Amoebic gill disease (AGD) results in economic losses to the salmonid industry worldwide and is caused by the parasitic amoeba N. perurans. The disease is diagnosed by clinical examination, however early intervention is likely to be key to avoiding losses. Farmers inspect gills using a “gill index”, in a scale from 0=no lesions, to 5=extensive lesions, by examining all the hemibranch surfaces. There are other pathogens that can cause gill disorders with similar symptoms, therefore, a confirmatory test of N. perurans is desirable before treatments are conducted. Effective point of care (POC) DNA extraction methods were compared with the QuickExtract buffer selected as the easier and faster method. An assay was identified which showed high specificity to N. perurans but which did not amplify close relatives or the host DNA. The pathogen was detected in under 23 min in fish of gill score ˃2 and under 39 min in fish of lower gill scores. 100% of positives were obtained from swabs taken from fish showing gill score ˃3. Overall, the simplicity, performance and low cost of the present AGD-LAMP assay makes this test a good candidate for the on-site non-lethal identification of N. perurans
Addressing target audiences and expressing needs
- Grants and Subsidies
- Business partners – SMEs, Entrepreneurs, Large Corporations
- I/we wish to transfer my/our IPR to an interested party
From public or private funding institutions we seek further funding to:
- Develop LAMP assays for other targets as new sequences of N. perurans genes are available, which might help to improve sensitivity and further reduce test time.
- Further refinement for improved detection of lower gill scores
From other actors who can help us fulfil our market potential we seek for:
- Business partners – SMEs, Entrepreneurs, Large Corporations interested in developing and commercialise the commercial kit, in order that we can transfer our IPR (license, bi-lateral agreements, other)
- Public or private funding institutions
- Other Actors who can help us fulfil our market potential
R&D, Technology and Innovation aspects
The diagnostic tool has been fully tested and validated.