Sero-FaSt-Myho

Development of a serological on-farm rapid test for Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae

Development of a serological on-farm rapid test to detect and distinguish between Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae-specific infection antibodies and vaccination antibodies.

Project aim

Agricultural pig production aims to improve animal welfare, consumer protection and production efficiency. Respiratory diseases in pigs, responsible for more than half of all antibiotic administration, often hinder these goals. The bacterial pathogen Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae plays a central role, causing interstitial pneumonia in weaning and fattening pigs and increasing susceptibility to other lung pathogens.

Vaccination prevents clinical disease but not lung colonisation. Since current methods cannot distinguish between vaccine and infection antibodies, the pathogen's contribution is often hard to assess. This project aims to develop an innovative rapid test that enables regular on-farm monitoring of antibody status and distinction between vaccine and infection antibodies: without costly sample shipping and external lab costs.

Partners

Institut für Mikrobiologie, Stiftung Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover (Dr. Jochen Meens); Klinik für kleine Klauentiere, Stiftung Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover (Dr. Doris Höltig); Lionex GmbH (Prof. Dr. M. Singh).