Enhancing Trypanosomatids Identification and Genotyping with Oxford Nanopore Sequencing: Development and Validation of an 18S rRNAs Amplicon-Based Method.

Trypanosomatids, including Trypanosoma and Leishmania species, present significant medical and veterinary challenges causing substantial economic losses, health complications, and even fatalities. Diagnosing and genotyping these species and their genotypes is often complex, involving multiple steps. This study aimed to develop an amplicon-based sequencing (ABS) method utilizing Oxford Nanopore long-read sequencing to enhance Trypanosomatid detection and genotyping. The 18S rDNA gene was targeted for its inter-species conservation.