The CVM Staff Council is excited to highlight the Serology Laboratory located in the Animal Health Diagnostic Center (AHDC) in the June 2018 edition of CVM eNews. The Serology Section develops and uses fully validated serological assays to detect antibodies or antigens as indicators for infectious diseases in production animals, companion animals, and zoo species. The CVM Staff Council had the opportunity to sit down with the Serology team to learn more about the work they do.

Could you give CVM an overview of what Serology does?

The Serology section of the AHDC is a small but vibrantly productive laboratory unit. The Serology laboratory supports the diagnosis of various diseases by detecting infection markers in the blood or other bodily fluids using ELISA, Western blot, and multiplex technologies. Our assays are primarily designed to detect the presence of antibodies formed by an animal’s immune system in response to infection or vaccination. In addition, biomarkers such as cytokines that act as precursors to antibodies in the early stages of an immune response can be quantified and aid in the diagnosis of infection and disease. Multiplex technology allows for the measurement of multiple analytes from a small volume of a single sample, and the implementation of this technology over the last decade has significantly enhanced the capabilities of the Serology laboratory.

What is the most widely used test in Serology?

The Lyme Multiplex assay is utilized by veterinarians across the country and around the world to aid in the diagnosis of Lyme disease in horses, dogs, and other animals. This test is available exclusively here at Cornell University and is the most frequently requested test our section offers. Lyme disease is caused by infection with Borellia burgdorferi, a spirochete transmitted to mammals through the bite of an infected black-legged tick. Prior to the implementation of this assay, the ‘gold standard’ assay for diagnosing infection with B. burgdorferi was the Western blot; the Lyme Multiplex assay dramatically improves upon the older technology by quantifying the amount of antibodies in the blood directed against three specific surface antigens of the bacteria. The additional information provided by this assay helps clinicians to 1) better understand the stage of the infection, 2) track response to vaccination, and 3) monitor response to treatment.

What quality control measures do you use?

Quality control is of the utmost importance to the AHDC as a whole. To this end, the Serology section participates in regular audits, both internal and external, following the management and technical requirements that meet the international standard ISO/IEC 17025:2005 - general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. We are proud to be part of the AAVLD accredited laboratory network and have two Serology assay methodologies accredited through the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation, an internationally known accreditation body that accredits laboratories for compliance with ISO/IEC 17025:2005. Traceability is key - from the moment a sample enters our laboratory, to the moment the results are finalized and sent to the client. Each assay component and instrumentation that contacts the sample is catalogued. Although these quality control procedures require additional time and attention to detail, it allows our clients to have very high confidence in the results our laboratory provides.

Does Serology participate in research?

The Animal Health Diagnostic Center is regularly improving test offerings in order to keep-up with the needs of producers, exporters, and clinical professionals. In addition to identifying and implementing commercially produced assays our clients will need, the Serology section continually supports research and development for novel assays.  The Serology section leaders are open to collaboration with other CVM laboratories, researchers across campus, as well as researchers from other university and/or commercial laboratories.

What research projects are you working on?

Currently, the Serology laboratory is actively involved in research on Lyme disease through collaborations and research contracts with researchers, USDA/AHPIS, and commercial partners in the U.S. and internationally. We are also working on expanding our equine cytokine assay to offer additional tools to equine clinicians and researchers for basic research on various diseases of the horse. A collaboration with researchers at the University of Pennsylvania has been formed for developing and validating a new Johne’s multiplex assay for cattle. The Bacteriology and Serology sections at the AHDC are working together to offer a novel Brucella canis test for dogs. Finally, the AHDC plans to release two new equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) host immune biomarker assays this fall to aid with management of EHV-1 outbreaks and to improve immunity within the horse population.

Thank you, Serology, for being our CVM Staff Council’s June Spotlight! To learn more about the Serology Department of the Animal Health Diagnostic Center, please visit their website: https://ahdc.vet.cornell.edu/sects/Serol/

Do you have ideas or suggestions for an upcoming Spotlight?  Email us at cvmstaffcouncil@cornell.edu!