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Abstract:

We describe an easy to use ‘cow side’ –test, which the dairy farmer will be able to use in his daily routine in order to
identify which animals to treat with antibiotics and which not to treat.
Keywords: On-farm analysis, mastitis test, Gram-negative, Gram-positive, decision tool, cow side test, lab-on-a-chip,
point-of-need, point-of-cow, BACT.
1. Background
The need for diagnostic tools in connection with the day-to-day -decision making in the modern milk production facility,
has been eminent for years, however - easily accessible tools have been absent.
On-farm analysis using agar-plates has been ported from the veterinary’s laboratory and into the barn. The limited
success of said otherwise rugged and proven technology, stems from the fact that associated processes, routines and
standards that may be considered "first page in the book" for vets and trained laboratory technicians, may pose a
hindering barrier for the average farmer and his staff. Today’s dairy farmer is experiencing stress from all aspects of their
business, so the efforts associated with adopting new tools and procedures should be minimal, otherwise they are not
adopted into the daily routine. We have devised a “stick test”, that – in terms of ease of use – are akin to a pregnancy test
from a super market. In line with the before mentioned level of stress, it is our belief, that the test should provide a simple
answer, and that the availability of multiple tests for different situations and – not least - for different farmers, is the way
to achieve widespread usage of on-farm –analysis. This first test is thus a Gram-positive/negative –test that will provide
two simple answers:
Are a given set of mastitis symptoms caused by bacteria?
And – if so – are they caused by Gram-negative or a Gram-positive bacteria?
Provided with the answer to these questions, the farmer will be able to make a decision on whether or not to treat a given
quarter, as a (mild) Gram-negative bacterial infection is often cleared by the animal without antibiotic treatment and
because penicillins have little or no effect on Gram-negative bacteria.
In most cases, this is all the answer you want, and you want it without being dependent of making arrangements with and
sending milk samples of to - external laboratories.
2. FluimediX’ Cow side test - BACT
Our test is based on promoted – respectively – suppressed growth of mastitis related bacteria; additionally it has been an
object to provide a test with a prolonged storage and with all necessary components included in a stabilized matrix in the
test stick itself. The stabilized and lyophilized component matrix is deposited in an injection molded microfluidic
structure; the shelf life is +12 months. The microfluidic structure additionally comprises a filter structure, which will
prevent clumped milk from obstructing the filling of the structure.
BACT – test stick (Gram +/-)
14BACT ‘negative’ – no growth
BACT ‘positive’ - ‘E.Coli’
The test stick is filled with 150µl milk via a single use Pasteur pipette, where after it is incubated 10 to 16 hours, either
in a standard incubator or in our dedicated USB-powered “pocket incubator”
The test result is – as depicted above – clearly identifiable by the naked eye as either ‘blue’ or ‘yellow’.