Foot-and-mouth: New test could speed diagnosis
Tests for animal diseases such as foot-and-mouth could be dramatically speeded up following pioneering veterinary research.
Researchers at the University of Glasgow have developed new tests which look for the presence of proteins produced by animals when they are infected.
Acute phase proteins have been shown to be one of the most reliable early indicators of diseases in animals.
It is hoped the new tests would allow diseases such as foot-and-mouth to be diagnosed far more quickly in future, allowing them to be dealt with more effectively.
Scientists say the proteins also indicate how severe the infection is and would allow whole herds to be screened to identify diseases caused by poor hygiene or other management problems.
One test being developed would use cow's milk to test for the presence of proteins produced in response to the disease mastitis, an infection of the udder.
The pioneering research has been carried out at the university's Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, one of the world's leading centres for measuring acute phase proteins in animals.
Dr David Eckersall, who carried out the research, said: "The test has a lot of potential and should have an important role in assessment of animal health and welfare in the future.
"Some time ago we looked at the response to foot-and-mouth disease in cattle and found a response during the clinical stages of the disease. Unfortunately, the results were a bit disappointing in terms of early detection during the incubation stage.
"However, we now have much better methods and reinvestigation would be very worthwhile after the current outbreak is eradicated."
