ODA ADDL hosts Uruguay Public Health Commissioner
In May, ODA hosted Dr. Patricia Correa-Luna from the Regulatory Food Service Municipality of Montevideo Uruguay. Dr. Luna is developing food safety guidelines in Uruguay and wanted to learn more about our Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. (From L to R: Melanie Prarat, Ohio ADDL Laboratory Operations Manager, Dr. Luna, and Dr. Juan Leon, ODA Chief of Meat Inspection)
PRRSV Sequencing Updates: Now Reporting Lineage
Ashley Sawyer, M.S., Virology Researcher
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is the most economically important pathogen endemic in US swine. Did you know that the ADDL offers sequencing of the ORF5 region of PRRSV with a turnaround time of 3-5 days? ORF5 is a highly variable region encoding the PRRSV major envelope protein (GP5). Sequence analysis of this region can provide insight into genetic variation for monitoring distribution, emerging variants, and changes within herds. PRRSV can be classified into one of 9 lineages (L1-L9). Our PRRSV ORF5 sequencing reports include restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, data regarding relatedness to vaccine strains, and phylogenetic analysis upon request. The ADDL will now also include PRRSV lineage. Descriptions of each lineage may be found on the Swine Disease Reporting System (SDRS) webpage (ISU PRRSV Lineage Descriptions).
The SDRS was established to share information on swine diseases in the USA, helping animal health professionals make informed decisions about disease prevention, detection, and management. After its establishment, the initial focus of the SDRS network was porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) reporting, but now the scope has grown to include swine influenza and swine enteric coronaviruses, among others. The network is a collaboration between the Iowa State VDL, University of Minnesota VDL, South Dakota ADRDL, Kansas State VDL, and Ohio ADDL.
Heartworm testing now offered at the ADDL!
Ashley Sawyer, M.S., Virology Researcher
Heartworm disease is a vector-borne illness caused by the parasitic roundworm Dirofilaria immitis. The parasite is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito, and there are more than 25 species of mosquito capable of transmitting D. immitis in the United States. Heartworm is considered a “silent” disease because symptoms may not present until late in infection. If left undiagnosed heartworm can cause extensive organ damage including lung disease and heart failure. Routine testing for early detection is the best way to reduce morbidity in infected animals and minimize spread to other animals.
A heartworm antigen ELISA is now offered at the ADDL for a fee of $9.00 per sample. A study of 250 dogs showed that the sensitivity and specificity of this heartworm test compared to diagnoses at necropsy were 99% and 96%, respectively. Conveniently, the heartworm antigen ELISA may be requested concurrently with the Brucella canis IFA with a turnaround time of up to 3 business days. The updated pricing for B. canis IFA is $15.00 for a single sample with a $5.00 pooling fee for up to five samples per pool. Please submit at least 150 µL of serum if requesting both heartworm antigen ELISA and B. canis IFA testing.
Upcoming Holiday Reminder
In observance of Juneteenth, Ohio ADDL will be closed on Monday, June 20th.
If you need to contact us regarding an urgent matter, please use our after hours phone number: (888) 456-3405.
|