Roadmap for the development of diagnostic tests for FMD

What are we trying to achieve and why? What is the problem we are trying to solve?

To produce new reliable and rapid diagnostic tests allowing identification of vaccinated and exposed animals, including peri-clinical, subclinical and carrier animals.

What are the scientific and technological challenges
(knowledge gaps needing to be addressed)?

• Develop test allowing for pen-side antigen detection and serotype or strain determination and antigen capture.
• Develop tools for different serotypes for genetic/antigenic typing, especially vaccine matching.
• Proof-of-concept testing of herd immunity test correlated with efficacy of
  vaccines.
• DIVA.

What approaches could/should be taken to address the research question?

Assess the feasibility of infrared thermography as an FMD screening tool under different environmental field conditions in healthy and diseased animal populations. Assess the potential application of this technology to aid in the
identification and sampling of suspected animals for confirmatory diagnostic testing.

What else needs to be done before we can solve this need?

• Host response
• PCR/LAMP
• Antigen capture
• Validation

Existing knowledge including successes and failures

Molecular and genetic technologies, including sequencing, are developing at an increasing rate both in terms of capability and affordability. The development of RT-LAMP represents an important breakthrough allowing greater use and access to molecular diagnostics. It is now possible to determine virus serotype using PCR, although only for certain virus pools, continued progress is needed to cover the global spectrum of FMD viruses. Progress has also been
made in the development of pen-side rapid diagnostics, some with the ability to determine serotype. However, further advances in penside serotype or strain determination would benefit both FMD-free countries and endemic countries with limited access to wellresourced laboratories. There are validations for a few serotypes. Recently developed methods are not already tested in the field.