Figure 4

LOD of parasite DNA using semi-nested PCR from six 3-mm diameter stored dried blood spots. A) Amplicons are visualized in a 1.5% agarose gel stained with ethidum bromide. NC1 refers to a blood sample that was not spiked with any parasite and went through an identical DNA isolation and amplification to the rest the experimental samples. NC2 refers to PCR master mix to which PCR grade water was substitutes for eluted DNA as a control for contaminants in PCR reagents. B. Graph of the relative pixel density of the amplicon as a function of the parasite concentration.