CentralStar News - February/March

News February - March 2020

New PCR technology lowers diagnostic testing costs for dairy farms Dairy veterinarians and producers now have access to low-cost quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays to more effectively detect and manage bovine leukosis virus (BLV) and contagious mastitis; as well as genotyping beta-casein allele A1/ A2. Recently, researchers at CentralStar Cooperative developed and validated a new low-cost PCR system that leverages the sensitivity and specificity of this technology which is widely used in human and companion animal medicine.

“PCR has become a ubiquitous and versatile tool for interrogating genetics, and for the detection of pathogens, however has historically been cost-prohibitive for most producers to utilize so we aimed to change that,” said Dr. Casey Droscha, Associate Director of Research and Development, CentralStar Cooperative. “Our research team has automated the extraction of nucleic acid for all sample types, including blood, milk, feces and tissue, and optimized the performance of our new lineup of tests.”

Compared to traditional culture-based pathogen testing methods, PCR assays are faster, more sensitive and more specific by quantitatively detecting signature DNA sequences of multiple pathogens at one time. In line with methodologies used in forensic science, PCR is capable of amplifying trace amounts of DNA and ribonucleic acid (RNA) located in or on almost any liquid or surface where DNA strands may be deposited.

Through the development of this lowercost PCR system, CentralStar researchers designed three new tests. The BLV SuperShedders (SS1) PCR assay determines the concentration of the proviral DNA of the bovine leukosis virus in a cow’s blood,

identifying the most infectious cows (supershedders) in a dairy herd. Developed in collaboration with Michigan State University (MSU) and funded through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), CentralStar research demonstrates that focusing management on super-shedders, instead of all infected cows, is the first step towards BLV eradication.

The single-target mastitis PCR assay was developed for contagious pathogens commonly found in dairy herds; Staphylococcus aureus and Mycoplasma bovis. Dairy herds battling high somatic cell counts (SCC) can use this test for greater analytical sensitivity and lower cost compared to traditional methods.

The beta-casein genotyping (A1/A2) assay was developed as an unofficial test to assist with breeding decisions in dairy herds.

Research suggests the A2 isoform of beta-casein is more preferentially digested than the A1 isoform, leading some herds to select for A2/A2 genotypes to enhance the market value of their milk.

CentralStar began providing laboratory services to the dairy

industry in 1999 with Dairy Herd Information (DHI) milk analysis. Since then, CentralStar’s investment in research has introduced a series of novel diagnostic tests for Johne’s, bovine viral diarrhea (BVD), BLV, neospora, mastitis, and pregnancy. Through industry and academia collaborations, research interests now span the globe, keeping CentralStar at the forefront of advancing agricultural technologies.

Contact your CentralStar team or call 800.631.3510 to learn more.

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Unlock the Value

of your milk samples

Unlike traditional methods, testing milk samples to gain insights for production, health and physiology, eliminates on-farm labor to find, sort and lockup cows, improving cow comfort, while saving time and money.

Ask your CentralStar DHI Specialist to add any ELISA* test to routine DHI samples. Multiple test discount when conducted on same sample: 2 ELISAs = $10, 3 ELISAs = $13.50. Learn more from your CentralStar DHI Specialist or call 800.631.3510.

Pregnancy*

Leukosis*

Use 28-days post breeding and beyond to confirm pregnancy. As effective as traditional methods. $4.50/sample.

Finds infected animals, including those most likely to spread disease.

High disease prevalence in the U.S. with negative impacts on production, longevity and salvage value. $6/sample.

To identify the most infectious (super-shedders) animals in a herd use the BLV SS1 PCR test.

Johne’s*

Detects infected animals so actions can be taken to avoid further transmission. Prevalent in U.S. dairy herds; negatively affects production, causes chronic diarrhea and death. $6/sample.

A1/A2

An unofficial test to assist with breeding decisions, that does not require genomic testing. Call 800.631.3510 for sample submission guidelines. $10/sample.

BVD*

Identifies persistently infected (PI) cows using individual milk samples. Infected cows are the main reservoir of new infection. BVD control requires identification and elimination. $6/sample.

High analytical sensitivity of the BVD PCR test allows pooling of samples to reduce whole-herd testing costs. Call for PCR pricing.

Neospora*

Use to confirm or refute Neospora infection as cause of mid-gestation abortion outbreaks. $6/sample.

Mastitis PCR

Identifies contagious and environmental mastitis causing pathogens for targeted management. More sensitive than culture, results in 48 hours.

Test available as Complete 16, Contagious 4 or Single Organism (M bovis or Staph aureus). Call for pricing, and pooling stratagies.

Single Organisim test as low as $3 per cow.

Ask your CentralStar DHI Specialist to add any test during your next DHI test day.

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