A USDA-licensed, real-time PCR test for the detection of BVDV persistent infection (PI) in cattle
Thermo Fisher Scientific animal health products have been at the forefront of recent advances in production animal diagnostics, and supply some of the leading modern diagnostic tools to veterinary laboratories around the world.
In keeping with our commitment to deliver the highest-quality next-generation molecular tools, we provide several diagnostic solutions licensed by the USDA. This includes our USDA-licensed VetMAX™-Gold BVDV PI Detection Kit: a rapid, easy-to-use PCR-based testing solution that detects BVDV persistent infection (PI) in cattle with an exceptional level of specificity, sensitivity, and reproducibility.
Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is endemic in many cattle-producing countries, and contributes to considerable economic loss within the beef and dairy industries. Cattle of all ages are susceptible to BVDV, with most cases of overt clinical disease seen in cattle between 6 months and 2 years old.
The virus crosses the placenta in infected pregnant cows, causing reproductive losses due to abortion, stillborn calves, or calves that die early in life. When cows become infected between days 30 and 150 of gestation, surviving calves become persistently infected (PI) with BVDV. PI cattle are the main source of BVDV transmission, shedding large amounts of the virus in their secretions and excretions. As a result, most eradication and control programs focus on elimination of PI animals and preventing the transmission of BVDV to healthy cattle within a herd.
The approval of the VetMAX™-Gold BVDV PI Detection Kit is based on the successful completion of the USDA’s stringent review process, which confirms both the effectiveness of our real-time PCR test and the compliance of the production and quality systems within our manufacturing site.
Veterinary diagnosticians have relied on Life Technologies™ molecular reagents and instrumentation to help detect and control disease. With our VetMAX™-Gold BVDV PI product they have a USDA-licensed diagnostic test for bovine viral diarrhea virus containing all the necessary reagents and controls in a single detection kit.
Our USDA-licensed kit is designed to detect BVDV types 1, 2, and 3 with a high degree of sensitivity and reproducibility. It includes a Xeno™ RNA internal positive control for confirmation of both positive and negative results.
A simple, validated, and easily automated workflow helps minimize sample handling and cross-contamination. It offers a fast and cost-effective BVDV detection method that yields results in as little as 1.5 hours.
The kit is approved for use with single samples (ear punch tissue) or with pooled samples from up to 24 animals, and provides an automated solution that can help high-throughput testing environments be more efficient.
In a USDA study, 126 pools were created (24 animals per pool) and tested using the VetMAX™-Gold BVDV PI Detection Kit. In this study there were 63 positive PI pools, 51 negative PI pools, and 12 transiently infected (TI) pools. To demonstrate the reproducibility and repeatability of the VetMAX™-Gold BVDV PI Detection Kit, purified RNA from 14 BVDV reference strains (and 6 negative samples) was tested. Testing took place on two consecutive days at three independent laboratories, with two different manufactured lots of reagents.
The reproducibility study generated coefficients of variation (CV) of the BVDV Ct values ranging from 0.4% to 3.3%. The repeatability studies generated CVs ranging from 0.8% to 2.4%. CVs of <5% are considered to represent excellent consistency. The amount of variation measured in %CV (Ct standard deviation/average x 100%) was <3.1%, indicating excellent consistency across runs.
Our vision is to provide comprehensive solutions to help diagnose farm animal health issues more quickly and accurately than ever before—and so enhance animal health and productivity. To learn more about our VetMAX™-Gold BVDV PI Detection Kit, please download our product flyer.