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Frontiers in veterinary science2021; 8; 628389; doi: 10.3389/fvets.2021.628389

Validation of a Commercial Glanders ELISA as an Alternative to the CFT in International Trade of Equidae.

Abstract: Glanders, caused by Burkholderia (B.) mallei is a notifiable zoonotic disease in equidae. For international trade and movement of equids, certificates of negative serological test results for antibodies against B. mallei are required. To date, the complement fixation test (CFT) is the mandatory test to issue these health certificates. The CFT is difficult to standardize and, due to its poor specificity, often leads to false-positive reactions resulting in trade restrictions with considerable financial consequences. In the present study, the new ID Screen Glanders Double Antigen Multispecies ELISA (GLANDA- ELISA) (IDvet, Grabels, France) was evaluated using 400 negative and 370 glanders positive field samples of equidae. The GLANDA-ELISA was significantly more specific (99.8%) than the CFT (97.0%). Considering the comparable sensitivities of CFT (96.5%) and ELISA (98.1%), this new GLANDA-ELISA test appears a suitable confirmatory test and a realistic alternative for serological testing of horses for trade or movement.
Publication Date: 2021-02-16 PubMed ID: 33665218PubMed Central: PMC7920956DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.628389Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

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The research study focuses on validating a commercial glanders ELISA test as an effective alternative to the traditional CFT in controlling the international trade of equids. The new ELISA test exhibits higher specificity than the CFT, potentially reducing false-positives and associated financial consequences.

Objective of the Research

  • The primary aim of this research is to evaluate and validate the use of a new commercial glanders ELISA (GLANDA-ELISA) developed by IDvet, over the traditional CFT for the international trade and movement of equids.
  • The researchers endeavor to test the ELISA’s accuracy and effectiveness, focusing on its specificity and sensitivity compared to the CFT.

About Glanders and its Diagnostic Issues

  • Glanders is a contagious zoonotic disease affecting equidae caused by the bacterium Burkholderia mallei. It is notifiable, meaning any instance of this disease has to be reported to veterinary authorities.
  • For the international trade and movement of equids, negative results for antibodies against B. mallei are required. Currently, these results are obtained through the complement fixation test (CFT).
  • However, the CFT test has been found to be difficult to standardize and often leads to poor specificity, which leads to false-positive reactions. The false positives result in trade restrictions leading to financial losses.

Evaluation of the GLANDA-ELISA Test

  • The validation process of the GLANDA-ELISA involved testing 400 negative and 370 glanders positive field samples of equidae.
  • Results showed that the new ELISA test was significantly more specific (99.8%) than the CFT (97.0%). This high specificity can reduce the number of false positive reactions, thereby decreasing unnecessary trade restrictions and associated financial implications.

Sensitivity and Suitability of GLANDA-ELISA

  • The research also reported comparable sensitivities for the CFT (96.5%) and the ELISA (98.1%), i.e., they both effectively identified true positive samples.
  • This equivalency in sensitivity, combined with ELISA’s significantly better specificity, makes the GLANDA-ELISA a viable alternative for serological testing of horses for trade or movement.

Cite This Article

APA
Elschner MC, Melzer F, Singha H, Muhammad S, Gardner I, Neubauer H. (2021). Validation of a Commercial Glanders ELISA as an Alternative to the CFT in International Trade of Equidae. Front Vet Sci, 8, 628389. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2021.628389

Publication

ISSN: 2297-1769
NlmUniqueID: 101666658
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 8
Pages: 628389

Researcher Affiliations

Elschner, Mandy Carolina
  • Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Jena, Germany.
Melzer, Falk
  • Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Jena, Germany.
Singha, Harisankar
  • Indian Council of Agricultural Research, National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India.
Muhammad, Saqib
  • Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Gardner, Ian
  • Department of Health Management, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI), Charlottetown, PE, Canada.
Neubauer, Heinrich
  • Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Jena, Germany.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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