PR90063

ROCKVILLE, Md., June 12, 2021 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/--

-- The Tetracore(R) Real-Time PCR Test was validated for use on epithelial and

serum samples

Tetracore announced today the licensing of their VetAlert(TM) Foot and Mouth

Disease Virus (FMDV) RNA Diagnostic Test Kit by the United States Department of

Agriculture (USDA) Center for Veterinary Biologics (CVB).   It is one of the

first licensed FMD diagnostic kits that can be manufactured on the U.S.

mainland, critical for a rapid response in the event of an FMD outbreak.  

Additionally, this diagnostic kit provides animal health first responders with

a critical tool to mitigate the potentially catastrophic economic and animal

welfare impacts of an FMD outbreak.

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The VetAlert FMDV RNA high-performance test kit was developed by Tetracore

scientists and will be commercialized and sold by Tetracore.

Nearly two decades ago, Tetracore validated and published a real-time RT-PCR

assay for FMDV, as described by Callahan et al. 2002. The primer and probe set

from the publication became part of the OIE and USDA reference test methods.

"It is well-known that RNA viruses mutate and evolve, and for this reason,

established PCR test designs should be periodically re-evaluated to ensure that

the test designs remain fit for purpose," says Dr. Callahan, Business

Development Manager and USDA CVB liaison for Tetracore.

With this in mind, Tetracore evaluated contemporary FMD viral sequences to

design a new primer-probe set that was blended with the original test to create

an updated FMDV rRT-PCR, the VetAlert FMDV RNA Test Kit.

The updated test design was validated in studies with the Pirbright Institute

in the UK and the National Center for Foreign Animal Diseases (NCFAD) in

Winnipeg, Canada, and performed well compared to their reference test methods.

About Tetracore, Inc.

Tetracore is a biotechnology company specializing in the development and

manufacture of diagnostic devices and assays for the detection of infectious

diseases. Located in the Biotechnology Corridor in Rockville, Maryland.

Tetracore was founded in 1998 by former United Nations Special Commission

biological weapons inspectors and scientists of the Naval Medical Research

Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.  For more information, visit www.tetracore.com

or contact us at jkelly@tetracore.com.  

(R)Tetracore is a Registered Trademark and VetAlert is a Trademark of

Tetracore, Inc.

SOURCE:  Tetracore, Inc.

CONTACT: John Kelly

         +-1-240-268-5400

         jkelly@tetracore.com