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University of Wyoming

UW Technologies Available for Licensing


Technology Disclosure: 03-009 Bovine Diarrhea Diagnostic Test


Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is the most important and economically devastating viral-based bovine disease in the USA and is the cause of large economic loss to the cattle industry exceeding $400 million per year. BVDV infections can take two manifestations, acutely-infected (AI) and persistently-infected (PI) animals. In its acutely infected form, cows can show malformed or slow-growing calves, aborted pregnancies, stillborn fetuses and significant hemorrhagic syndromes. Although serious, AI animals usually recover and eliminate the virus from their bodies in about two weeks. The difficulty in managing this disease lies in the fact that some infected cows and calves are persistently infected and can live for relatively long periods of time without showing any symptoms. These animals cannot eliminate the virus from their system and continuously release high amounts of virus in their bodily secretions and excretions, making them a continuous source of infection within the herd.

Currently available tests for the detection of animals infected with BVDV are based on the identification of the viral antigen or nucleic acids in a blood or tissue sample. Although these tests have merit in identifying PI animals, they cannot always differentiate between persistent and acute infections and are unable to identify cows carrying a PI fetus. Consequently, acutely infected animals are removed resulting in unnecessary losses, but PI animals remain undetected and continue to spread the virus causing new infections that perpetuate the infectious cycle. Accurate identification and elimination of PI animals from an infected herd is the most cost effective measure to control and eradicate BVDV, underscoring the criticality of an inexpensive, convenient, and reliable diagnostic test.

Researchers in the University of Wyoming's Departments of Veterinary Science and Animal Science working on this problem using bovine nucleic acid arrays, have identified differential gene expression in normal, AI and PI animals. These genes can be used as diagnostic markers of BVDV infection. The University of Wyoming Research Products Center has filed a PCT application on this procedure and the markers resulting therefrom that might used to detect the disease. Our researchers have received grants on this subject for over $400,000 in research funding, so this would be a great chance for your company to leverage its investment and get involved at an early stage in this exciting opportunity.

If you would like to learn more about our BVDV work and how your company may receive research and/or commercial rights to it, please contact the director of the University of Wyoming Research Products Center, Davona Douglass.