Cow & Buffalo (Livestock) Tests Cow Buffalo

FMD (Foot-and-Mouth Disease) Test - RT-PCR / ELISA

The FMD test uses RT-PCR to look for foot-and-mouth disease virus in blister samples or swabs, and ELISA to look for antibodies in serum. FMD is notifiable, so tell your vet or the animal husbandry department.

Sample: Vesicular fluid / epithelium / swab (PCR); serum (ELISA)
Quantity: As advised
Report: Confirmed when you book
Collection: Free in Bhopal

What this test checks

Genetic material of the FMD virus in blister fluid, skin or swabs (PCR)
Antibodies to the FMD virus in serum (ELISA)
Whether the signs in a sick animal may be due to FMD or to another disease
Whether an animal has been exposed to the virus or has responded to vaccination, depending on the ELISA kit used

Benefits of this test

Can help your vet confirm whether mouth and foot sores are due to FMD.
Several other diseases look like FMD, so a lab test helps avoid guessing.
PCR can detect the virus itself in a fresh sample.
ELISA can show antibodies, which may help in herd checks.
Gives your vet clear facts to share with the animal husbandry department.

When your vet may advise it

Blisters, sores or raw patches in the mouth, on the tongue or on the gums.
Blisters or sores between the hooves, with lameness.
Drooling or frothing from the mouth, and the animal will not eat.
Blisters or sores on the teats, with a sudden fall in milk yield.
FMD is reported in your village or on a nearby farm, and your vet wants to check your animals.
Your vet wants to check antibodies in the herd.

About this test

FMD (Foot-and-Mouth Disease) is a very contagious viral disease of cows, buffaloes and other animals with split hooves, such as goats, sheep and pigs. It causes fever, blisters and sores in the mouth, on the tongue, on the teats and between the hooves, with drooling, lameness and a big fall in milk yield. FMD is a notifiable disease, which means suspected cases should be reported.

This test uses two methods. PCR looks for the genetic material of the virus, the germ's own genes, in fluid or skin from a fresh blister or in a swab. ELISA is a laboratory test that looks for antibodies in serum. Depending on the kit used, antibodies can show that an animal has met the virus or has responded to vaccination. The lab confirms the method and sample when you book.

If you suspect FMD, please tell your veterinarian or the animal husbandry department at once. The test can help confirm the disease, but control steps are decided by the veterinary authorities.

How to prepare

Call or WhatsApp +91 88175 01118 first, because FMD spreads very easily and sick animals should not be brought to the lab. A veterinarian should collect the sample, such as fluid or skin from a fresh blister, a swab, or blood for serum, in a sealed, leak-proof container. Free sample collection is available anywhere in Bhopal; from other districts of Madhya Pradesh, send the sample, kept cool, by courier or bus parcel, or through your local vet or clinic.

Reading the result

A positive PCR may indicate that the virus is present, and an ELISA result shows antibodies, but the meaning depends on the animal's signs, vaccination history and the timing of the sample. Your veterinarian interprets the result and advises what to do and whom to inform.

Questions about FMD test

What is FMD in cows and buffaloes?

FMD (Foot-and-Mouth Disease) is a very contagious viral disease of cattle, buffaloes and other animals with split hooves. It causes fever, blisters in the mouth and on the feet and teats, drooling, lameness and a big fall in milk yield. It is a notifiable disease.

Whom should I tell if I suspect FMD?

Tell your veterinarian or the animal husbandry department at once. FMD is a notifiable disease, which means suspected cases should be reported, and it spreads very easily between animals. A lab test can help confirm FMD, but control steps are decided by the veterinary authorities.

What is the difference between FMD PCR and ELISA?

PCR looks for the virus itself, while ELISA looks for antibodies to the virus in serum. PCR is usually done on fluid or skin from a fresh blister, or on a swab. ELISA may show past exposure or vaccine response, depending on the kit. Reporting time is confirmed when you book.

Can I bring my sick animal to the lab for the test?

No. FMD spreads very easily, so sick animals should not be moved to the lab. Ask your veterinarian to collect the sample, and call or WhatsApp the lab on +91 88175 01118 to arrange how it reaches us.

Before you book this test

Why this notice: so you know, before you book, how a test is done, what its limits are and who is responsible.

Where it is tested. Some tests are done wholly or partly by an independent partner laboratory. The lab tells you before booking if this test is sent out, and the report names the laboratory that did it.
What a result can and cannot tell you. No test is right every time. A normal result does not rule out every disease, and an abnormal result does not prove one. A registered veterinarian should read the report with the animal’s signs and history before any treatment is started, changed or stopped.
The sample. A sample that is clotted, too small, wrongly labelled, leaking or too old may be rejected or reported with a note, and the lab may ask for a fresh one.
Reporting time. Confirmed when you book. Times are estimates, not guarantees, and the lab confirms the time when you book.
Emergencies. A booking or a pending report must not delay urgent care. If an animal has collapsed, struggles to breathe, has fits or bleeds heavily, call a veterinarian at once.

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