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Table 1 Summary of diagnostic techniques used for animal African trypanosomosis and non-tsetse transmitted animal trypanosomosis

From: A review on the diagnosis of animal trypanosomoses

Target

Techniquea

Analytic sensitivity (parasite/ml)

Sensitivity (percentage estimation if available)

Specificity

Logistic needs: field/laboratory

Cost

Infection step

Scale

Livestock /fauna

Test objective and/or context

Parasite

Wet blood film

104–105 [80]

No data

 + 

Field: microscope

Low

Acute infection

Individual

Livestock (fresh blood)

Epidemiology or experimental follow-up

HTC/BCM

2.5 × 102–5 × 103

 + (14–24) [82]

 +  + 

Field: microcentrifuge + microscope

Low

Acute sub-acute infection

Individual (group)

Livestock (fresh blood)

Individual diagnostic (epidemiology)

mAECT

 

 + 

 +  + 

Field: microcentrifuge + microscope

High

Acute sub-acute infection

Individual

Livestock (fresh blood)

For research: parasite isolation

Rodents inoculation

10–103

 +  +  + 

 +  +  + 

Laboratory with animal facilities

High

Acute sub-acute infection

Individual

Livestock (fresh blood)

For research: parasite isolation

DNA

Pan-species primers (ITS1)

50 [83]

 +  + (54–74) [84]

 +  + may require sequencing (99–100) [84]

Laboratory for molecular biology

High

Acute sub-acute infection

Individual and group

Livestock and wildlife

Epidemiology

Genus/species specific primers

1–10 [85]

 +  +  + (65–88) [84]

 +  +  +  + (99–100) [84]

Laboratory for molecular biology

High

Acute sub-acute infection

Individual and group

Livestock and wildlife

Epidemiology

Antibodies

ELISA against total antigens

 

 +  +  + (90.5) [82]

 +  + 

Laboratory for serology

Low

Acute to chronic and past infection

Group (individual)

Livestock

Epidemiology (individual diagnostic)

Protein specific ELISA

 

 +  +  + (98.9) [86]; (85.9–98.1) [87]

 +  +  + (98.9) [86]; (90.4–100) [87]

Laboratory for serology

Medium

Acute to chronic and past infection

Group (individual)

Livestock

Epidemiology (individual diagnostic)

Agglutination test (CATT)

 

 +  + (87) [88]; (44.5–95.2) [89]; (76–88) [90]; (32.4–52.9) [91]

 +  + (81) [88]; (79.5–99.5) [89]; (92–98) [90]; (77.8–84.6) [91]

Field

Low

Acute to chronic and past infection

Individual (group)

Livestock

Individual diagnostic (epidemiology)

IFAT

 

 +  + 

 + 

Laboratory for serology

Medium

Acute to chronic and past infection

Individual (group)

Livestock

Individual diagnostic

CFT

 

 +  + (31.5–73.5) [89]; (90–100) [92]

 +  + (89.2–98.5) [89]; (89–99) [92]

Laboratory for serology

Medium

Acute to chronic and past infection

Group (individual)

Livestock

Individual diagnostic (epidemiology)

TL

 

No data

 +  + 

Laboratory with animal facilities

Very high

Acute to chronic and past infection

Individual

Livestock

Individual diagnostic

  1. Main test characteristics are indicated. Qualitative information is given for sensitivity and specificity, ranging from low (−) to high (+ + +) performance. Quantitative data are given when available. It should be noted that these values are not directly comparable since tests were performed on different samples sets, with different techniques and in different laboratories. Primary use is indicated first and additional use is given in parentheses
  2. aSee Abbreviation List for the full description of each abbreviation