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Discussion on Research Summary: Influenza Test Kits
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Thursday, Apr 10, 2008 - 10:33 am:
With increase concern for EHV-1 infection, the possibility of antiviral therapy, and if you begin Strangles treatment early with antibiotics you can knock it out, the early accurate diagnosis of respiratory infections is of increasing importance. It turns out that some of the fairly simple human influenza tests are effective in horses allowing rapid rule-in or out of influenza in the field. Espline (Fujirebio Corp., Japan) and Directigen are recommended (BD 1, Becton Drive, Franklin Lakes, NJ USA 07417). Currently the tests are not availabe over the counter in single use packaging but perhaps available through very large equien practices and referral hospitals.
DrO
J Vet Med Sci. 2008 Feb;70(2):189-92.
Evaluation of antigen detection kits for diagnosis of equine influenza.
Yamanaka T, Tsujimura K, Kondo T, Matsumura T.
Epizootic Research Center, Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association.
In this study, we evaluated whether five rapid antigen detection kits for human influenza could be used for the diagnosis of equine influenza (EI). Limiting dilution analyses showed that Directigen Flu A+B and ESPLINE INFLUENZA A&B-N had the highest sensitivities to equine-2 influenza viruses (EIVs) among the kits investigated. From the results of virus detection in nasal swabs taken from horses infected with EIV, these two kits could produce positive results in reasonable agreement with those obtained by virus isolation or RT-PCR, suggesting that these kits could be useful for rapid diagnosis of EI in the field. However, from the viewpoint of specificity for EIV, Espline seems to be superior to Directigen.
DrO
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