Objectives The objective of this research is to assess the presence of circulating B. malayi DNA in infected rhesus monkey blood using PCR and PCR-ELISA techniques and to correlate the findings with the infection status of animals. Results Blood samples were obtained from microfilaremic, amicrofilaremic and uninfected control animals. DNA was extracted and amplified using Hha I-specific primers. PCR products were run on agarose gels and visualized with ethidium bromide staining. Additionally, PCR-ELISA a more sensitive technique for detection of parasite DNA was conducted. The PCR results correctly identified all of the microfilaria-positive samples as PCR positive and all of the control samples as PCR negative. All samples from amicrofilaremic animals were PCR negative which may suggest that these animals have no parasites or the technique is not sensitive enough to confirm the infection status of amicrofilaremics. These results show that the rhesus monkey infected with B. malayi may serve as a model to fine tune diagnostic methods for active infection in human filariasis. Future Directions To use this technique to assess infection status in B. malayi infected animals at various stages of infection and in animals
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