About
Diagnostic testing plays a critical role in identifying and addressing infectious diseases that threaten animal and human populations. While there have been some advancements in diagnostic test development, there are substantial impediments in the application or integration of novel technologies in veterinary diagnostic labs. Integration of these platforms could improve testing efficiency, reduce the associated costs of diagnostics, and ultimately informatively guide researchers and veterinarians in the effective management of symptomatic animals (e.g.: bovine respiratory disease). Additionally, symptomatic animals can often be infected with multiple pathogens or multiple strains of the same pathogen and it is often too expensive and time consuming to discriminate the etiologic agents of disease. These diagnostic limitations impact deployment of informed control and mitigation strategies by delaying: 1. adequate and time efficient tracing; 2. epidemiology and transmission risk analysis; 3. evolutionary characterization of the pathogen; and 4. recognition of emerging variants.
Our work utilizes a combination of approaches to characterize the genetic composition of viral pathogens (whole genome sequencing) that guides the development of sensitive and targeted multiplex bead-based assays. We are using avian influenza sequencing data to design probes for a multiplex subtype assay on the MagPix platform. We also plan to explore development of a multiplex bead-based assay for diagnosing bovine respiratory disease. This work emphasizes the importance of combining diagnostic platforms (e.g., next generation sequencing with bead-based assays) to generate more robust and cost-effective workflows for deeper interrogation of pathogens affecting animal health. Continued collaborative research and exploration of new technologies, including translational applications from other disciplines, is crucial to the accurate and efficient diagnosis of disease, the reduction of risk/losses to agricultural stakeholders, and the advancement of veterinary diagnostics.
CSU Collaborators
Izabela Ragan, Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University
Mark Stenglein, Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University
Raye Walck, Director of Western Slope Branch Laboratory, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories, Colorado State University