Clinical performance of a point-of-care Coccidioides antibody test in dogs | VETgirl Veterinary Continuing Education Podcasts
In this VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we discuss a point-of-care (POC) antibody assay for Coccidioides in dogs. Coccidioides is a systemic fungal infection also known as Valley Fever, common in the southwest United States and parts of northern Mexico (Brown). The fungal organisms live in the soil, but unfortunately can become aerosolized and inhaled, leading to disease. Affected dogs often suffer from respiratory disease, but a quarter of cases can result in more serious, disseminated infections (Davidson). In a study entitled "Clinical performance of a point-of-care Coccidioides antibody test in dogs" by Reagan et al, the authors dive into the diagnostic options available for detecting Coccidioides, and they offer a quick and helpful review of the available options. Briefly, several diagnostic options are available, though cytology, histopathology, or fungal culture represent the gold standards. An agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) assay is used commonly in dogs to detect IgM or IgG against fungal antigens, but this test is expensive, has certain technical challenges, and varies in performance. Additionally, an enzyme immunoassay can also be performed for rapid antibody detection, but this assay still requires sending samples to a reference laboratory. Lastly, an immunochromatographic lateral flow assay (LFA) is another type of rapid detection assay that detects antibodies against two Coccidiodies antigens. This is a POC test that can be performed in approximately 30 minutes! Therefore in the current study, the authors sought to determine the agreement between this LFA and the standard AGID assay in dogs with suspected coccidioidomycosis.