection is an ongoing concern in the OEF/OIF veteran population. To date, there is no field-standardized molecular method based on sensitive DNA amplification coupled with Lateral Flow reading to detect leishmaniasis. Isothermal amplification by RPA (Recombinase Polymerase Amplification) is a novel strategy to diagnose infectious diseases that can be used at the POC because it is highly sensitive, fast, inexpensive and able to work at most ambient temperatures.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2017
- Accession Number
- AD1050875
Entities
People
- Bruno L. Travi
Organizations
- University of Texas Medical Branch