(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Yoon-gu = The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency announced on the 27th that it has developed and commercialized the nation's first gene discrimination diagnostic technology in collaboration with Median Diagnostics for rapid and precise diagnosis in preparation for the domestic influx of malignant livestock infectious disease, capripoxvirus.
Capripoxvirus is an acute viral livestock infectious disease that occurs in goats, sheep, etc., and those infected show symptoms such as high fever, runny nose, eye discharge, drooling (stomatitis), coughing (pneumonia), and diarrhea (gastroenteritis), mostly leading to death.
Although it has not yet occurred domestically, it is occurring in Asian regions such as Mongolia, raising concerns about its domestic influx.
The Quarantine Agency conducted joint research with Median Diagnostics and developed a capripoxvirus gene discrimination precision diagnostic kit by the end of 2023, and obtained manufacturing approval for the gene diagnostic kit this month.
The newly developed kit has the same function as existing overseas kits in determining the presence of capripoxvirus, but it has the advantage of additionally identifying type IV genes, which are highly likely to be introduced domestically.
It can also confirm results within 8 hours and allow for rapid quarantine measures.
The government established emergency action guidelines for capripoxvirus at the end of last year and plans to stockpile an emergency vaccine for capripoxvirus by December.
ykim@yna.co.kr