Idexx Laboratories launches new BVDV test in UK

Idexx Laboratories has launched a new testing device for bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) in the UK, which allows for quick and easy diagnosis of potentially afflicted animals.

The new Idexx SNAP BVD Test is the first Idexx rapid assay to be launch for the livestock market and is intended to be the first in a line of similar products.

It is an in-clinic test which allows serum or ear-notch samples to be analysed in around 20 minutes, allowing the status of individual animals to be determined quickly, or complementing routine laboratory-based herd screening.

Idexx states that the test will therefore be of use to livestock owners looking to screen new animals before entering a farm, or to rule out BVDV as a cause of illness among sick or deceased specimens.

William Goodspeed, corporate vice-president at Idexx Livestock and Poultry Diagnostics, said: "BVDV is one of the world's most costly cattle diseases … with the SNAP BVD Test, we can help veterinarians and farmers manage BVDV with the ultimate goal of eliminating it."

Last month, the company introduced compatibility with the SNAP Feline Triple Test to its SNAPshot Dx Analyzer system.