DOST backs initiative for early detection of diarrhea in pigs

MANILA, Philippines - Animal health researchers from the Central Luzon State University have developed a diagnostic test kit that would be able to detect Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv), one of the most virulent viral gastrointestinal infections in pigs.

The new technology which utilizes nucleic acid amplification of target pathogenic organisms of swine respiratory and gastro-intestinal infections could detect the presence of the infective agent in just half an hour.

PEDv is a member of the coronavirus group which causes watery diarrhea, dehydration and high mortality in suckling pigs.

Almost half of the pre-weaner pigs suddenly excrete yellowish watery diarrhea. The same alarming picture can be seen in neighboring pens, wherein almost seven out of 10 piglets die.

This is common among piggery farm owners as their animals experience bouts of gastrointestinal infections. Unfavorable incidents such as these, as experienced by our local swine producers, are replete with losses and economic impacts brought about by animal diseases.

Due to its high specificity in detecting the diseased animals harboring the target pathogen and high sensitivity in ruling out healthy or non-diseased animals, loop-mediated isothermal amplification or LAMP is currently being employed in the development of the PED test kits.

LAMP technology produces tremendous copies of the target gene sequence in as short as 30 minutes.

The nucleic acid amplification would be carried out using simple and less expensive equipment like a simple thermostat or water bath.

It is comparable to the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay  kit and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) kit but is less affected by the  presence of non-targeted DNA or inhibitory molecules because of its high specificity and sensitivity.