Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Rapid IgM test detects acute leptospirosis in dogs with 75%
By Lizer, J et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2017·Veterinary Medicine Research and Development, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of a rapid IgM detection test for diagnosis of acute leptospirosis in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs suspected of having leptospirosis (a serious infection) were tested using a new rapid test that detects specific antibodies in their blood. Out of 37 dogs with confirmed leptospirosis, the test correctly identified 28 during the early stage of illness, showing it is quite effective. The test also had a very high accuracy rate when compared to other sick dogs and healthy dogs. This means that if your dog shows symptoms of leptospirosis, this new test could help your vet diagnose the condition quickly and accurately, but results should always be considered alongside your dog's symptoms and vaccination history.
People also search for: dog leptospirosis symptoms · rapid test for dog infections · how to treat leptospirosis in dogs
Abstract
Recently, a lateral flow assay (LFA) for detection of-specific IgM in canine sera became commercially available in Europe. The present study aims to evaluate the diagnostic performance of this assay using canine sera from a collection of diagnostic accessions. Diagnostic sensitivity was assessed by testing 37 acute-phase and 9 corresponding convalescent-phase sera from dogs with a confirmed diagnosis of leptospirosis. Specificity was determined by testing sera from sick dogs with non-leptospiral infections (n=15) and healthy dogs with incomplete history of vaccination (n=45). During acute phase of illness, LFA scored positive for 28/37 sera with a sensitivity of 75.7 per cent while only 9/37 (24.3 per cent) samples were positive on microscopic agglutination test. The specificity of the LFA was 98.3 per cent (59/60). This test showed 89.7 and 100 per cent overall agreements with clinical diagnosis for acute-phase and convalescent-phase sera, respectively. The impact of vaccination on the LFA was also determined and vaccine-stimulated IgM responses were negative in 19/25 (76 per cent) dogs at 12 weeks post vaccination. In conclusion, the LFA is a rapid and reliable test for early detection of-specific IgM during acute phase of canine leptospirosis. However, interpretation of a positive result must be made in the context of clinical signs and vaccination history.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28235787/