The veterinary diagnostics market is a key component to companion animal and livestock health and can aid in the detection of diseases as well as having valuable role in biosurveillance of diseases.
In the United States, veterinary diagnostic kits which are used to diagnose pathogens or a patient’s immune status are regulated as biologics by the United States Department of Agriculture – Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS). Approval for these veterinary diagnostic kits are managed by the USDA’s Center for Veterinary Biologics (USDA-CVB). Examples of veterinary diagnostics are point-of-care diagnostics such as those to test for feline leukemia virus, canine parvovirus, canine heartworm, and other viruses, bacteria, parasites and veterinary pathogens.
Veterinary Reference Laboratories
Veterinary reference laboratories are centralized facilities that play a central role in veterinary medicine. These facilities can provide a range of veterinary diagnostic services for the veterinary practitioner as well as industry. Veterinary diagnostic laboratories are not necessarily subject to the same approval requirements as point-of-care diagnostic kits.
Resource Links:
American Association of Laboratory Diagnosticians
National Veterinary Services Laboratories
Veterinary Reference Diagnostic Companies
Several companies providing veterinary reference diagnostic laboratory services: Vetek Labs Idexx Antech
Types of Veterinary Diagnostics
-In house clinical chemistry and blood analysis equipment
-In house infectious disease immunodiagnostics (reagents, assays and test kits)
-Non-infectious disease diagnostic kits and equipment which can be used for analysis of hormones, immune function, and biomarkers.
-Molecular diagnostics kits such as PCR, or genetic analysis for specific hereditary diseases.
-Other testing reagents for use in histology (immuno-histochemistry, staining, etc.).
-Microbiology kits such as growth plates (agars, etc.)
-HPLC, MS, GC, and MALDI-TOF for proteomics and bioanalysis of biological samples (blood, etc.)
Veterinary Diagnostics – Regulations
More information concerning the requirements for licensing a veterinary diagnostic can be found at the USDA-APHIS website (click here).
Other Links: