Performance of a New Point-of-care Rapid Test to Diagnose Pulmonary Coccidioidomycosis
Diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis in dogs is challenging due to the fact that the symptoms are not specific for this disease. Coccidioidomycosis can be diagnosed via a biopsy however the most common method is testing for antibodies to the fungus. These tests are often sent to third party labs delaying confirmation of the disease. This study looks to evaluate a potential point of care rapid test which would be able to provide a positive or negative result indicating the presence or absence of antibodies, respectively, within 30-60 minutes. The diagnosis of pulmonary coccidioidomycosis can be difficult because clinical signs overlap with many other respiratory tract disorders and dogs can have positive Valley Fever antibody titers without active clinical infection. Acute phase proteins are useful biomarkers for many other disorders and our hope is to determine whether they can facilitate making a diagnosis of pulmonary coccidioidomycosis in dogs. For additional details or questions please contact Dr. Jaffey (jjaffe@midwestern.edu).
About Coccidioidomycosis
Causes
The mutation responsible for the FIPV biotype is consistently found in the 3c gene, which encodes a small protein of unknown function. The mutations are usually SNPs causing premature stop codons or deletion mutations that negate or significantly truncate the 3c gene product. The specific deleterious mutation in ORF 3c can differ even between affected kittens in the same litter, again supporting internal mutation and auto-infection rather than cat-to-cat transmission as the primary route of exposure.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of FIP is confirmed based on signalment, clinical history, examination of prior laboratory test results, physical examination and basic blood and effusion analyses. The presence of FIPV can further be confirmed by qRT-PCR, either from abdominal or thoracic effusions.
Treatment
No preventative measures are currently available. Once cats develop classic clinical signs, fatality to FIP is virtually 100% and the median survival time from the time of diagnosis to death or euthanasia is about 8– 9 days.
Compensation
Free for eligible cases:
Coccidioides serologic testing at baseline
Repeat testing in 30 days if negative baseline results
Thoracic radiographs if performed at MWU
Repeat Valley Fever titer tests at 3 months
Qualifying participants will receive FREE Coccidioides serologic testing. If negative baseline results we can repeat testing in 30 days for FREE. We can perform thoracic radiographs for FREE if performed at MWU. We can also repeat VF titers for FREE at 3 months if needed.
We will pick up sample from your clinic and submit it through our lab.
Location
1. Midwestern University Companion Animal Clinic
5715 W Utopia Rd, Glendale, AZ 85308
623-806-7387
Study Team
Jared Jaffey
D.V.M., M.S., DACVIM
Veterinary medicine is an ever-evolving field that requires those involved to stay current in order to optimize patient care. I am proud to be associated with Midwestern University, where I can help patients directly, help train future veterinarians, and contribute to research that can augment care of animals around the world.
