World-first milk test for cattle herd health developed by Randox scientists

Randox scientists have today revealed a revolutionary new method for Bovine disease testing which will radicalise cattle screening against some of the world’s most prevalent bovine viruses, bacteria and parasites.

Named the Bovine Pathogen Array, the test is designed to facilitate prompt diagnosis and the identification of co-infection, which aids in the reduction of the spread of disease, limits the need for medical intervention and milk withdrawal periods, and also ensures maximum efficiency at the producer level.

The veterinary multiplex IVD immunoassay from global diagnostics company Randox, headquartered in Northern Ireland, is the first of its kind on the market – detecting antibodies against six pathogens simultaneously from a single milk sample, rather than the standard more time-consuming method of singleplex ELISA testing currently required for each individual disease.

David Ferguson, Managing Director, Randox Food Diagnostics, commented;

“Our Bovine Pathogen Array is the first of its kind in the world and has the potential to revolutionise how cattle are diagnosed and how quickly pathogens are spread amongst a herd. Simultaneous detection of the rifest, and most problematic, bovine viruses, bacteria and parasites has not been attempted before, and currently, six to seven separate ELISA tests must be conducted in order to obtain the same results as those delivered by the Bovine Pathogen Array. 

“Bringing this product to market has been a priority at Randox Food Diagnostics and we are sure that arming industry professionals with quicker and more accurate diagnostic tools will lead to increased yields, increased profit margins for producers and, ultimately, better bovine health.” 

The new Bovine Pathogen test, which is conducted on a unique piece of testing technology called the Biochip, generates results in approximately 2.5 hours, allowing faster diagnosis and identification of infected cattle. Milk samples are collected from the herd, added to a Biochip, and then placed in the corresponding analyser (called the Evidence Investigator) which runs tests for multiple diseases – Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD), Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR), Paratuberculosis (Johne’s Disease), Leptospirosis, Neospora Caninum and Fasciola Hepatica (Liver Fluke) – all at once.

Highly contagious and, in many cases, untreatable, there has been much concern regarding outbreaks of these dangerous pathogens in the past number of years. With a global economic impact, high mortality rates, increased premature culling, decreased reproductive performance and reduced milk yield as direct losses, vital research has been long awaited in order to tackle these dangerous conditions faster and more effectively.

David continued;

“The Randox Bovine Pathogen Array contains a range of well-established antigens complemented by additional select novel analytes for BVD and Neospora Caninum. It can also differentiate between IBR vaccinated and naturally infected animals (DIVA capacity) when used in conjunction with selected vaccines. This comprehensive test menu will significantly contribute to advances in disease research and add to scientific knowledge already available with regards to coinfection, surveillance, vaccine performance and risk factors associated with disease outbreaks.

“We are proud to be able to provide reassurance for dairy producers, enabling them to get to the root of the issue before contamination occurs across the herd.”

The new Bovine Pathogen Array was recognised as most innovative assay at the recent IDF World Dairy Summit, receiving 1^st prize in the poster competition. It is now available from Randox Food Diagnostics.

Please email enquiries@randoxfooddiagnostics.com for further information.

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