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12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2025

IBDV-SSA, a novel molecular approach for the recovery of infectious bursal disease virus whole genomes from FTA cards.

Infectious bursal disease (IBD), a highly contagious viral disease in young chickens, poses significant economic losses due to high mortality and immunosuppression. While IBD virus (IBDV) virulence is influenced by multiple genes, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of IBDV is crucial for defining the strain pathotype and clinical profile. Flinders Technology Associates (FTA) cards are convenient for field sample collection, but their filter paper matrix can hinder nucleic acid recovery, impacting sequencing efficiency. This study evaluated two enrichment strategies, single primer amplification (SPA) and IBDV segment-specific amplification (SSA), coupled with short-read (Illumina) and long-read (Oxford Nanopore Technologies, ONT) sequencing platforms, to optimize IBDV whole-genome recovery from FTA cards. Illumina sequencing produced comparable raw read counts for both methods, yet IBDV-SSA samples achieved significantly higher genome mapping rates (76%) than IBDV-SPA (12%). Genome coverage analysis revealed that IBDV-SSA provided uniform read distribution across both genomic segments, ensuring complete coverage, while IBDV-SPA exhibited significant bias, with most reads mapping to segment B, and limited coverage of segment A. Importantly, IBDV-SSA also proved compatible with ONT long-read sequencing, providing complete genome coverage. Notably, IBDV-SSA coupled with short-read sequencing successfully characterized coinfections in two samples. This optimized approach using IBDV-SSA enables efficient and comprehensive WGS of IBDV from FTA cards, facilitating strain characterization, virulence prediction, and epidemiological investigations.IMPORTANCEThis research tackles a significant problem for poultry farmers: a virus called infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) that harms young chickens, causing high death rates and economic losses. To fight it effectively, scientists need to analyze its complete genetic makeup. Traditionally, collecting and preserving IBDV field samples was challenging. Flinders Technology Associates (FTA) cards have simplified this process, but getting usable genetic material from them has been difficult. This study introduces a new genome enrichment method, IBDV segment-specific amplification (IBDV-SSA), which successfully allows for IBDV complete genome recovery from FTA cards. By using this improved approach, scientists can accurately identify virus strains, assess how harmful they are, and monitor their spread. This, in turn, helps to improve vaccines and protect flocks. IBDV-SSA is a powerful tool for outbreak surveillance, supporting the poultry industry and ensuring a stable food supply.

Infectious bursal disease virus↗
PubMed2026

Ambient temperature storage of individual parasitic nematode larvae for whole genome sequencing.

Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are a major public health burden, and there are programmes of mass drug administration that attempt to ameliorate the harm that they cause. There has been increasing use of genomics to study STH infections and other parasitic nematodes, with particular interest in whole genome sequencing (WGS). For such studies, samples are commonly stored frozen, but in settings where these infections are endemic this can be difficult, and so there would be advantages to having ambient temperature storage methods. We investigated two ambient temperature storage methods - FTA cards and DESS buffer - for infective larvae of the rat parasites Nippostrongylus brasiliensis and Strongyloides ratti, prior to DNA extraction and then WGS. Our results showed that for individual larvae stored on FTA cards or in DESS buffer, this resulted in a lower proportion of sequence reads that mapped to the reference genomes, compared to the frozen control samples. Generally, for individual larvae, DESS-storage resulted in better sequencing results than FTA-storage. However, for pools of 10 or 50 larvae, then these ambient temperature storage methods generally resulted in comparable sequence read mapping to the frozen control samples.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Comparison of RPR 'teardrop' card test, VDRL and FTA-ABS tests results on sera from persons with suspected yaws in Columbia.

A small study comparing results of the rapid plasma reagin (RPR) teardrop card test performed in the field, with results of Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) and fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS) tests performed in the laboratory on venous blood specimens from the same suspected yaws patients was undertaken in Columbia in July 1975. The results suggest that the RPR teardrop card test may be used to screen for infectious, or potentially infectious, yaws patients under field conditions, but that it will not reliably detect patients with VDRL titres of 1:2 or less, or all patients in whom sera are reactive in the FTA-ABS test.

Colombia↗
PubMed1978

Evaluation of reagin card tests for syphilis.

The macroscopic rapid plasma reagin (RPR) and reagin screen (RST) card tests for syphilis were compared. Test specimens were also examined with the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) microscopic slide test; those reactive in the card or slide tests were examined with the fluorescent treponemal antibody-absorption (FTA-ABS) procedure. Agreement between the card tests with 2,300 specimens was 99%; among all three reagin tests it was 96.3%. With 348 specimens reactive in one or more of the tests, there was 75.6% agreement among all three tests. The FTA-ABS was reactive with 71% of the RPR- or RST- and 65% of the VDRL-reactive specimens. The comparison showed that the card tests give results in close agreement with those of VDRL while offering a number of practical advantages over it.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Modification of the Rappaport rapid test in large-scale testing for syphilis. Evaluation of the rapid plate and rapid card tests.

The Rappaport rapid (RR) plate and card tests were developed as modifications of the RR tube test to permit rapid and inexpensive screening of large numbers of subjects for the diagnosis of syphilis. More than 2,000 sera were examined in parallel by the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) slide test, the rapid plasma reagin (RPR) card test and the RR plate and card tests. There was complete agreement between the RR plate and card tests and the VDRL slide and RPR card tests in 96.6% of sera. In a selected group of 1,530 sera examined, in addition, by the fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS) test, there was agreement between the RR plate and card tests and the FTA-ABS test in 74.3% of sera and between the VDRL and RPR tests and the FTA-ABS test in 73.7% of sera. The RR plate test was found to be sufficiently sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of syphilis, although the VDRL slide test is perhaps more sensitive in primary and late latent syphilis. Since the antigen used in the RR tests is colored and stable and the sera do not require inactivation before the test, the tests are easier to perform than the VDRL slide test: the RR plate and card tests could therefore replace the VDRL test as a screening test, with hardly any loss of accuracy.

