Aminu, O. R. et al. (2020) Practical and effective diagnosis of animal anthrax in endemic low-resource settings. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 14(9), e0008655. (doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008655) (PMID:32925904) (PMCID:PMC7513992)
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Abstract
Anthrax threatens human and animal health, and people’s livelihoods in many rural communities in Africa and Asia. In these areas, anthrax surveillance is challenged by a lack of tools for on-site detection. Furthermore, cultural practices and infrastructure may affect sample availability and quality. Practical yet accurate diagnostic solutions are greatly needed to quantify anthrax impacts. We validated microscopic and molecular methods for the detection of Bacillus anthracis in field-collected blood smears and identified alternative samples suitable for anthrax confirmation in the absence of blood smears. We investigated livestock mortalities suspected to be caused by anthrax in northern Tanzania. Field-prepared blood smears (n = 152) were tested by microscopy using four staining techniques as well as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by Bayesian latent class analysis. Median sensitivity (91%, CI 95% [84–96%]) and specificity (99%, CI 95% [96–100%]) of microscopy using azure B were comparable to those of the recommended standard, polychrome methylene blue, PMB (92%, CI 95% [84–97%] and 98%, CI 95% [95–100%], respectively), but azure B is more available and convenient. Other commonly-used stains performed poorly. Blood smears could be obtained for <50% of suspected anthrax cases due to local customs and conditions. However, PCR on DNA extracts from skin, which was almost always available, had high sensitivity and specificity (95%, CI 95% [90–98%] and 95%, CI 95% [87–99%], respectively), even after extended storage at ambient temperature. Azure B microscopy represents an accurate diagnostic test for animal anthrax that can be performed with basic laboratory infrastructure and in the field. When blood smears are unavailable, PCR using skin tissues provides a valuable alternative for confirmation. Our findings lead to a practical diagnostic approach for anthrax in low-resource settings that can support surveillance and control efforts for anthrax-endemic countries globally.
| Item Type: | Articles |
|---|---|
| Status: | Published |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: | Aminu, Ms Rhoda and Lembo, Dr Tiziana and Biek, Professor Roman and Denwood, Dr Matthew and Zadoks, Professor Ruth and Forde, Dr Taya |
| Creator Roles: | Aminu, O. R.Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Writing – original draft, Writing – review and editing Lembo, T.Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Methodology, Project administration, Supervision, Writing – review and editing Zadoks, R. N.Conceptualization, Methodology, Supervision, Writing – review and editing Biek, R.Conceptualization, Methodology, Supervision, Writing – review and editing Denwood, M.Formal analysis, Methodology, Writing – review and editing Forde, T. L.Conceptualization, Investigation, Methodology, Supervision, Writing – review and editing |
| Authors: | Aminu, O. R., Lembo, T., Zadoks, R. N., Biek, R., Lewis, S., Kiwelu, I., Mmbaga, B. T., Mshanga, D., Shirima, G., Denwood, M., and Forde, T. L. |
| College/School: | College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine |
| Journal Name: | PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases |
| Publisher: | Public Library of Science |
| ISSN: | 1935-2727 |
| ISSN (Online): | 1935-2735 |
| Published Online: | 14 September 2020 |
| Copyright Holders: | Copyright © 2020 Aminu et al. |
| First Published: | First published in PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases 14(9): e0008655 |
| Publisher Policy: | Reproduced under a Creative Commons License |
| Data DOI: | 10.5525/gla.researchdata.1057 |
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