Uganda: Tapeworm (E. felidis)

Development of real-time polymerase chain reaction assays allowing molecular detection of Echinococcus felidis, Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto, and Echinococcus canadensis in carnivore feces samples, animal and human hydatid cyst material from Uganda and Kenya

Katharina Kopp | Faculty of Medicine, Gulu University, P.O. Box 166, Gulu, Uganda | 2017 | BioRxiv doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/211920

The authors of the paper described the development and trail of a rapid, sensitive and safe method for the molecular detection of Echinococcus felidis. E. felidis is a tapeworm found in East Africa that poses a health burden to local pastoralists in countries such as Uganda and Kenya. The Mic proved very useful as a remote diagnostic tool due to its size and robustness making it very portable.