Laboratory Evaluation of Pluslife Molecular POCT Solution for Feline Upper Respiratory Infection

The laboratory of Infectious Animal Diseases at the Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, recently released a report detailing the findings of a preliminary study. The study aimed to assess the sensitivity and specificity of a Point-of-Care (POC) test for Feline Upper Respiratory Infection (URI). This test relies on identifying nucleic acids from FHV-1, C. felis, and M. felis, utilizing the Pluslife Mini Dock analyzer and Pluslife FCM Card. 

A total of 43 respiratory samples, collected through oropharyngeal or conjunctival swabs from cats displaying symptoms associated with URI, underwent thorough analysis. The results from the Laboratory of Infectious Animal Diseases at the University of Teramo revealed noteworthy insights. When compared to qualitative PCR procedures, the POC test, "FHV-1/C. felis/M. felis Nucleic Acid," conducted with the Pluslife Mini Dock device, demonstrated a variance between the sensitivity value (95.8%) calculated for identifying FHV-1 DNA and the sensitivity values of 100% calculated for C. felis and M. felis. Additionally, for each of the three investigated pathogens, specificity values of 100% were observed.

With result concordance confirmed for 42 out of the total 43 tested samples, the overall diagnostic accuracy was determined to be 97.7%. These findings underscore the potential effectiveness of the POC test in accurately identifying specific pathogens associated with Feline Upper Respiratory Infection. Pluslife is consistently enhancing molecular diagnostic technology, contributing to advancements in the field of veterinary infection diagnosis.