Washington State professor develops new bovine TB test

Pullman, Wash.

-- Dr. William Davis, a professor in the Washington State University (WSU) Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, developed a new test for bovine tuberculosis (bTB).

The test can detect up to 25 antigens at once and could one day replace current skin and gamma interferon tissue culture tests, WSU says. The new test can make early diagnosis of the disease, for which there is no effective treatment, easier it reportedly detects bTB quicker and more accurately than previous tests.

"Our test can provide results in a matter of hours rather than days with current methods," Davis says. "It also has increased specificity and is highly sensitive, so there are fewer false positives."

WSU's Mary Jo Hamilton, a research associate in the Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, along with colleagues from Enfer Scientific in Ireland, Ireland's Department of Agriculture and Food, Fusion Antibodies of Ireland, Quansys Biosciences in Utah and Central Veterinary Research Lab in Ireland also assisted with the test's development, WSU says.

There are no current plans to license the test in the United States, WSU adds.