Detection of Trypansoma evansi in Indian dromedary camels by polymerase chain reaction using ribosomal DNA target
Abstract
The PCR assay was employed for detection of Trypansoma evansi in Indian dromedary camels using ribosomal DNA amplimers (20 mer sense and 16 mer antisense primer) based on structural18S and 5.8S ribosomal DNA sequences specific for kinetoplastida taxon. The PCR was first standardized using 5 to 10 ng of T. evansi template DNA, and then the assay was extended to blood sample of mouse experimentally infected with T. evansi. After laboratory standardization, the assay was further employed for direct detection of T. evansi DNA in blood samples collected from camels aged 2 to 10 years from surra endemic areas of Rajsthan in India. A total of 10 blood samples were tested, six were found positive (60%) reaffirming the suitability of PCR as a sensitive diagnostic tool. Among the pathogens belonging to kinetoplastida, the dromedaries are only susceptible to single species i.e. T. evansi. Therefore, the PCR amplified DNA product from the camel blood using rDNA amplimers specifically represent T. evansi.
Keywords
Indian camels, PCR, Trypansoma evansi
