Bordetella PCR test for rodents

Infection by Bordetella bronchiseptica is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in some common domestic animals, including dogs, pigs and rabbits. Infection of horses, seals, cats and humans have also been reported. In dogs, infectious tracheobronchitis is caused by B. bronchiseptica, canine adenovirus-2, and canine parainfluenza virus, or by co infections by combinations of these organisms. Infection can result in acute or chronic cough, ciliary impairment, local respiratory immunosuppression, and predisposition to secondary lower-respiratory infections. In animal shelters, "kennel cough" in dogs represents a major management problem; it is readily transmissible, reduces adoption rates for affected animals, and requires intensive medical management. Dogs with infectious tracheobronchitis are euthanized in some shelters.

Tracheobronchitis, conjunctivitis and rhinitis (upper-respiratory tract disease), mandibular lymphadenopathy, and pneumonia have been reported in cats infected with B. bronchiseptica. Positive identification of B. bronchiseptica in cats is absolutely required to institute the appropriate treatment because upper-respiratory infection (URI) in cats can also be caused by herpesvirus, calicivirus, Mycoplasma species, and Chlamydia psittaci infection. It is believed that many cats could be carriers of the bacteria because many B. bronchiseptica culture-positive cats are clinically normal. When these cats are co-infected with other pathogens, URI will develop. Although it is not known how likely cats are to infect rabbits with B. bronchiseptica, putative cross-species transmission of B. bronchiseptica has been described.

Timely detection of B. bronchiseptica is very important for surveillance of the disease and control of the bacterial infection. Early detection can be crucial to successful treatment of the disease with antibiotics and to control the spread of the disease. The conventional method of detection, by culture, is specific but lacks sensitivity. It also takes 3 to 7 days to obtain a result. Current serological tests do not differentiate the closely related Bordetella species. Only molecular detection by PCR can give both rapid and specific identification of B. bronchiseptica.

Utilities:

Confirm the disease causing agent
Shorten the time required to confirm a clinical diagnosis of B. bronchiseptica.
Ensure that rabbit groups are free of B. bronchiseptica
Early prevention of spread of B. bronchiseptica among animals
Minimize personnel exposure to B. bronchiseptica
Safety monitoring of biological products that derive from rabbits

Specimen requirements: Nasal swab, shipped overnight at room temperature.

For specimen types other than those listed here, please call 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: Ultrasensitive qualitative real time polymerase chain reaction

Normal range: Nondetected