Isolation of Treponema DNA from Necrophagous Flies in a Natural Ecosystem.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Recently, the World Health Organization launched a campaign to eradicate the tropical disease yaws, caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum subsp. pertenue; however, for decades researchers have questioned whether flies act as a vector for the pathogen that could facilitate transmission.

Methods

A total of 207 fly specimens were trapped in areas of Africa in which T. pallidum-induced skin ulcerations are common in wild baboons; 88 flies from Tarangire National Park and 119 from Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania were analyzed by PCR for the presence of T. pallidum DNA.

Findings

We report that in the two study areas, T. pallidum DNA was found in 17-24% of wild-caught flies of the order Diptera. Treponemal DNA sequences obtained from many of the flies

SUBMITTER: Knauf S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5049926 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature