Applied Biosystems: Comprehensive Animal Health Diagnostic Tools

To enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner, and safer

Thermo Fisher’s Animal Health technology suite includes tools for sensitive and specific pathogen detection, especially for avian diseases like avian influenza. Key components include Real-Time PCR Diagnostic Kits for rapid and accurate pathogen identification, VetMAX Master Mixes for consistent DNA/RNA amplification, MagMAX Core Sample Extraction Kits for efficient nucleic acid extraction, and the QuantStudio 5 Real-Time PCR System for high-throughput, real-time pathogen detection. These technologies streamline diagnostic workflows, ensuring reliable results and enabling timely interventions to manage disease outbreaks in veterinary labs.

This technology is pre-validated.

9•9

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 9/9; level of use 9/9

Adults 18 and over: No impact

The poor: No impact

Under 18: No impact

Women: No impact

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

It ensures rapid disease management, promoting healthier livestock, and enhancing the sustainability of their farming operations.

Problem

Disease Incidence and Spread: Diseases like avian influenza have severe economic and food security impacts, as evidenced by past outbreaks that have led to mass culling of poultry and significant economic losses. Thermo Fisher’s diagnostic tools help detect pathogens early, reducing the need for drastic measures and controlling outbreaks more efficiently.
Yield Losses: Disease outbreaks in livestock can reduce productivity, affecting food supply and farmer income. By enabling early diagnosis, these technologies help safeguard production yields, especially important for smallholder farmers who rely on livestock for their livelihoods.
Inconsistent and Slow Diagnostics: Traditional diagnostic methods can be unreliable and slow, delaying crucial responses to disease. Thermo Fisher’s suite provides rapid, accurate diagnostics, supporting quick decision-making to control disease spread effectively.
Sample Processing Challenges: Extracting high-quality nucleic acids from samples can be labor-intensive and time-consuming. The MagMAX Kits streamline this process, ensuring high-quality DNA/RNA extraction for consistent diagnostic accuracy.
Resource Constraints in Veterinary Labs: Many labs lack resources to prepare reagents or perform complex diagnostic tests. Pre-formulated VetMAX Master Mixes address this by reducing the need for extensive preparation, making PCR testing more accessible.

Solution

High Sensitivity and Specificity: Real-Time PCR Diagnostic Kits, such as the Avian Influenza Kit, detect pathogens with high sensitivity, identifying even low levels of the virus. This early detection is crucial for preventing the spread of diseases and minimizing economic losses.
Consistency and Accuracy: VetMAX Master Mixes provide reliable PCR amplification, reducing false results and enabling accurate disease diagnoses. This consistency is essential for effective disease management and intervention.
Streamlined Sample Processing: The MagMAX Kits simplify DNA/RNA extraction, ensuring efficient preparation of samples for PCR. This efficiency helps veterinary labs quickly process samples, reducing turnaround time and labor.
Rapid and Quantitative Results: The QuantStudio 5 Real-Time PCR System provides precise, quantitative pathogen detection, supporting large-scale testing needs. The rapid processing allows for timely interventions to limit disease spread and minimize losses.
User-Friendly Design and Resource Efficiency: The entire suite is designed for ease of use, with simplified protocols and minimal preparation, which lowers the barrier for veterinary labs and makes advanced diagnostics accessible even in resource-constrained settings. This user-friendly approach benefits both smallholder farmers and large veterinary facilities.

Key points to design your project

Thermo Fisher’s Animal Health diagnostic technology addresses key challenges in animal disease control and enhances agricultural productivity. By enabling rapid disease detection, it contributes to improved animal health, food security, and sustainable agricultural practices, aligning with global sustainability goals.

To integrate this technology into your national or regional projects, follow these steps:

Assess the quantity needed for your project, considering the technology's cost and availability (Real-Time PCR Diagnostic Kits, VetMAX Master Mixes, MagMAX Core Sample Extraction Kits, and QuantStudio 5 systems).
Factor in delivery costs and potential import duties when planning the project budget.
Invest in training: Develop a training plan for local veterinary staff and lab technicians. Ensure that post-training support is included in the project to maintain efficiency and effectiveness.
Create communication materials (flyers, videos, radio broadcasts, etc.) to raise awareness and ensure proper usage of the technology.
Collaborate with local partners such as agricultural development institutes, veterinary labs, and agro-dealers to ensure effective distribution and implementation.

Cost: $$$ 15 USD per sample

For routine testing

150,000 USD

Installation of a qPCR workflow for extraction to result

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country	Testing ongoing	Tested	Adopted
Kenya	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Namibia	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
South Africa	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Zimbabwe	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid
Semiarid
Subhumid
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 2: zero hunger

It promotes food security through healthier livestock and better productivity

Goal 3: good health and well-being

It improves animal health and reducing the spread of diseases

Goal 11: sustainable cities and communities

It helps prevent the spread of outbreaks to urban areas. Healthy livestock are essential for providing a reliable food supply to urban populations, contributing to food security in cities and surrounding communities.

Goal 12: responsible production and consumption

It improves the sustainability and efficiency of livestock production, minimizing waste, and ensuring responsible resource.

To use Thermo Fisher’s Animal Health technology suite, follow these steps:

Collect Samples:
- Collect animal samples such as swabs (e.g., GenoTube Livestock Swab) from birds or other livestock, depending on the disease being tested (e.g., avian influenza).
- This step is essential for testing the presence of pathogens.
Extract Nucleic Acids (DNA/RNA):
- Use MagMAX Core Sample Extraction Kits to extract DNA or RNA from the collected samples.
- Add the sample to the extraction tube, follow kit instructions, and use a magnetic particle processor to isolate high-quality nucleic acids.
- This step ensures that high-quality DNA or RNA is available for accurate testing.
Prepare for PCR Testing:
- Mix the extracted nucleic acids with VetMAX Master Mixes (pre-formulated PCR reagents).
- Pipette the mixture into PCR reaction tubes.
- This step amplifies DNA/RNA, making it ready for pathogen detection.
Run PCR Test:
- Place the prepared PCR reaction tubes into the QuantStudio 5 Real-Time PCR System.
- Follow the system’s instructions to start the PCR run.
- The system will amplify the DNA/RNA and detect pathogens with precision.
Interpret Results:
- Review the results displayed on the QuantStudio 5 system’s software.
- The system will indicate whether the pathogen (e.g., avian influenza virus) is present and quantify the amount.
- Accurate interpretation of results is crucial for making informed decisions about disease management and control.