Average feeding time of infected and noninfected <i>P. perniciosus</i> and <i>L. longipalpis</i>.

<p>Average time necessary for non-infected and infected sand flies to feed on mice is given in minutes.</p

Transmission of <i>Leishmania infantum</i> CUK3.

<p>Percentage transmission of CUK3 strain by experimentally infected <i>Phlebotomus perniciosus</i> (A) and <i>Lutzomyia longipalpis</i> (B). Black bars, infected females that transmitted by bite; grey bars, infected females that did not transmit; line, percentage of females that transmitted parasites.</p

Pre-feeding and transmitted parasite load for <i>L. infantum</i> strains by both sand fly species.

<p>*Parasite load was calculated as a sum of midgut parasites plus those transmitted by bite.</p><p>**Percentage of parasite load transmitted by bite.</p

Transmission of <i>Leishmania infantum</i> IMT373.

<p>Percentage transmission of IMT373 strain by experimentally infected <i>Phlebotomus perniciosus</i> (A) and <i>Lutzomyia longipalpis</i> (B). Black bars, infected females that transmitted by bite; grey bars, infected females that did not transmit; line, percentage of females that transmitted parasites.</p

Assessment of the specificity of qPCR assay in the detection of <i>Onchocerca lupi</i> DNA.

<p>The amplification plot is represented by the fluorescent signal accordingly to relative fluorescence units (RFU) and threshold cycle.</p

Skin samples tested for <i>Onchocerca lupi</i> by qPCR, divided (Groups 1–5) according to the parasitic load (mfs) microscopically detected.

<p>The mean, minimum, maximum and standard deviation (sd) values of the threshold cycle (Cq), parasite load (Starting Quantity (SQ) value, expressed as ng/μl of DNA for reaction) and microfilariae concentration, assessed by qPCR is reported.</p

Filarial nematodes used to assess the analytical specificity of the qPCR assay.

<p>Filarial nematodes used to assess the analytical specificity of the qPCR assay.</p

Detection limit of the conventional PCR assay determined by 10-fold serial dilution of genomic DNA of microfilariae and adult of <i>Onchocerca lupi</i>.

<p>Lanes 1–4, from 3.6 ×10¹ pg/2μl to 3.6 ×10⁻³ pg/2μl of <i>O</i>. <i>lupi</i> mfs DNA (i.e., from 1 to 1×10⁻⁴ mfs); Lanes 5–15, from 8 ×10¹ ng/2μl to 8 x 10⁻³ fg/2μl of <i>O</i>. <i>lupi</i> adult DNA; Line 16, no-DNA control; M, 100 bp DNA marker.</p

A real-time PCR tool for the surveillance of zoonotic <i>Onchocerca lupi</i> in dogs, cats and potential vectors - Fig 2

<p>Standard curves generated from serial dilutions of (A) genomic DNA from adult (from 8 × 10⁴ to 8 × 10⁻³ fg/2μl of reaction) and microfilariae (B) (from 3.6 ×10⁻¹ ng/2μl to 3.6 ×10¹ fg/2μl of reaction) of <i>Onchocerca lupi</i>. Each point was tested in triplicate. Slope, efficacy and <i>R</i>² are reported on the bottom.</p

GenBank accession numbers (AN) of mitochondrial cytochrome <i>c</i> oxidase subunit 1 sequences of filarial nematodes used for primers and TaqMan-probe design.

<p>GenBank accession numbers (AN) of mitochondrial cytochrome <i>c</i> oxidase subunit 1 sequences of filarial nematodes used for primers and TaqMan-probe design.</p