Actinobacillus suis (A. suis) Real time PCR
Joints, joint swabs, oral fluids, tissue homogenates, lung homogenates, pleura, pericardium, peritoneum, tonsil scrapings, biopsies, nasal swabs, oropharyngeal swabs, tonsil swabs, bone swabs, serum, bacterial isolates, fetal tissues, subcutaneous skin swabs
Results are reported on Mondays. Samples should arrive at the lab at least 2 days before the test date to allow for processing/preparation for testing. Following the guidelines listed under the Submitted Specimen Requirements will provide an adequate sample volume to conduct this test. If multiple tests are to be requested on a specimen, there may not be adequate sample volume to perform each test. Please submit an adequate sample volume to meet the requirements of each test.
Test update
The Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory is returning the Actinobacillus suis (A. suis) PCR as a test option for a variety of sample types. An improved real time PCR test was developed for the detection of A. suis from porcine oral fluids, lung, joint, joint swabs, pooled tissues, pleura, pericardium, peritoneum, tonsil scrapings, biopsies, nasal swabs, oropharyngeal swabs, tonsil swabs, bone swabs, serum, bacterial isolates, fetal tissues, and subcutaneous skin swabs (ear/other skin lesions). The test will be run weekly on Monday at a cost of $27.00. As with most tests, samples should be at the lab by noon the day before the test is scheduled to run ( by noon Friday for the A.suis PCR). Off schedule/emergency testing may be possible after consultation with a food animal diagnostician.
The A. suis primers and probe target the 23S ribosomal gene and are adapted from the reference article Kariyawasam, Subhashinie, et al. “Development of a Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay for Detection of Actinobacillus Suis in Porcine Lung.” Updates were made to modernize the enzyme kit used in the assay as well as the probe prior to the start of validation. The sequence of the primers and probe remained the same as the publication. The A. suis PCR test has a detection limit of 50 copies/reaction. The assay also has an exogenous internal control added during extraction.