Journal article
Ultra-Sensitive Detection of Plasmodium falciparum by Amplification of Multi-Copy Subtelomeric Targets
Natalie Hofmann, Felista Mwingira, Seif Shekalaghe, Leanne J Robinson, Ivo Mueller, Ingrid Felger
PLOS MEDICINE | PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE | Published : 2015
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Planning and evaluating malaria control strategies relies on accurate definition of parasite prevalence in the population. A large proportion of asymptomatic parasite infections can only be identified by surveillance with molecular methods, yet these infections also contribute to onward transmission to mosquitoes. The sensitivity of molecular detection by PCR is limited by the abundance of the target sequence in a DNA sample; thus, detection becomes imperfect at low densities. We aimed to increase PCR diagnostic sensitivity by targeting multi-copy genomic sequences for reliable detection of low-density infections, and investigated the impact of these PCR assays on community preva..
View full abstractGrants
Awarded by Swiss National Science Foundation
Awarded by International Centers of Excellence in Malaria Research
Awarded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Awarded by NHMRC
Awarded by NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Funding Acknowledgements
This work was supported by Swiss National Science Foundation [grant number 310030_134889], International Centers of Excellence in Malaria Research [grant number U19 AI089686) and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation [grant number OPP1034577]. FM received funding from the Science and Technology Higher Education Project (STHEP) through the Dar-Es-Salaam University College of Education (DULE) and the Stipendienkommission Basel Stadt. IM is supported by an NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship (GNT1043345). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.