Application of the polymerase chain reaction for detection of trypanosomes

摘要

Diagnosis is an essential requirement in the management of disease both at the level of the individual when a decision has to be made whether to treat or not and at the epidemiological level for evaluating the performance of disease control strategies. A diagnostic test should be rapid, specific, highly sensitive and amenable to automation. The test should distinguish closely related species of infectious organisms if the disease syndromes they cause require different management approaches. Furthermore, it should be of use in studies that seek to elucidate the dynamics of the interaction of the infectious organism with its hosts, vectors and the environment.