Ongoing project

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Project title: Epidemiological survey and new pen-side test development (vLAMP) for foot and mouth disease and lumpy skin disease between 2023-2025 (CHN-2023/73)

 

The joint project between College of Animal Science and Technology (CAST), Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology (HNUST), Hebei, China and School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM), Mongolian University of Life Sciences (MULS), Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

 

     This study based on the pen- side nucleic acid tests plays a crucial role in diagnosing and controlling infectious diseases for the first time. However, up to now, there are no such products to meet the requirements at a grass-roots level. Due to the serious influence of FMD and LSD, and the urgent requirement for their pen-side test products, experienced bilateral scientists will cooperate to develop the rapid, convenient, cost- saving visual loop-mediated isothermal method (vLAMP) and the corresponding equipment upon the previous experimental foundations which can be applied in the undeveloped regions, such as centers for animal disease control and prevention, cattle farms and slaughterhouses. The methods and equipment will also be used to test clinical samples including bovine blood, milk, and oesophageal- pharyngeal (OP) samples, especially collected from the livestock raising along the border areas. Both sides of the team researchers will carry out diverse cooperation mechanisms, such as building a complementary team, sharing scientific information, supporting the cooperator to establish or optimize test methods, and helping evaluate the efficacy of the kits and equipment. Underactive and efficient cooperation, the FMD or LSD vLAMP methods will be successfully developed with such characteristics as no crossing reaction with other common bovine diseases (high specificity), the limit of detection of 10-50 copies of plasmid per reaction (high sensitivity), and easy operation by providing the ready-to-use reaction tubes with solidified buffer. In addition, we will also develop a carry-on suitcase equipped with a mini metal block with heat lid, vLAMP kit, a mini kit or device for simple extraction of sample nucleic acid, regular pipettors, and trash harmless disposal device. The products developed under Sino-Mongolian cooperation can become a useful tool for the epidemiological survey of FMD and LSD, especially in the underdeveloped frontlines to guarantee the healthy and sustainable development of the cattle industry.