Abstract—Schistosomiasis caused by water related trematode Schistosoma mansoni is a serious public health problem in tropical and subtropical countries. It is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality in developing and underdeveloped countries. This study aims to develop Linear-After-The-Exponential- Polymerase Chain Reaction (LATE-PCR) dipstick for the detection of Schistosoma mansoni in stool samples. In an effort to establish and enhance accurate diagnosis of Schistosoma mansoni infection, LATE-PCR dipstick was used to detect the parasite in stool samples due to the test being highly sensitive and specific, relatively simple, rapid, easy to perform. Primers and probes targeting for gene cytochrome oxidase were designed for species specific amplification of Schistosoma mansoni. In this study, the LATE-PCR dipstick parameters were optimized and detection of PCR products was performed on 2% agarose gel electrophoresis and the nitrocellulose membrane was coated with biotinylated anti-mouse IgG (control line), anti-FITC (target line) and assembled as lateral flow strips. The high sensitivity enabled detection of parasite DNA in faecal samples containing as low as 1 ng/μl of parasite DNA in faeces. The amplification reaction showed to be specific without any cross reaction with DNA from other intestinal micro-organism. The findings of LATE-PCR dipstick developed in this study may constitute a valuable alternative for the diagnosis of Schistosoma mansoni infection in underdeveloped as well as developing countries.

Index Terms—LATE-PCR, lateral flow assay, Schistosoma mansoni, stool sample

Cite: Kabiru Mohammed1, Mohamed Rusli Abdullah, Julia Omar, Ikeh Eugene. I, Aziah Ismail, and Muhamad Nuramin A, "Development and Evaluation of an Updated LATE-PCR Dipstick for the Detection of Schistosomiasis Mansoni Infection in Human Stool Sample," Journal of Medical and Bioengineering, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 124-127, April 2016. Doi: 10.18178/jomb.5.2.124-127