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Sensing technology set to detect disease in livestock
Livestock diseases cost the UK economy an estimated £1 billion per year in lost productivity.

Sensor systems have the potential to provide more definitive results

New sensing technology set to detect disease and reduce the use of antibiotics in livestock is being developed by veterinary diagnostics firm, Biotangents.

The organisation is using sensing technology to enhance the accuracy of its point-of-care testing platform, to help detect common infections in livestock and reduce the use of antibiotics in farming.

Livestock diseases cost the UK economy an estimated £1 billion per year in lost productivity and mitigation and is a major issue for the global industry. Common infections in livestock, such as bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD), can cause serious immune suppression, bovine pneumonia and calf mortality, and often expensive treatment with secondary antibiotics.

Biotangents is developing an electrochemical sensing system to upgrade its prototype on-farm testing equipment in collaboration with the University of Strathclyde and CENSIS, an innovation centre for sensor and imaging systems.
They say specialist sensor systems have the potential to provide more definitive results, helping to increase the accuracy of diagnosis.

Biotangents are aiming for future iterations to be able to test for various infections and diseases at the same time, from BVD to mastitis. Recently, the business secured £1.5 billion of new investment for the development of its technology, following a second round of fundraising.

“The management and treatment of infection is essential to helping cattle stay healthy, improving welfare, and ultimately making the industry more sustainable,” said Andy Hall-Ponselè, Biotangents’ operations director.

“An accurate, speedy diagnosis is the first step in helping to limit the spread of diseases, such as BVD, which can be passed on by cows touching noses or sharing troughs.”

He continued: “Five new infectious diseases are emerging each year, and many of these can be passed on to humans. By using our advanced Moduleic Sensing diagnostic platform, we aim to enable vets to identify and manage infectious diseases at the earliest possible opportunity and minimise their chances of spreading.”

Until now, diagnostic test results could take up to a week to be returned from a central lab. The new point-of-care test, however, can produce BVD test results on the same day and potentially within one hour.

By allowing vets to extract DNA on-site, and detect infection quickly, any affected animals can be isolated for remedial action, preventing disease spread.
The test also aims to make the use of antibiotics more targeted, reducing the risk of livestock resistant to treatments.

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.