Detecting infectious diseases in pigs
Acute phase proteins (APP) are blood proteins the levels of which alter significantly during the active stage of an infection. Studies show that certain sensitive three-protein combinations of APPs work well in the detection of infectious/inflammatory processes Such combinations could be used as starting points for new diagnostic approaches in pig herds across the EU. APP combinations containing haptoglobin (Hp), a blood serum transport protein, were shown to be less reliable than non-Hp containing combinations. The reason for this is that pre-infection levels of Hp can alter greatly, making the cut-off value for the protein difficult to gage. It is important to note that all protein combinations should be tested in real-life situations on blood samples derived from herds before a final decision is made on the suitability of each tested combination. Although the proposed method allows detection of ongoing infection/inflammatory situations with a low a incidence of false positives, there are certain limitations. The method cannot be used to declare an animal healthy without an observed elevated APP-level. These research findings provide the impetus for a new generation of diagnostic products, applicable for the systematic and long-term health monitoring of farm hers throughout the EU. For more information, please click at: http://www.gla.ac.uk/appinpigs/(opens in new window)
