Trial study of on-farm point-of-care PRRSV diagnostic test

Project 19-002 - Lead Researcher: Dr. Aarash Sofla, uFluidix Inc. Scarborough, Ontario

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) has a widespread and costly impact on the pig industry. It is characterized by two overlapping clinical presentations: reproductive impairment or failure in breeding animals, and respiratory disease in pigs of any age. The uFluidix PRRSV project is a focused effort to market a system for on-farm test of PRRSV that can be performed by farm staff or vets. The result is given in a form of "+" (positive) or "-" (negative) which is easily interpreted. It is based on microfluidic lab-on-a-chip polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology and designed as a portable device allowing testing to occur as close to the animal as possible, with a result turnaround time of under 2 hours. Current methods of diagnosing PRRS involve either a PCR or ELISA test, conducted by trained personnel at a veterinary diagnostic laboratory that provide results, generally within 24 hours. uFluidix recognizes a need for rapid diagnostic testing for PRRSV in the swine industry, allowing time for action to prevent further spread of infection. The successful launch of this product could potentially shape the future of rapid diagnostic practices in the swine industry where tests are conducted on farm sites by swine breeders, thereby reducing the lead time for obtaining results for improved control of virus spread.