Conventional and future diagnostics for avian influenza

The significant and continued transboundary spread of Asian avian influenza H5N1 since 2003, paired with documented transmission from avian species to humans and other mammals, has focused global attention on avian influenza virus detection and diagnostic strategies. While the historic and conventional laboratory methods used for isolation and identification of the virus and for detection of specific antibodies continued to be widely applied, new and emerging technologies are rapidly being adapted to support avian influenza virus surveillance and diagnosis worldwide. Molecular tools in particular are advancing toward lab-on-chip and fully integrated technologies that are capable of same day detection, pathotyping, and phylogenetic characterization of influenza A viruses obtained from clinical specimens. The future of avian influenza diagnostics, rather than moving toward a single approach, is wisely adopting a strategy that takes advantage of the range of conventional and advancing technologies to be used in "fit-for-purpose" testing.     

第六届国际禽流感会议——最新的进展和希望的未来

在各国媒体对外行新闻机构所称的"鸟流感"(bird flu')极度关注并大量报道的情况下,第六届国际家禽流行性感冒讨论会在众人翘首期待中召开了.以前国际禽流感讨论会就深受从事此研究领域的代表感兴趣,但这次讨论会则吸引了数量上创历史纪录的与会代表,他们都想亲临感受和了解抗禽流感最前沿的研究情况和氛围.     

Fungal diagnostics: current techniques and future trends.

The diagnosis of fungal disease is a challenge that requires diligent attention to history and clinical signs as well as an astute ability to interpret laboratory data. Because fungal disease can mimic other infectious and neoplastic diseases in clinical presentation, the clinician has to be aware of fungal diseases common locally as well as in other regions of the country. A global approach to the diagnosis of fungal disease that correlates clinical signs as well as physical examination, clinical pathology, and histopathology findings with serology, culture, and the newer immunohistochemical and molecular techniques, where available, is the best approach to optimize the identification of the underlying agent.     

共同迎接畜牧业和饲料工业的美好明天

2001中国畜牧业暨饲料工业交易会开幕式致辞 2001年5月16日 各位来宾、女士们、先生们、朋友们! 2001中国畜牧业暨饲料工业交易会今天在美丽的滨海城市大连开幕了。首先，我代表中华人民共和国农业部对交易会的召开表示热烈的祝贺，对来自世界各地的代表表示诚挚的欢迎，向所有关心和支持本届交易会的国内外机构和朋友们表示衷心的感谢! 经过中华人民共和国建国后半个多世纪尤其是改革开放二十多年来的不懈努力，我国畜牧业和饲料工业已经成为国民经济的重要产业，畜产品的综合生产能力显著提高，扭转了畜产品供应长期短缺的局面，实现了供需基本平衡。同时，我国饲料工业在短短20年的时间里，从无到有，一跃成为世界饲料工业大国。 当前我国正在进行农业和农村经济结构战略性调整，将畜牧业和饲料工业作为重要产业加快发展，为畜牧业和饲料工业发展带来了新的机遇。我们举办这次交易会，为大家提供了一个合作与交流的良好机会。 女士们、先生们、朋友们，我们已经踏上了新世纪的征程。值此充满生机和希望的时刻，让我们携起手来，共同迎接世界畜牧业和饲料工业美好的明天。 祝2001中国畜牧业暨饲料工业交易会取得圆满成功!     

Feline alimentary lymphoma: 2. Further diagnostics, therapy and prognosis

PRACTICAL RELEVANCE: Accurate diagnosis of the distinct subtypes of alimentary lymphoma (AL) that occur in cats is important as there are major differences between them in clinical presentation, treatment and prognosis. Unlike intermediate- and high-grade alimentary lymphoma (I/HGAL) and large granular lymphocyte lymphoma (LGLL), which can often be diagnosed by aspiration cytology, full-thickness intestinal biopsies are usually required for the diagnosis of low-grade alimentary lymphoma (LGAL). CLINICAL CHALLENGES: LGAL is an increasingly recognised clinical problem and it can be challenging to differentiate from inflammatory disease. Where there is ambiguity on histology, further diagnostics (immunophenotyping and clonality analysis) may be required. The diagnosis of LGLL requires an index of suspicion as it may be missed with routine diagnostics. While cats with LGAL typically achieve durable remissions with oral prednisolone and chlorambucil, I/HGAL runs a more aggressive clinical course and requires multi-agent chemotherapeutic protocols. Information on the treatment of LGLL is limited and this form of AL has the poorest prognosis. Preliminary studies suggest that abdominal irradiation may potentially be of benefit in cats with AL and further investigations are warranted. EVIDENCE BASE: The evidence supporting this review is derived from grade II, III and IV prospective studies, retrospective case series, reviews, extrapolation from other species, pathophysiological justification and the combined clinical experience of those working in the field.     

