Leishmania – PCR (qualitative)

swab withou medium (conjunctiva), bone marrow, tissue (skin, lymph node, spleen), possibly ETDA blood

realtime PCR

1 - 3 days

• PCR detection is much more sensitive than microscopic detection.
• Sensitivity is much higher in bone marrow than in EDTA plasma.
• Quantitative PCR in dogs has a high predictive value and is recommended in combination with serology, especially if titres are low or questionable. Quantitative PCR is also suitable for monitoring the course of infection and the treatment (mostly if titres are high); as such, the same sample material needs to be used und tested by the same laboratory to ensure that the results are comparable.