New Bovine Tuberculosis Detection Kit Expands Options, Reduces Program Costs

GLOBAL - Thermo Fisher Scientific announced the launch of VetMAX M. tuberculosis Complex PCR Kit, the only commercially available PCR test that detects all seven strains of the M. tuberculosis complex in a single solution.
calendar icon 18 January 2017
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Thermo Fisher Scientific

"The VetMAX M. tuberculosis Complex PCR Kit is a reliable and fast tool to confirm the presence of mycobacteria belonging to the tuberculosis complex,” said Martin Guillet, global head and general manager of AgriBusiness at Thermo Fisher Scientific. “We now offer the most comprehensive product portfolio for bovine tuberculosis, including all Office International des Epizooties (OIE)-prescribed bovine tuberculosis diagnostic tools, enabling veterinarians to select an effective combination of tests that best fit their local program.”

The robust PCR test is designed to only detect all seven strains belonging to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (i.e. M. tuberculosis, M. bovis, M. africanum, M. microti, M. canetti, M. caprae, and M. pinnipedii). It is the sole commercial M. tuberculosis complex PCR with an integrated ready-to-use master mix. The test uses the Applied Biosystems VetMAX Xeno Internal Positive Control that is detected in the same well as the sample for a duplex PCR approach.

Reliable, Fast and Cost Effective

Results using this PCR approach can be returned much faster when compared to bacterial culture testing methods. While the results of a M. bovis culture can take up to six weeks, results using PCR - from sample preparation to testing – take just three hours. The information is then delivered to the farmer or veterinarian in two to three days.

By delivering accurate results faster, the VetMAX M. tuberculosis Complex PCR Kit can help reduce costs for farmers and government-funded bovine tuberculosis programs. The new kit enables sanitary decisions to be made sooner, increases the speed of a test and cull program and helps minimize the duration of farm closures.

The kit is a highly reliable diagnostic solution for bovine tuberculosis in multiple species, including cattle, wild boar and badgers. Validation studies show a diagnostic sensitivity of 97.5 per cent and a diagnostic specificity of 98.4 per cent. The test is easily integrated into a standardized and validated workflow.

“If we are to decrease bovine tuberculosis prevalence, the field needs diagnostic tools that are easy to handle and provide sensitive, reliable and fast results to help ensure the efficacy of surveillance and control programs,” said Guillet. “The eradication of bovine tuberculosis is complex and the flexible application of testing schemes will help avoid unnecessary culling and lengthy farm closures, as well as help eliminate the occurrence of bovine tuberculosis worldwide.”

About Bovine Tuberculosis

Bovine tuberculosis is a major infectious disease among cattle, other farm animals, and certain wildlife populations (badgers, possums, wild boars). It results from infection with mycobacteria belonging to the M. tuberculosis complex (M. tuberculosis, M. bovis, M. africanum, M. microti, M. canetti, M. caprae, and M. pinnipedii) and can be transmitted either by respiration or by ingestion.

Bovine tuberculosis is a chronic disease and usually it takes many months for clinical signs to develop. Therefore, early infections are often asymptomatic, whereas in the later stages, symptoms include progressive emaciation, weakness, inappetence, and enlargement of lymph nodes. Bovine tuberculosis is a significant zoonosis that can spread to humans through aerosols and by drinking unpasteurized milk or dairy products from infected cows. The disease, therefore, is classified as a notifiable disease by the OIE and in many countries.

For more information about the Applied Biosystems line of diagnostics products, click here or connect to the Thermo Fisher Scientific Cattle Resource Center.

 

 

 

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