A framework for evaluation of on-farm mastitis diagnostics in Australia

Numerous culture-based diagnostics are available on the Australian and international markets for on-farm detection of bacterial pathogens in milk. Use of such diagnostics may provide an opportunity to improve the prudent use of antimicrobials in udder health management. Farms are low-resource settings in terms of diagnostic microbiology capacity. The World Health Organisation has identified criteria for the evaluation of diagnostic tests in low resource settings based on Accuracy, Sensitivity, Specificity, User-friendliness, being Rapid or Robust, Equipment-free and being Deliverable (ASSURED). Here, we review how those criteria can be interpreted in the context of microbiological diagnosis of mastitis pathogens, and how on-farm diagnostics that are currently available in Australia perform relative to ASSURED criteria. This evaluation identifies multiple trade-offs, both with regard to scientific criteria and with regards to convenience criteria. More importantly, the purpose of testing may differ between farms, and test performance should be evaluated relative to its intended use. The ability of on-farm mastitis diagnostics to inform mastitis treatment decision-making in a timely and cost-effective manner depends not just on test characteristics but also on farm-specific pathogen prevalence, and on the farm enterprise's priorities and the farm manager's potential courses of action. With most assay evaluations to date conducted in professional laboratories, there is a surprising dearth of information on how well any of the diagnostic tests perform on-farm and, indeed, of the on-farm decision-making processes that they aim to inform.     

A review of mycoplasma diagnostics in cattle

Mycoplasma species have a global distribution causing serious diseases in cattle worldwide including mastitis, arthritis, pneumonia, otitis media and reproductive disorders. Mycoplasma species are typically highly contagious, are capable of causing severe disease, and are difficult infections to resolve requiring rapid and accurate diagnosis to prevent and control disease outbreaks. This review discusses the development and use of different diagnostic methods to identify Mycoplasma species relevant to cattle, with a particular focus on Mycoplasma bovis. Traditionally, the identification and diagnosis of mycoplasma has been performed via microbial culture. More recently, the use of polymerase chain reaction to detect Mycoplasma species from various bovine samples has increased. Polymerase chain reaction has a higher efficiency, specificity, and sensitivity for laboratory diagnosis when compared with conventional culture‐based methods. Several tools are now available for typing Mycoplasma spp. isolates, allowing for genetic characterization in disease outbreak investigations. Serological diagnosis through the use of indirect ELISA allows the detection of antimycoplasma antibodies in sera and milk, with their use demonstrated on individual animal samples as well as BTM samples. While each testing method has strengths and limitations, their combined use provides complementary information, which when interpreted in conjunction with clinical signs and herd history, facilitates pathogen detection, and characterization of the disease status of cattle populations.     

Importance of PCR for the diagnostics of canine babesiosis

Clinical standards to confirm babesiosis in dogs include the direct identification of the infectious agent in blood smears and serological assays for Babesia canis-specific antibodies. Here, we demonstrate in seven cases (with data on anamnesis, clinics, laboratory diagnostics, and therapeutic outcomes) that a new diagnostic procedure is required. This is the molecular-genetic identification of babesia by real time PCR allowing an unequivocal identification of the infectious agents. Indeed, all seven patients presenting severe clinical symptoms were PCR-positive, but only two of them had specific antibodies and showed babesia in their bloodstream. Six of the dogs appeared to have acquired babesiosis while travelling abroad, and one in the Swiss canton of Schaffhausen.     

预防猪Ⅱ型圆环病毒感染的好消息

在美国召开的一个重要兽医会议上,报道了北美使用猪Ⅱ型圆环病毒疫苗后获得的鼓舞人心的免疫效果和欧洲对该病毒的免疫性的最新研究进展。     

Molecular diagnostics for the food animal practitioner.

Molecular diagnostics are becoming widely used as routine diagnostic tests performed by food animal practitioners. This article discusses the variations of several commonly performed molecular assays with regard to their molecular basis and the appropriate interpretation of the results. Applications of these methods are discussed in the context of infectious disease testing and genetic testing of food animal species.