Detection and characterisation of parasites causing emerging zoonoses

Understanding the epidemiology of zoonotic parasitic infections is dependen t upon the availability of accurate and sensitive diagnostic techniques. Th e development of molecular diagnostic methods, particularly those utilising PCR for the detection of zoonoses will contribute greatly to the identific ation and control of these pathogens, by increasing the speed of diagnosis, specificity and sensitivity, reproducibility and ease of interpretation. M olecular characterisation studies allow us to distinguish between closely r elated infectious agents and to document the patterns of transmission of 's trains' and species within populations. This will allow precise determinati ons to be made about the aetiological agent, its characteristics and the so urce of infection. This review focuses on recent detection and characterisa tion techniques for both emerging and re-emerging parasite zoonoses. (C) 20 00 Australian Society for Parasitology Inc. Published by Elsevier Science L td. All rights reserved.