A new protocol for absolute quantification of haemosporidian parasites in raptors and comparison with current assays.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Accurate quantification of infection intensity is essential to estimate infection patterns of avian haemosporidian parasites in order to understand the evolution of host-parasite associations. Traditional microscopy is cost-effective but requires high-quality blood smears and considerable experience, while the widely used semi-quantitative qPCR methods are mostly employed with ideal, laboratory-based golden samples and standard curves, which may limit the comparison of parasitemia from different laboratories.

Methods

Here we present a digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) protocol for absolute quantification of avian haemosporidians in raptors. Novel primers were designed that target a conserved fragment of a rRNA region of the mitochondrial genome of the parasites. Sensiti

SUBMITTER: Huang X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7368712 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature