POTENTIAL RAPID ANTIGEN TEST FOR FACIAL ECZEMA

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is investing more than $35,000 in a bid to develop a rapid antigen test (RAT) for detecting facial eczema. The money will go to family-owned research company Tokaora Diagnostics to develop a prototype RAT and undertake field testing. While the test could potentially be used on sheep, cattle, and deer, the initial trials will focus on dairy cattle.

Facial eczema is a common ruminant disease that costs the New Zealand economy more than $200 million each year. It is caused by a toxin produced by fungal spores that live in pastures, and multiply in wet, warm conditions. Livestock ingest the toxin, which then attacks the liver, causing lowered production, skin irritation and peeling, and sometimes death.

Steve Penno, MPI’s director of investment programmes, says FE often doesn’t show physical symptoms until it’s too late to save the animal.

“FE is a long-standing issue for our agricultural sector, and with climate change it’s expected to get worse as the toxic spores that cause the disease are more likely to grow in warm and humid conditions.

“Currently there’s no cheap, on-farm diagnostic on the market, so we’re supporting Tokaora Diagnostics to take their proof-of-concept test to the next stage.”

Tokaora Diagnostics is headed by chief researcher Frey Livingston and his mother Pam, who is the managing director. The company conducted initial research and development through start-up grants from Callaghan Innovation. It also won the Venture Taranaki PowerUp Awards in 2022 and received mentoring through the Sprout Agritech Accelerator programme.

“We’re grateful to have received so much support to make an ‘invisible’ problem visible,” says Frey.

“Right now, farmers can test for the disease through blood samples taken by vets but it is expensive and time consuming. With our solution, farmers will be able to do the testing themselves quickly and easily via nasal mucus or saliva.”

Pam Livingston says the RAT will enable farmers to conduct surveillance tests and carry out timely treatment. “For vets, it will be a quick diagnostic tool when called to a poorly animal, and for researchers it will give a timely answer to the ‘who has it and how badly’ question. And, of course, improved animal welfare is a high priority.”