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The test uses a small sample of saliva to detect the chemical markers of infection. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Researchers at the McMaster University have developed a new form of rapid test to detect infections in farm animals, responding to the rising threat of dangerous outbreaks.


Science Daily reported that the prototype has been proven effective in detecting a devastating diarrheal infection in pigs and can be adapted to test for other pathogens, and in other animals.

The test, created by biochemist Yingfu Li and engineer Leyla Soleymani and their colleagues, uses a small sample of saliva to detect the chemical markers of infection.

It uses technology similar to a form of test the same research team recently created to detect COVID and other infections in humans. The human test is now moving toward the marketplace with public research funding and corporate support.

The animal test, once it becomes widely available, is expected to be a valuable tool for identifying and isolating outbreaks in farm settings, and for limiting the possibility of animal-to-human transmission of infections, which is believed to be the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"There is a really a clear need for this technology," Li said. "There are many reasons why everyone should care about animal-infection surveillance."

The new test could be a significant advancement in the concept of "One Health," the growing understanding of the interconnection between human, animal and ecosystem health.

Creating such technology is part of the mission of McMasters broader Global Nexus for Pandemics and Biological Threats.

The researchers have designed the aptamer-based test to be portable, accurate and quick, allowing veterinarians and other animal caretakers to identify, isolate and treat infected animals quickly.

The work has been published in the influential German science journal Angewandte Chemie, which has identified it as a "very important paper" – a specific and rare distinction. The research was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

The test works by mixing a small saliva sample with a chemical reagent and applying the blend to a small microchip reader, which is in turn attached to a smartphone, which displays the results in minutes.

 

inneus aims to positively influence intestinal health in order to help the host better cope with physiological and sanitary challenges in poultry and pigs. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

METEX NOOVISTAGO, an animal nutrition expert from France, has recently announced the launch of a new solution range: inneus for pig and poultry

‘Pig Passport’ makes for easy and reliable registration of individual animals directly in the barn. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

SUISAG, the service partner for Swiss pig producers and international genetics customers and Cloudfarms have introduced an innovative application of its existing production management system, called the ‘Pig Passport’

WEDA Dammann & Westerkamp GmbH is supplying the complete insect feeding system for the Polish feed producer HiProMine


The company from Robakowo near Poznan breeds insect-based proteins on an industrial scale using the black soldier fly. With WEDA’s new plant, 550 tonnes of substrate are produced and fed there every day.

The technology creates a food chain in which the insect forms a bridge between plant waste and sustainable animal feed.

The use of the soldier fly as a feed insect can thus make an important contribution in the future to feeding the growing world population in a resource-saving way. Compared to other feedstuffs, insects are the only source of protein for which the raw material can be utilised one hundred percent. Moreover, no waste is produced during the manufacture of animal proteins. On the contrary: during their growth, the larvae feed exclusively on organic waste. The soldier fly Hermetia illucens is also characterised by extremely rapid development, with larvae fattening in about seven days.

“In addition, the end products are free of antibiotics and genetically modified organisms,” said WEDA product manager Jens Feldhaus in favour of expanding the breeding method. In the insect feeding systems of HiProMine, the proven technologies of WEDA Dammann & Westerkamp are used for this purpose. Inexpensive, nutrient-rich and ecological protein source Insect-based feeds are currently already approved for domestic animals, poultry, pigs and aquaculture.

If the technology becomes established worldwide, insects have the potential to become an inexpensive, nutrient-rich and ecological protein source for all animal feed. Prof Dr hab Damian Jozefiak, one of the founders of HiProMine and professor at the Poznań University of Life Sciences, is very satisfied with the prospects and the cooperation so far, “With WEDA, we have found exactly the right technology partner who offers us the production security we need for the sustainable development of this business field,” he summed up.