Practical and effective diagnosis of animal anthrax in endemic low-resource settings.
Anthrax threatens human and animal health, and people's livelihoods in many rural communities in Africa and Asia. In these areas, anthrax surveillance is challenged by a lack of tools for on-site detection. Furthermore, cultural practices and infrastructure may affect sample availability and qu...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2020-09-01
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| Series: | PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases |
| Online Access: | https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0008655&type=printable |
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| author | Olubunmi R Aminu Tiziana Lembo Ruth N Zadoks Roman Biek Suzanna Lewis Ireen Kiwelu Blandina T Mmbaga Deogratius Mshanga Gabriel Shirima Matt Denwood Taya L Forde |
| author_facet | Olubunmi R Aminu Tiziana Lembo Ruth N Zadoks Roman Biek Suzanna Lewis Ireen Kiwelu Blandina T Mmbaga Deogratius Mshanga Gabriel Shirima Matt Denwood Taya L Forde |
| author_sort | Olubunmi R Aminu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Anthrax threatens human and animal health, and people's livelihoods in many rural communities in Africa and Asia. In these areas, anthrax surveillance is challenged by a lack of tools for on-site detection. Furthermore, cultural practices and infrastructure may affect sample availability and quality. Practical yet accurate diagnostic solutions are greatly needed to quantify anthrax impacts. We validated microscopic and molecular methods for the detection of Bacillus anthracis in field-collected blood smears and identified alternative samples suitable for anthrax confirmation in the absence of blood smears. We investigated livestock mortalities suspected to be caused by anthrax in northern Tanzania. Field-prepared blood smears (n = 152) were tested by microscopy using four staining techniques as well as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by Bayesian latent class analysis. Median sensitivity (91%, CI 95% [84-96%]) and specificity (99%, CI 95% [96-100%]) of microscopy using azure B were comparable to those of the recommended standard, polychrome methylene blue, PMB (92%, CI 95% [84-97%] and 98%, CI 95% [95-100%], respectively), but azure B is more available and convenient. Other commonly-used stains performed poorly. Blood smears could be obtained for <50% of suspected anthrax cases due to local customs and conditions. However, PCR on DNA extracts from skin, which was almost always available, had high sensitivity and specificity (95%, CI 95% [90-98%] and 95%, CI 95% [87-99%], respectively), even after extended storage at ambient temperature. Azure B microscopy represents an accurate diagnostic test for animal anthrax that can be performed with basic laboratory infrastructure and in the field. When blood smears are unavailable, PCR using skin tissues provides a valuable alternative for confirmation. Our findings lead to a practical diagnostic approach for anthrax in low-resource settings that can support surveillance and control efforts for anthrax-endemic countries globally. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6829cfacfa09410ca6c93dc41e3ef8b1 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1935-2727 1935-2735 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases |
| spelling | doaj-art-6829cfacfa09410ca6c93dc41e3ef8b12025-08-26T05:31:12ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases1935-27271935-27352020-09-01149e000865510.1371/journal.pntd.0008655Practical and effective diagnosis of animal anthrax in endemic low-resource settings.Olubunmi R AminuTiziana LemboRuth N ZadoksRoman BiekSuzanna LewisIreen KiweluBlandina T MmbagaDeogratius MshangaGabriel ShirimaMatt DenwoodTaya L FordeAnthrax threatens human and animal health, and people's livelihoods in many rural communities in Africa and Asia. In these areas, anthrax surveillance is challenged by a lack of tools for on-site detection. Furthermore, cultural practices and infrastructure may affect sample availability and quality. Practical yet accurate diagnostic solutions are greatly needed to quantify anthrax impacts. We validated microscopic and molecular methods for the detection of Bacillus anthracis in field-collected blood smears and identified alternative samples suitable for anthrax confirmation in the absence of blood smears. We investigated livestock mortalities suspected to be caused by anthrax in northern Tanzania. Field-prepared blood smears (n = 152) were tested by microscopy using four staining techniques as well as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by Bayesian latent class analysis. Median sensitivity (91%, CI 95% [84-96%]) and specificity (99%, CI 95% [96-100%]) of microscopy using azure B were comparable to those of the recommended standard, polychrome methylene blue, PMB (92%, CI 95% [84-97%] and 98%, CI 95% [95-100%], respectively), but azure B is more available and convenient. Other commonly-used stains performed poorly. Blood smears could be obtained for <50% of suspected anthrax cases due to local customs and conditions. However, PCR on DNA extracts from skin, which was almost always available, had high sensitivity and specificity (95%, CI 95% [90-98%] and 95%, CI 95% [87-99%], respectively), even after extended storage at ambient temperature. Azure B microscopy represents an accurate diagnostic test for animal anthrax that can be performed with basic laboratory infrastructure and in the field. When blood smears are unavailable, PCR using skin tissues provides a valuable alternative for confirmation. Our findings lead to a practical diagnostic approach for anthrax in low-resource settings that can support surveillance and control efforts for anthrax-endemic countries globally.https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0008655&type=printable |
| spellingShingle | Olubunmi R Aminu Tiziana Lembo Ruth N Zadoks Roman Biek Suzanna Lewis Ireen Kiwelu Blandina T Mmbaga Deogratius Mshanga Gabriel Shirima Matt Denwood Taya L Forde Practical and effective diagnosis of animal anthrax in endemic low-resource settings. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases |
| title | Practical and effective diagnosis of animal anthrax in endemic low-resource settings. |
| title_full | Practical and effective diagnosis of animal anthrax in endemic low-resource settings. |
| title_fullStr | Practical and effective diagnosis of animal anthrax in endemic low-resource settings. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Practical and effective diagnosis of animal anthrax in endemic low-resource settings. |
| title_short | Practical and effective diagnosis of animal anthrax in endemic low-resource settings. |
| title_sort | practical and effective diagnosis of animal anthrax in endemic low resource settings |
| url | https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0008655&type=printable |
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