A pilot study demonstrating the identification of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and T. b. rhodesiense in vectors using a multiplexed high-resolution melt qPCR

Garrod, Gala, Adams, Emily ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0816-2835, Lingley, Jessica, Saldanha, Isabel, Torr, Steve ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9550-4030 and Cunningham, Lucas (2020) 'A pilot study demonstrating the identification of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and T. b. rhodesiense in vectors using a multiplexed high-resolution melt qPCR'. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Vol 14, Issue 11, e0008308.

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Abstract

Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) is a potentially fatal parasitic infection caused by the trypanosome sub-species Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and T. b. rhodesiense transmitted by tsetse flies. Currently, global HAT case numbers are reaching less than 1 case per 10,000 people in many disease foci. As such, there is a need for simple screening tools and strategies to replace active screening of the human population which can be maintained post-elimination for Gambian HAT and long-term for Rhodesian HAT. Here, we describe the proof of principle application of a novel high-resolution melt assay for the xenomonitoring of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and T. b. rhodesiense in tsetse. Both novel and previously described primers which target species-specific single copy genes were used as part of a multiplex qPCR. An additional primer set was included in the multiplex to determine if samples had sufficient genomic material for detecting genes present in low copy number. The assay was evaluated on 96 wild-caught tsetse previously identified to be positive for T. brucei s. l. of which two were known to be positive for T. b. rhodesiense. The assay was found to be highly specific with no cross-reactivity with non-target trypanosome species and the assay limit of detection was 104 tryps/mL. The qPCR successfully identified three T. b. rhodesiense positive flies, in agreement with the reference species-specific PCRs. This assay provides an alternative to running multiple PCRs when screening for pathogenic sub-species of T. brucei s. l. and produces results in less than 2 hours, avoiding gel electrophoresis and subjective analysis. This method could provide a component of a simple and efficient method of screening large numbers of tsetse flies in known HAT foci or in areas at risk of recrudescence or threatened by the changing distribution of both forms of HAT.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	QU Biochemistry > Genetics > QU 550 Genetic techniques. PCR. Chromosome mapping QX Parasitology > Insects. Other Parasites > QX 505 Diptera QX Parasitology > Insects. Other Parasites > QX 650 Insect vectors WC Communicable Diseases > Tropical and Parasitic Diseases > WC 705 Trypanosomiasis
Faculty: Department:	Biological Sciences > Department of Tropical Disease Biology Biological Sciences > Vector Biology Department
Digital Object Identifer (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0008308
Depositing User:	Stacy Murtagh
Date Deposited:	26 Nov 2020 14:04
Last Modified:	26 Nov 2020 14:04
URI:	https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/16209

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