We previously reported that the tadpole of bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeiana) is a useful model for the field surveillance of the Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) distribution. In the present study, we compared Bd detection rates in swab-scraped and resected mouthpart samples, using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The resulting detection rates for swab-scraped and resected specimens w...

Variation in clinical accuracy of molecular diagnostic methods for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is commonly observed depending on the sample source, the method of DNA recovery and the molecular test. Few attempts have been made to compare these variables. Two swab and aspirate samples from lesions of patients with suspected CL (n = 105) were evaluated alongside standard diagnosis by microscopic...

First pass urine (FPU) samples were compared with urethral swab culture from 304 males attending a genitourinary medicine clinic using an enzyme inmuno assay (EIA). All of the EIA positive samples were retested by incorporating a novel blocking reagent into the EIA protocol; 101 were positive by culture of which 83 were also positive by FPU EIA, an additional four were detected in FPU only and ...

The rapid identification of the bacteria in clinical samples is important for patient management and antimicrobial therapy. We describe a DNA microarray-based PCR approach for the quick detection and identification of bacteria from cervical swab specimens from mares. This on-chip PCR method combines the amplification of a variable region of bacterial 23S ribosomal DNA and the simultaneous seque...

The FLOQSwab™ is a specimen collection device worldwide recognised for its superior performance in the clinical diagnostics. The aim of this work was to evaluate FLOQSwab™ for the recovery of microbiological samples from surfaces compared to the traditional swab (rayon tipped swab) as per ISO 18593:2004 standard. The FLOQSwab™, thanks to its innovative manufacturing technology, allows improving...

Resistance of Bordetella pertussis to erythromycin has been increasingly reported. We developed an allele-specific PCR method for rapid detection of erythromycin-resistant B. pertussis directly from nasopharyngeal (NP) swab samples submitted for diagnostic PCR. Based on the proven association of erythromycin resistance with the A2047G mutation in the 23S rRNA of B. pertussis, four primers, two ...

OBJECTIVE To determine whether cervical mucosal shedding of HIV-1 RNA and HIV-1 infected cells decreases following successful treatment of cervicitis. DESIGN Prospective interventional study. SETTING Sexually Transmitted Infections Clinic, Coast Provincial General Hospital, Mombasa, Kenya. PARTICIPANTS Thirty-six HIV-1 seropositive women with cervicitis: 16 with Neisseria gonorrhoeae, sev...

OBJECTIVES To determine the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis in a patient population presenting for legal termination of pregnancy by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and ligase chain reaction (LCR), from first catch urine and self administered tampons, and comparing with the traditionally collected endocervical swab tested by both PCR and culture. METHODS Consecutive women attending for le...

Mycoplasma genitalium is now recognized as a possible cause of several idiopathic sexually transmitted disease (STD) syndromes. However, due to the difficulty of culture of this fastidious bacterium, nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) are necessary for its detection in patient specimens. In the current study we compared a newly developed research-only transcription-mediated amplification ...