Fully automated sample-to-answer PCR detection of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus in cat serum and whole blood.

Abstract

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is a tick-borne pathogen that causes fatal hemorrhagic disease in humans and animals. In addition to transmission via tick bites, infection can occur through contact with body fluids from infected individuals or animals. This study evaluated the POCKIT™ Central Nucleic Acid Analyzer (POCKIT Central), a fully automated system integrating nucleic acid extraction and insulated isothermal PCR as a rapid diagnostic tool to aid in preventing the spread of SFTSV infection in veterinary medicine. Analytical sensitivity was assessed using four viral strains; all were detectable, although some exhibited reduced sensitivity. In feline whole blood or serum spiked with SFTSV, the system demonstrated sufficient sensitivity for primary diagnosis of cats showing clinical signs of SFTS. Results of analyses of clinical serum samples using POCKIT Central perfectly matched those obtained using conventional reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The POCKIT Central system can detect SFTSV directly in whole blood or serum within 85 min, without requiring complex manual procedures, thus enabling rapid diagnosis and timely therapeutic intervention in veterinary settings, and it also has the potential for application to other animal species.