The helminth Baylisascaris schroederi is one of the most harmful parasites infecting giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). It is therefore important to develop an exact diagnostic technique to detect this parasite. Using a known number (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100) of feces-isolated B. schroederi egg and adult DNA, we developed a PCR to detect a portion of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA and applied it to giant panda fecal samples. The method was sufficiently sensitive to detect B. schroederi DNA from isolated eggs in a fecal sample with a detection threshold of one egg. We detected B. schroederi in 88% of fecal samples, 30% higher than the conventional flotation technique. No cross-reactivity with other common nematode DNA was detected. Our PCR assay may constitute a valuable alternative for the diagnosis of B. schroederi infections.
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1 October 2013
Molecular Diagnosis of Baylisascaris schroederi Infections in Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) Feces Using PCR
Xuan Zhou,
Hua Yu,
Ning Wang,
Yue Xie,
Yi-nan Liang,
De-sheng Li,
Cheng-dong Wang,
Si-jie Chen,
Yu-bo Yan,
Xiao-bin Gu,
Shu-xian Wang,
Xue-rong Peng,
Guang-you Yang
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Journal of Wildlife Diseases
Vol. 49 • No. 4
October 2013
Vol. 49 • No. 4
October 2013
Ailuropoda melanoleura
Baylisascaris schroederi egg
mitochondrial 12S
PCR