Quick, easy diagnosis of livestock diseases
Animal illness can have effects on the quality and safety of food products, on the sustainability of livestock farming and even directly on human health in the case of zoonoses (those transmittable to humans). The World Organisation for Animal Health, previously the Office International des Epizooties (OIE), was formed in 1924 to fight animal disease. The OIE (the original acronymn has been retained although the name was changed) maintains a list of transmissible diseases, formerly divided into List A of particularly contagious and potentially devastating diseases and List B of all others. From a United Nations point of view, the preferred term is now transboundary animal diseases (TADs) for the some 12–14 diseases that can easily spread to other countries reaching epidemic proportions with disastrous consequences. With funding of the LAB-ON-SITE project, European researchers set out to improve both field and lab diagnosis of 10 of the worst TADs. Scientists combined expertise in cutting-edge technologies for robust, specific and sensitive diagnostic tests. Innovations included those related to first-line diagnostics such as dip-sticks to be used by veterinarians in the field. Scientists also focused on easy-to-use nucleic acid detection methods to be used by simply-equipped laboratories. Overall, the LAB-ON-SITE consortium developed a number of sensitive and specific assays for the 10 targeted TADs which were then introduced in diagnostic labs following OIE regulations. Thus, the project made an important contribution to the early diagnosis and control of devastating TADs.
