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Sensitivity and specificity of parallel or serial serological testing for detection of canine Leishmania infection
In Brazil, human and canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) caused by Leishmania infantum has undergone urbanisation since 1980, constituting a public health problem, and serological tests are tools of choice for identifying infected dogs. Until recently, the Brazilian zoonoses control program recommen...
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Published in: | Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz 2016-03, Vol.111 (3), p.168-173 |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Subjects: | |
Citations: | Items that this one cites Items that cite this one |
Online Access: | Get full text |
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Summary: | In Brazil, human and canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) caused by
Leishmania infantum has undergone urbanisation since 1980, constituting
a public health problem, and serological tests are tools of choice for
identifying infected dogs. Until recently, the Brazilian zoonoses
control program recommended enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA)
and indirect immunofluorescence assays (IFA) as the screening and
confirmatory methods, respectively, for the detection of canine
infection. The purpose of this study was to estimate the accuracy of
ELISA and IFA in parallel or serial combinations. The reference
standard comprised the results of direct visualisation of parasites in
histological sections, immunohistochemical test, or isolation of the
parasite in culture. Samples from 98 cases and 1,327 noncases were
included. Individually, both tests presented sensitivity of 91.8% and
90.8%, and specificity of 83.4 and 53.4%, for the ELISA and IFA,
respectively. When tests were used in parallel combination, sensitivity
attained 99.2%, while specificity dropped to 44.8%. When used in serial
combination (ELISA followed by IFA), decreased sensitivity (83.3%) and
increased specificity (92.5%) were observed. Serial testing approach
improved specificity with moderate loss in sensitivity. This strategy
could partially fulfill the needs of public health and dog owners for a
more accurate diagnosis of CVL. |
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ISSN: | 1678-8060 0074-0276 1678-8060 |
DOI: | 10.1590/0074-02760150364 |