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Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used for detection of trypanosomes in blood on
FTA cards. Ninety-seven blood samples collected from infected cattle from different
areas of Sudan were tested. The PCR was carried out according to the protocol of
purification of invitrogen Purelink genomic DNA kits, using three sets of primers. The
first set included species specific primers to Trypanosoma (Nannomonas) congolense
subsp Savannah and Kilifi, T. (Trypanozoon) brucei and T. (Dunonella) vivax. The
second set contained ITS primers which were used as a single test and the third set
consisted of ITS primers that were used in a nested PCR. The results of the PCR
indicate that in addition to the presence of T. vivax and T. brucei, the only T. congolense
taxonomic group identified in Sudan belongs to the Savannah. No infection attributable
to T. congolense Kilifi was detected. This work confirms the existence of mixed
infections in the field, which cannot be detected easily by the conventional
parasitological methods.
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