An IgG ELISA was evaluated as a serological test for the diagnosis of invasive amoebic disease in an endemic area. Sixteen patients with proven amoebic dysentery, 22 with suspected amoebic dysentery and 21 with amoebic liver abscesses were studied. Control subjects were 26 asymptomatic amoebic cyst passers, 13 patients with giardiasis, 26with enteric fever and 31 individuals with no evidence of...

PURPOSE Developing a DNA dot hybridization model for diagnosing parasitic keratitis. METHODS Newly designed oligonucleotide probes for detecting Acanthamoeba and microsporidia were tested with target reference strains of Acanthamoeba (n = 20) and microsporidia (n = 3), and non-target microorganisms, including bacteria (n = 20) and fungi (n = 20). These probes, which had passed the preliminary...

A new latex agglutination test for rubella virus was used to test sera with a hemagglutination inhibition titer of -8 (97 specimens) or >256 (158 specimens). Maximum latex agglutination test sensitivity was achieved when low-titer sera were tested undiluted and high-titer sera were diluted (1:10). A modification of the protocol of the manufacturer resulted in a latex agglutination-hemagglutinat...

BACKGROUND Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a systemic parasitic disease that is fatal unless treated. In Kenya, national VL guidelines rely on microscopic examination of spleen aspirate to confirm diagnosis. As this procedure is invasive, it cannot be safely implemented in peripheral health structures, where non-invasive, accurate, easy to use diagnostic tests are needed. METHODOLOGY We evalua...

This study compared variance accounted for by neuropsychological tests in both a brief motor battery and in a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. 327 HIV+ subjects received a comprehensive cognitive battery and a shorter battery (Timed Gait, Grooved Pegboard, and Fingertapping). A significant correlation existed between the motor component tests and the more comprehensive battery (52% of ...

The diagnosis of schistosomiasis in individuals from countries where the disease is not endemic is challenging, and few data are available on the accuracy of serological diagnosis in those patients. We evaluated the performance of eight serological assays, including four commercial kits, in the diagnosis of imported schistosomiasis in individuals from areas where the disease is not endemic, inc...

The purpose of this paper is 3-fold: a) to review briefly the neuropsychological tests that have been used to evaluate the effects of neurotoxicants; b) to identify individual factors that may create heightened sensitivity to neurotoxicants; and c) to discuss test parameters that will increase the sensitivity of neuropsychological tests for detecting symptoms in low-level exposure situations. W...