Flocculation↗
PubMed1978

Detection of syphilitic hearing loss.

Syphilis can cause sensorineural hearing loss that is potentially treatable. To determine the incidence of positive serological findings in patients with sensorineural hearing loss, the rapid plasma reagin card test (RPRCT) and the FTA-ABS test were performed in a study group composed of patients with sensorineural hearing loss of obscure origin. Of the 306 patients with sensorineural hearing loss, 20 (6.5%) demonstrated a positive FTA-ABS as compared with two of 100 (2%) of the control group. Considerable variation was found in the rate of the false-negative and the biological false-positive RPRCT as performed by our hospital and state laboratories when compared with the results of the FTA-ABS test. Syphilis should be considered in any patient with sensorineural hearing loss of obscure origin, despite a negative history for syphilis. The FTA-ABS is the preferred test to exclude hearing loss of syphilitic origin.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Evaluation of reagin screen, a new serological test for syphilis.

A total of 1,020 serum and plasma specimens were tested using the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL), Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) card, Reagin Screen (RST) and Fluorescent Treponemal Antibody-Absorption (FTA-ABS) tests. In 257 normal patients, all screening tests were nonreactive; the FTA-ABS test was reactive for one patient. In 588 patients with treated and untreated syphilis, the RST results were 91.7% in agreement with the VDRL and RPR results. In 175 patients with diseases that cause biological false reactions, the RST was 94% in agreement with the other screening tests. The titer of the RST was within one dilution of the corresponding VDRL titer in 91.7% of the 360 speciments tested and within one dilution of the RPR titer in 96.9% of 358 specimens quantitated by both tests.

Antibodies↗
PubMed1977

Syphla-Chek: a qualitative study.

A qualitative evaluation of the newly marketed Syphla-Chek Test (Hyland, Div. of Travenol Laboratories, Inc., Costa Mesa, Calif.), a macroscopically read, nontreponemal card test, was undertaken in order to further evaluate the validity of this procedure as an aid in the diagnosis of syphilis. A total of 1,074 randomly selected sera submitted to the Texas Department of Health Resources for routine analysis, for confirmational analysis, and as a result of problems in analysis, were examined using the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) slide test, the Rapid Plasma Reagin (circle) Card Test (RPRCT), Syphla-Chek Test, and the fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS) test. Comparison of the reagin testing procedures studied versus the FTA-ABS procedure led to the following order of agreement with FTA-ABS reactive results: Syphla-Chek, 88.8%; RPRCT, 87.1%; and VDRL, 83.2%. Agreement with FTA-ABS nonreactive results was in order: RPRCT, 86.7%; Syphla-Chek, 79.6%; and VDRL, 78.7%. The relatively few minor procedural problems encountered with the Syphla-Chek Test during this study are also discussed.

Antibodies↗
PubMed1976

Qualitative evaluation of the reagin screen test.

After a preliminary study of 557 sera used as a procedural training exercise, the Reagin screen test (RST) for the macroscopic detection of reagin (as an aid to detecting syphilis) was qualitatively compared to the rapid plasma Reagin (RPR) (circle) card test and Veneral Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) slide test on 435 random portions of sera using fluorescent treponemal antibody adsorption (FTA-ABS) results as a comparative base. A comparison of total agreement (positive and negative) with the FTA-ABS results led to the following order. RPRCT (I5.5%), VDRL (79.8%), and RST (74.5%). Of the total samples shown to be reactive by the FTA-ABS procedure, the percentage of these interpreted as nonreactive (i.e., "false negative") by the procedures compared was considerably higher with the RST procedure (29.3%) than with either the RPRCT (10.9%) or the VDRL (7.1%) procedures. Minor problems encountered with procedural techniques are also mentioned.

Antibodies↗
PubMed1977

Qualitative evaluation of macroscopic flocculation tests for syphilis.

Five thousand two hundred and two sera were tested in parallel using the Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) Card Test, the Reagin Screen Test (RST), and the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) Slide Test. The fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS) test was then used to confirm the reactive specimens. This comparison study was to evaluate the RPR and the RST when used in a screening program. Of the total 5,202 samples, 199 (3.8%) were VDRL reactive, 187 (3.6%) were RPR reactive, and 183 (3.5%) were RST reactive. Of the 199 VDRL reactive, 116 (58.2%) were confirmed by the FTA-ABS, 137 (73.3%) of the 187 RPR reactives were confirmed by the FTA-ABS and of the 183 RST reactives, 115 (62.8%) were confirmed by the FTA-ABS. Included in this discussion are some testing and procedural problems encountered during the study.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗
PubMed1975

The laboratory diagnosis of syphilis. New concepts.

Although new tests for syphilis, as well as new applications of standard tests, continue to appear, the usefulness of several of these procedures has not been determined. When the Fluorescent Treponemal Antibody-Absorption (FTA-ABS) test is used to screen for syphilis, the proportion of positive results that are true positives decreases. The value of modified FTA tests in the diagnosis of neurosyphilis and congenital syphilis remains unproved. Although not studied as extensively as the standard tests, several newer methods--the direct fluorescent antibody test for Treponema pallidum (DFATP), the Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) card test, and the microhemagglutination test for T. pallidum (MHA-TP)--may have certain advantages. To be of optimal diagnostic value, tests for syphilis must be selected according to the clinical situation.

Cerebrospinal Fluid↗