Researchers at The Pirbright Institute have developed a field test to diagnose African horse sickness, which is reliable, fast and simple to use.
African horse sickness (AHS) is a viral disease that infects all equine species and is often fatal in horses and mules. It has become economically significant within the last century; with outbreaks impacting on the Iberian and Arabian Peninsula, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and North Africa.
Improving the speed of AHS diagnosis in the field is a vital factor in controlling the spread of the disease and saving animals’ lives. Although current tests used by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) have increased the speed and sensitivity of AHS diagnosis, these tests have to be conducted in a laboratory. This increases the time it takes for a diagnosis to be made, as samples need to be sent away; delaying the implementation of control policies.
The development of the AHS field test was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and led by Dr Veronica Fowler, Emma Howson, Dr John Flannery and African horse sickness virus (AHSV) Group Leader, Dr Javier Castillo-Olivares, from The Pirbright Institute.
The research team used a technique called ‘loop-mediated isothermal amplification’ (LAMP) for the first time, to detect the AHS virus in samples. The LAMP test is portable, cost-effective, easy to use and allows a diagnosis to be reached within an hour. The sensitivity and specificity of the test lies within the same range as laboratory testing, although it has a slightly lower sensitivity than the test recommended by OIE. This test could therefore provide a valuable complementary tool to laboratory testing.
Dr Veronica Fowler said: “The ability to determine the disease status of animals in the field is of paramount importance in controlling outbreaks of AHS, as it will enable the faster implementation of containment procedures within affected areas”.
The team also acknowledged the important potential social and economic benefits of more rapid diagnosis: “Having quick and effective control measures for AHS will help to reduce the threat of this disease for the global equine industry and is critical for the international trade of horses”, said Dr Javier Castillo-Olivares.
In order to make this advance in field diagnostics, The Pirbright Institute team collaborated with researchers from the ARC-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute in South Africa; the Laboratorio Central de Veterinaria-Sanidad Animal in Spain and OptiGene Limited in the UK. The scientists acknowledged the value of this approach: “Collaboration between research bodies is essential for the progression of projects such as these”, said Dr Castillo-Olivares.
ENDS
For more information please contact:
Andrea da Gama
communications@pirbright.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 1483 231417.
Notes to Editors
Further details about the issues of AHS and the impact of this work is available online at in the journal of Transboundary and Emerging Diseases. Information about the work of The Pirbright Institute on AHSV can be found on the Institute’s website.