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Hendra virus (HeV) is a lethal pathogen of major concern to the equine industry in eastern Australia. Currently, conclusive diagnosis of HeV is only possible in government-controlled reference laboratories. These testing facilities are typically located in major cities and not where clinical cases of equine HeV occur. As such, delays in receiving diagnostic results can lead to increased risk and problematic decision making by industry participants.

This research group has attempted to develop a point-of-care (POC) diagnostic test that would be fit for use in the equine industry. Previous research developed a LAMP test that showed promise as an effective POC tool, but the emergence of a novel HeV variant that the test failed to detect prompted a redesign.

The redesigned HeV LAMP test was found to perform excellently for analytical sensitivity and specificity. However, further investigation using live HeV revealed the test had a diagnostic sensitivity unsuitable for lethal zoonotic diseases such as HeV  too many positive cases went undetected.

In response, the group evaluated an alternative testing platform suitable for POC use, known as the Mic qPCR Cycler. The limit of detection using the Mic qPCR Cycler was found to be equal to that achieved by ‘gold standard’ reference laboratory tests. The group plans to apply to the relevant government regulators to use this system as a POC diagnostic test as part of an integrated biosecurity approach.