| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
XUAN Xuenan Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases., Professor, 原虫病研究センター, 教授 (10292096)
SUGIMOTO Chihiro Hokkaido University, Research Center for Zoonosis Control., Professor, 人獣共通感染症リサーチセンター, 教授 (90231373)
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| Research Abstract |
Recently we have developed a new diagnostic method for Trypanosoma evansi infection based on isothermal DNA amplification method, called LAMP (loop-mediated isothermal amplification of DNA). Since the method is highly sensitive, specific, and easy-to-use, we applied this method for epidemiological study of Surra, T evansi infection in Asian countries where T. evansi infection is endemic. We have collected field samples from Cattle and buffaloes in China, Mongolia, India, Philippines, and Eastern Afirica. In northern China and Mongolia, infection rate of T. evansi is less than 5%. However, the infection rate is very high (>50%) in western China. Therefore, environmental factors, such as climate, vector population, seems to affect epidemiology of T. evansi infection. We have also done detection of trypanosomes from tsetse fly because our LAMP method can be applicable for both animal and insect derived samples.
In order to improve sensitivity and specificity of our LAMP method, 2 major problems have to be solved. First problem is an occasional false positive reaction in LAMP reaction. Second problem is complicated DNA preparation procedures for template DNA preparation from biological samples. To solve those problems, we are now going on the another research project supported by Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND).
It is noteworthy that our research institute (National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases) will be an OIE reference laboratory for T. evansi infection, bovine and equine piroplasmosis from May 2007. By this condition, we have to make considerable efforts on improvement of our LAMP method.
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