13TSB_ENDANI: A pen side test for Schmallenberg virus exposure in sheep and cattle

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This project's primary objective is to develop a pen-side test for Schmallenberg virus (SBV) to a commercialisation stage.The test will be able to be used by Farmers and Veterinarians to determine whether an animal has been infected with SBV in a matter of minutes and at a greatly reduced cost to the existing tests performed by central laboratories. The project will use next generation phage-display technology to comprehensively screen serum from SBV infected animals for antibodies that react to the virus. The peptides on the virus that produce a robust antibody response in infected animals will be selected and manufactured for used as the antigen for the serological test. Lateral flow device tests based on these peptides will be developed by Forsite diagnostics who manufacture several of these types of tests currently. They will produce a small-scale production of these tests for comparison for sensitivity and specificity against the existing laboratory-based tests. These tests will then be field trialled for ease of use, performance in the field and likely use by a large veterinary practice group. A secondary aim of the project is the identification of which parts of the virus are important in generating a host immune response. This information will be created as a result of the initial screening and will be able to be used in the design of the next generation of vaccines and tests for this virus. The vaccine due to be released in 2013 is a crude killed virus preparation and it is unlikely that there will be any way to distinguish vaccinated from naturally infected animals. This is likely to be a future requirement for export to non-EU countries meaning there will be a need for more sophisticated vaccine and test strategies in the near future.