Life Technologies

2 Life Technologies | Animal Health Monitoring Oral fluids may be used for monitoring animals with signs of disease, but are used for prognostic profiling to estimate the circulation of pathogens in swine population. Prognostic profiling is not a diagnostic procedure, and therefore oral fluid should not be used to rule out infections. Detection of antibodies (e.g., ELISA-based tests)—Oral fluid samples can be tested for the presence of antibodies against PRRSV. Serological testing is NOT suitable for ubiquitous pathogens such as PCV2. Detection of pathogen RNA/DNA (PCR-based tests)—The presence of pathogens causing pneumonia, such as M. hyopneumoniae, PRRSV, SIV, etc., can be confirmed in oral fluid using PCR, but their presence does not necessarily correlate with disease. Animal selection Deciding which animals to take samples from depends on the desired outcome (keep in mind that for monitoring purposes other materials are likely to be more feasible): Detection of infection—Select animals with clinical signs. Tracking infection status over time (i.e., longitudinal examination)*—Take the first samples on day 1 and repeat sampling from the same animals 2 to 4 weeks later. To determine the infection status in different groups (i.e., cross-sectional examination)*—Take samples from animals of different ages, e.g., 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24 weeks of age. * If serological testing is to be used, send all samples to the laboratory in one batch to avoid potential variation between different batches of test kits. Sample size Due to lack of data on the diagnostic sensitivity of oral fluid sampling, final recommendations for an appropriate sample size have yet to be established. The sample size is dependent on the "unit of observation", which cannot be more detailed than "pen level." Assuming that all animals within particular pens have the same or at least a similar infection status, a head count, followed by comparison of this number

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