CSU Demonstrates New Rapid Test

August 4, 2006 - Colorado State University's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories and the National Animal Health Laboratory Network and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, demonstrated a new rapid diagnostic test for seven important animal diseases, including foot-and-mouth (FMD) disease.

The new diagnostic tool should reduce the period required to detect FMD and six diseases -- all with similar symptoms -- from days to hours, and simultaneously detect all seven diseases in one sample. The tool, which can provide individual sample results within five hours, is in the process of being validated by the USDA and can process up to 1,000 samples within 10 hours.

In addition to testing for FMD, the new testing tool, called an assay, is built to simultaneously test for bovine viral diarrhea, bovine herpes-1, bovine parapox virus complex, bluetongue, swine vesicular disease and vesicular exanthema of swine.

"This new diagnostic assay will significantly enhance the future security of U.S. agriculture by providing improved technology for animal disease diagnostics," said Tammy Beckham, deputy director of science for the Department of Homeland Security at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center.
Reprinted in part from Colorado State University

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