The U.K. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has further intensified the testing of bovine Tuberculosis with Prionic's Bovigam® gamma interferon blood test. DEFRA chose to apply Bovigam® in its extended testing program because of its advantages over common diagnostic methods. With this step DEFRA expects to improve the sensitivity of the testing regime and to identify infected animals more quickly.
After the announcement of intensified testing of bovine Tuberculosis in summer 2006, the British Government implemented a new program in October to improve further testing. In this enhanced program the use of Prionics' Bovigam® gamma interferon blood test will be scaled up to 45,000-50,000 tests a year. Bovigam® will be used more widely alongside the skin test and as a disease control tool in Tuberculosis hotspot areas. "Since October we have increased our use of Bovigam for use alongside the skin test in specified circumstances", says Dr. Katie Ewer from the TB Research unit at the Veterinary Laboratory Agency (VLA) which processes the gamma interferon blood test. According to Dr Ewer the test will improve the sensitivity of the TB testing regime in England and Wales and will help identify more infected animals more quickly.
About Bovigam®
Bovigam® is a highly sensitive, reliable laboratory blood test for the detection of an infection with bovine Tuberculosis which saves time and costs. The test is based on the detection of gamma interferon, a mediator molecule which is produced by activated lymphocytes. With ELISA-technology, gamma interferon can be quantified and the disease causing Mycobacterium bovis can be reliably discriminated from other Mycobacterium strains. In contrast to conventional methods which take three to six days, Bovigam® can be performed in only 24 hours and can be repeated as often as necessary. Bovigam® is used in many countries in combination with the skin test to improve the detection of infected cattle in herds with persistent bovine Tuberculosis problems or with a high prevalence of the disease.
