@article{fdi:010060701,
  title = {{M}ultiplex real-time {PCR} diagnostic of relapsing fevers in {A}frica},
  author = {{E}lbir, {H}. and {H}enry, {M}. and {D}iatta, {G}. and {M}ediannikov, {O}leg and {S}okhna, {C}heikh and {T}all, {A}. and {S}ocolovschi, {C}. and {C}utler, {S}. {J}. and {B}ilcha, {K}. {D}. and {A}li, {J}. and {C}ampelo, {D}. and {B}arker, {S}. {C}. and {R}aoult, {D}idier and {D}rancourt, {M}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{B}ackground: {I}n {A}frica, relapsing fever borreliae are neglected arthropod-borne pathogens causing mild to deadly septicemia and miscarriage. {T}he closely related {B}orrelia crocidurae, {B}orrelia duttonii, {B}orrelia recurrentis and {B}orrelia hispanica are rarely diagnosed at the species level, hampering refined epidemiological and clinical knowledge of the relapsing fevers. {I}t would be hugely beneficial to have simultaneous detection and identification of {B}orrelia to species level directly from clinical samples. {M}ethodology/{P}rincipal {F}indings: {W}e designed a multiplex real-time {PCR} protocol targeting the 16{S} r{RNA} gene detecting all four {B}orrelia, the glp{Q} gene specifically detecting {B}. crocidurae, the rec{N} gene specifically detecting {B}. duttonii/{B}. recurrentis and the rec{C} gene specifically detecting {B}. hispanica. {C}ompared to combined 16{S} r{RNA} gene and fla{B} gene sequencing as the gold standard, multiplex real-time {PCR} analyses of 171 {B}orrelia-positive and 101 {B}orrelia-negative control blood specimens yielded 100% sensitivity and specificity for {B}. duttonii/{B}. recurrentis and {B}. hispanica and 99% sensitivity and specificity for {B}. crocidurae. {C}onclusions/{S}ignificance: {T}he multiplex real-time {PCR} developed in this study is a rapid technique for both molecular detection and speciation of relapsing fever borreliae from blood in {A}frica. {I}t could be incorporated in point-of-care laboratory to confirm diagnosis and provide evidence of the burden of infection attributed to different species of known or potentially novel relapsing fever borreliae.},
  keywords = {{AFRIQUE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{P}los {N}eglected {T}ropical {D}iseases},
  volume = {7},
  numero = {1},
  pages = {e2042},
  ISSN = {1935-2735},
  year = {2013},
  DOI = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0002042},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010060701},
}