Contagious equine metritis PCR test
equine assay data sheet
Contagious equine metritis (CEM)
NOTE: THIS TEST IS NOT PERFORMED
ON SAMPLES TAKEN FROM ANIMALS OWNED OR LOCATED IN THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA.
Etiologic
agent:
Taylorella
equigenitalis
bacterium
Test code:
B0017 - Ultrasensitive qualitative detection of
Taylorella equigenitalis
by real time polymerase chain reaction.
B0017 is included
in P0024 - equine breeding panel
Contagious equine
metritis (CEM), caused by
Taylorella equigenitalis, a Gram-negative eubacterium, is
a sexually transmitted disease of horses. CEM is characterized by
discharge of large amounts of mucopurulent fluid from the vagina and
can result in infertility or early abortion. Nevertheless, only 30-40%
of mares infected by this bacterium have clinical signs. Some mares
may become long-term asymptomatic carriers and these, together with
infected stallions, may spread infection during mating.
Diagnosis of CEM
is often attempted by bacterial isolation from the cervix of the
uterus, the clitoral sinus, and the clitoral fossa of mares, and the
urethral orifice, the urethral fossa and the penile sheath of
stallions. This approach, however, is often not sensitive enough to
detect the infection because T. equigenitalis is microaerophilic, drug sensitive and slow
growing. Visible colony formation usually takes 4 to 6 days and is
often obscured by the presence of other fast-growing bacteria in the
sample. Molecular detection of this bacterium is often preferred for
its higher sensitivity, specificity and rapid turnaround time.
Molecular detection is especially useful in identifying asymptomatic
carriers (Parlevliet, 1977).
Utilities:
-
Help confirm the disease causing agent
-
Shorten the time required to confirm a clinical
diagnosis of T. equigenitalis
infection.
-
Help ensure that horse populations are free of
T. equigenitalis
-
Early prevention of spread of this bacterium
-
Minimize personnel exposure to this bacterium
-
Safety monitoring of biological products that derive
from horses
References:
Parlevliet, J.M. (1997) Epidemiologic aspects of
Taylorella equigenitalis. Theriogenology 47, pp. 1169–1177.
Specimen
requirements: 0.2 ml semen, amniotic fluid, CSF, vaginal swab,
urethral swab, prepuce swab or culture.
Contact Zoologix if advice is needed to determine an appropriate specimen type for a specific diagnostic application. For specimen types not listed here, please contact Zoologix to confirm specimen acceptability and shipping instructions.
For all specimen
types, if there will be a delay in shipping, or during very warm
weather, refrigerate specimens until shipped and ship with a cold pack
unless more stringent shipping requirements are specified. Frozen
specimens should be shipped so as to remain frozen in transit. See
shipping instructions for more
information.
Turnaround
time:
2 business days
Methodology:
Qualitative real time
PCR
Normal range:
Nondetected
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