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Veterinary Microbiology 125 (2007) 265-273. Antibody Responses in New World Camelids with Tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium microti. K.P. Lyashchenko, R. Greenwald, J. Esfandiari, M. Meylan, I. Hengrave Burri, P. Zanolari.
Editorial by Les Stutzman
In this prospective study of 87 camelids, both alpacas (24) and llamas (63), Chembio’s CamelidTB STAT-PAK® Assay demonstrated the potential as an ante-mortem test to conveniently, rapidly and accurately diagnosis TB infection in live llamas and alpacas as much as 2 years prior to the onset of clinical symptoms.
The CamelidTB STAT-PAK Assay in previous studies and publications had demonstrated similar performance on camels and via this publication the same assay demonstrated its ability to accurately detect TB (Mycobacterium microti a recognized strain within the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex) in new world camelids (NWC) as well.
No false positives were recorded with CamelidTB STAT-PAK, even after repeated testing several times of the control portion of the populations over the 2 period of the blind prospective study.
Tuberculin skin tests (TST) failed to correctly identify any of the TB culture confirmed infected camelids using the single comparative intradermal tuberculin test (SCTT) derived from protein purified derivatives (PPD) of both bovine and avian sources.
Based on the number of antibody reactors found among the 87 NWC in using the CamelidTB STAT-PAK Assay Rapid Test and MAPIA correctly indentified TB infection status in 87% and 97%, respectively.
Chembio’s CamelidTB STAT-PAK provides an attractive ante-mortem, rapid, and field animal-side screening tool that can utilize whole blood, plasma or serum to yield results in 20 minutes or less. The product is stable at room temperature for 18-24 months, doesn’t require refrigeration, electricity, equipment, a laboratory environment or skilled personnel to perform.
More importantly, Chembio’s CamelidTB STAT-PAK assay proved to accurately detect a TB antibody elicited response in most of the confirmed infected animals long before (as much as 2 years) the onset of clinical disease.
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