Veterinary laboratory Biobest, which has facilities near Edinburgh and in York, is offering a new polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSv).
The new test can detect both European and North American PRRSV strains and ‘shows excellent levels of sensitivity on all sample types’, following ‘substantial research and development work’ to bring it to the market, the company said.
The following sample types can be tested:
- Whole blood spotted onto FTA cards
- Serum – red top tubes (plasma samples from Heparin tubes must not be sent)
- Tissue samples – small piece of fresh lung tissue recommended
- Semen* – minimum 1ml raw or extended semen
- Oral fluid – minimum 1ml raw oral fluid or GenoTube swab soaked in oral fluid for a minimum of 2 mins
*Serum and semen can be pooled in batches of up to 5 samples.
The test will be routinely run every Thursday with samples received by 9am Thursday morning reported the following day.
To find out more, contact enquiry@biobest.co.uk