Validation of diagnostic assay s for zoonotic bacterial diseases of leptospirosis and brucellosis

Abstract

Zoonoses are infectious diseases that are naturally transmitted from newlineanimals to man. Aanimals are carriers in maintaining such infectious diseases newlinein the environment and are thus called reservoirs. Of the pathogenic infections newlineknown to man, 61% of them are estimated to be zoonotic (Taylor, 2001). A newlinezoonotic disease could be bacterial (Leptospira, Brucella), viral (Rabies), newlinefungal (Cryptococcus) or parasitic (Toxoplasma). The aim of the present study was to develop ad validate ELISA and LFA newlinemethods for the diagnosis of leptospirosis and brucellosis from human serum newlinesamples. The study concludes that the newlineinhouse ELISA kit and LFA developed for leptospirosis is an effective newlinediagnostic tool which not only detects the IgM antibodies faster with no use of newlinelive leptospires. The sensitivity and specificity of this test was found to be newlinemuch higher than similar known kits, thereby giving very less scope fo false newlinenegative and false positive tests. The inhouse ELISA developed for Brucella is newlinevery easy to use and can be performed efficiently with very high sensitivity newlineand specificity compared to many of the available commercial kits This newlinemethod, unlike molecular technique does not require very skilled personnel newlineand the results also can be attained faster so that the treatment can be newlinestarted as soon as possible. newline