Innovative diagnostic test for the detection of antigens of selected bacterial species causing mastitis in cattle
Project title
Innovative diagnostic test for the detection of antigens of selected bacterial species causing mastitis in cattle
Name of Beneficiary/Beneficiaries
Jagiellonian University Medical College
Name of programme
Domestic programmes
Competition
Lider X
Project value
PLN 1,499,277.50
Funding value
PLN 1,499,277.50
Project delivery period
from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2023
See the results of our work
Fig. Example result of the immunochromatographic test prototype for detecting S. uberis bacteria. Key: NaCl – negative control, rEF-Tu – positive control, S. uberis SU1 – positive test result for the presence of S. uberis in cow milk.
What problem does our project solve?
Mastitis in cows is a significant veterinary problem, leading to huge financial losses in the dairy industry. Bacterial species responsible for mastitis include Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus uberis, Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococci, GBS), and Escherichia coli. Currently, the "gold standard" in mastitis diagnostics are methods that allow for determining the somatic cell count (SCC) and microbiological cultures on appropriate culture media. The main limitations of these methods include long testing times and difficulty in species identification. Therefore, it is crucial to develop diagnostic methods that can identify the pathogen in a short time, in an easy and unambiguous manner. Screening and diagnostic tests for mastitis in cows are carried out in the field, which is why the most useful diagnostic test should be characterised by: ease of use and result interpretation, high sensitivity and specificity, clarity, low cost, and small size. Currently, there is no test on the diagnostic market that meets these requirements, which is why our Team undertook the challenge of developing a test that would fill this gap.
Who will benefit from the project's results?
We believe that the prototype test developed by our team will be highly popular not only among veterinarians but also among cattle breeders and owners of dairy farms who wish to check the health status of their herd independently.