Point-of-care testing in companion and food animal disease diagnostics

Abstract

Laboratory diagnoses of animal diseases has advanced tremendously in recent decades with the advent of cutting-edge technologies such as real-time polymerase chain reaction, next generation sequencing (NGS), matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time—of—flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and others However, most of these technologies need sophisticated equipment, laboratory space and highly skilled workforce. Therefore, there is an increasing market demand for point-of-care testing (POCT) in animal health and disease diagnostics. A wide variety of assays based on antibodies, antigens, nucleic acid, and nanopore sequencing are currently available. Each one of these tests have their own advantages and disadvantages. However, a number of research and developmental activities are underway in both academia and industry to improve the existing tests and develop newer and better tests in terms of sensitivity, specificity, turnaround time and affordability. In both companion and food animal disease diagnostics, POCT has an increasing role to play, especially in resource-limited settings. It plays a critical role in improving animal health and wellbeing in rural communities in low- and middle-income countries. At the same time, ensuring high standard of quality through proper validation, quality assurance and regulation of these assays are very important for accurate diagnosis, surveillance, control and management of animal diseases. This review addresses the different types of POCTs currently available for companion and food animal disease diagnostics, tests in the pipeline and their advantages and disadvantages.

Beyond accuracy: leveraging ASSURED criteria for field evaluation of point-of-care tests for food animal diseases

“…This variation underscores the need for tailored approaches in disease management. While most POCTs for food animal diseases provide simple dichotomous results, there are also tests that offer more detailed quantitative or semi-quantitative assessments, providing a deeper understanding of disease status ( 16 , 34 , 35 ). The availability of continuous results presents a valuable opportunity for veterinary services to validate different cut-off values based on animal species and sample type, thereby improving specificity and accuracy in disease diagnosis and management.…”

“…The operational performance of a diagnostic test encompasses factors beyond accuracy alone, including precision, speed, ease of use, cost-effectiveness, robustness, and suitability for the intended purpose or specific context/population. Studies by Hobbs et al ( 5 ) and Velayudhan and Naikare ( 16 ) have discussed these challenges extensively and highlighted issues such as inconsistent and unclear validation data from test manufacturers, limitations in field validation and evaluation studies, difficulties in validating tests for specific pathogens, and the lack of guidelines for ensuring quality control in veterinary POCTs.…”

“…The data presented in Table 1 reveals that although the current WOAH’s terrestrial manual incorporates criteria such as fitness for purpose, analytical and diagnostic accuracy, repeatability, and reproducibility in its guidelines for validating diagnostic tests ( 3 , 12 ), there is a gap between these guidelines and their implementation in practice. Furthermore, reports in the WOAH journal emphasize the importance of attributes like ruggedness and robustness in validating POCTs ( 15 , 16 ). This highlights the need for the development of an explicit framework for assessing the operational performance of POCTs in real-world settings.…”

Specific identification of Mycobacterium bovis by Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) targeting the Region of Difference 12 (RD12) of the M. tuberculosis complex

“…Alternatively, point-of-care diagnostic techniques have been proposed as an option to overcome these drawbacks as they can be easily implemented in small and medium-sized livestock centers. In this sense, LAMP has been suggested as a rapid and low-cost method for the detection and surveillance of M. bovis in livestock and humans in resource-limited endemic areas where only basic laboratories are available [ 17 , 30 ]. Previously, Kapalamula et al.…”

Diagnostic efficacy of hand-held digital refractometer for determining total serum protein in indigenous sheep of Pakistan

“…The diagnostic/prognostic tests performed out of the laboratory and near/at the site of patient are termed as point-of-care-tests (POCTs) as per the definition provided by the International Standard ISO 22870 [ 1 ]. These tests have a rapid turnaround time, and assist in rapid decision-making and faster care of the patient.…”