A practitioner's guide to understanding equine infectious disease diagnostics in the United Kingdom. Part 1: How to optimise sampling approaches and a guide to agent detection testing methods

• Published in: Equine veterinary education Vol. 34; no. 6; pp. 330 - 336
• Main Authors: Whitlock, F. M., Newton, J. R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01-06-2022
• Subjects: Antibodies; Diagnostic systems; diagnostics; horse; Horses; infectious disease; Infectious diseases; Laboratories; laboratory; Laboratory tests; Optimization; Outbreaks
• ISSN: 0957-7734; 2042-3292
• DOI: 10.1111/eve.13478

Summary
Diagnostic testing is routinely performed by the equine clinician when dealing with suspected infectious disease cases and outbreaks. Optimal sample timing, choice and handling are fundamental to attain an accurate diagnosis, and a good understanding of laboratory‐based sample analysis techniques, and their validation is necessary for effective diagnostic test result interpretation. This two‐part series highlights the importance of interpreting results bearing testing limitations and specific clinical findings in mind, and on these foundations, the treating clinician should always be well placed to deal with equine infectious diseases. Part 1 in this series will provide a treating clinician with an overview of the importance of testing horses in infectious disease outbreaks and how this is achieved. The different laboratory testing options available for agent detection and their methods will also be discussed. Part 2 will summarise serological (antibody) testing techniques, sample processing (including how tests are performed and validated) and result interpretation.