Rapid test for bird flu developed

A rapid molecular test for bird flu, which detects the latest H5N1 variants in livestock and recent human inflections in Colorado, is now available to combat bird flu.

The rapid test is the latest scientific advance against bird flu and comes from Alveo Technologies Inc., a leader in molecular detection and diagnostics with its proprietary technology platform.

Alveo announced that it has demonstrated in silico that its rapid, portable, point-of-need molecular diagnostics for avian flu can detect the H5N1 variant based on published sequences from recent human infections in Colorado and those found in infected livestock.

On July 15 and 16, GISAID (the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data database)genetic sequence of the H5N1 viruses that recently infected one of the workers at a Colorado dairy farm.

GISAID noted a “mammal adaptation marker (E627K) in one of the farm workers.” The mode of transmission among livestock is still unknown, but the implications are worrying. Possibly, livestock secretes a mammalian-adapted virus that can be reintroduced into commercial poultry, or selection pressure drives the virus toward mammalian adaptation.

In both cases, the ongoing outbreak among livestock increases the risk that H5N1 can spread efficiently among humans.

The The UK Health Security Agency released a report in May which stated: “The baseline risk that influenza A(H5N1) would evolve and cause human transmission before the current livestock outbreak was previously considered a low probability (0-5 percent).

“There is consensus that this risk has now increased. However, with current limited information we cannot further resolve the risk, and it may become very unlikely (10-20 percent) or unlikely (25-35 percent).”

Alveo sees testing as a critical component in the fight against emerging infectious diseases, and recent outbreaks highlight the urgent need to increase testing capacity for both animals and humans for avian flu.

Alveo performed in silico analysis using their previously developed avian influenza A-subtype H5 LAMP designs on recently reported human and bovine sequences obtained from GISAID. Results show that Alveo H5 is consistent with all 12 reported emerging influenza A subtype H5 sequences. This suggests that the LAMP Avian influenza test can detect all 12 reported sequences belonging to clade 4.3.4.4b, H5N1, including human variants.

Alveo expects the Flockscreen LAMP Molecular test for bird flu for poultry, the first diagnostic of its kind to test both cloacal and oropharyngeal samples and which the company has developed together with numerous partners, to start shipping to Europe and the Middle East in the third quarter of 2024 once the validation and verification activities have been completed with the relevant regulatory authorities. The company is now working to validate avian flu diagnostics for use in humans and cattle.

“Bird flu has already caused tremendous damage to the poultry industry and devastated wild bird populations,” said Shaun Holt, CEO of Alveo Technologies. “We still have time to prevent H5N1 from developing into a dangerous virus that spreads efficiently among people, but to do that we need fast, accurate diagnostics for both humans and animals. Alveo’s portable and robust rapid molecular testing platform can fill this gap and provide accurate results to supplement limited laboratory resources and capacity. Given the urgent need, we have been ruthless in the time and resources we have spent developing our H5N1 test; we are also working with industry leaders, giving us access to numerous field samples of the virus to confirm sensitivity and specificity for the real world. These initial results, which indicate that we can detect the virus in cattle and humans in addition to poultry, are confirmation of our rigor in the product development process and are strongly in line with our strategic positioning at the intersection of human, animal and food health. ”

Alveo is the first company to make molecular detection and diagnostics universally accessible – on the farm, in the field, in the clinic or in the factory – and helps prevent or significantly reduce the destructive impact of viruses, fungi, bacteria and other pathogens with early detection.

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