Innovative diagnostic test for the detection of antigens of selected species of bacteria that cause mastitis in cattle

Project manager: dr Anna Dobrut
Implementation period: 2020 - 2023
Project type: Lider

Mastitis is a significant veterinary problem, leading to huge financial losses in the dairy industry. The bacterial species that cause mastitis include: Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus uberis, Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococci, GBS) and Escherichia coli. Currently, the "golden standard" in the diagnosis of mastitis are methods based on determination of the number of somatic cell counts (SCC) and bacteriological cultivation on appropriate culture media. Among the main limitations of these methods are, among others, long duration of the examination and the difficulty in the species identification identification.

Therefore, it is very important to develop diagnostic methods that will enable the diagnosis of the pathogen in a short time, in an easy and unambiguous manner. Screening and diagnostic mastitis in cows are conducted in the field, therefore the most useful diagnostic test should be characterized by: easy performance and interpretation of results, high sensitivity and specificity, unambiguity, low cost and small size.

The product combining all these features will be a rapid and multiplex immunochromatographic test developed in the frame of the project. It will be characterized by high sensitivity (90-95%), high specificity (≥10^5 CFU/ml milk), low price (about PLN 10), ease of performance and interpretation of results, and most importantly - enable simultaneous identification of up to four bacterial species (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus uberis and Escherichia coli) within a few minutes (about 10 min) directly at the animal.

Due to the lack of immunodiagnostic test, which demonstrates similar parameters on the market, this test could be very popular not only among veterinarian, but also among cattle farmers or dairy farm owners.