SPADA

Brucellosis in the Greater Yellowstone Area • What is the real potential for  interspecies transmission 

between large ungulates and  cattle in the Intermountain  West? Can rapid accurate molecular • ,  diagnostics improve  management and minimize  impacts to wildlife?

Real-time PCR assay for B. abortus Newby et al. 2003. Appl. Environ. Microbiol . 69

• B. abortus specific (tested against  panel of over 100 strains)  • 7.5 fg limit of detection (ca. 2 genomic  copies) • Semi‐quantitative nature of real‐time  PCR permits estimation of bacterial  load in samples • Detection in 15‐30 minutes • No sample prep necessary in some  cases • Hybridization probes allow  discrimination of amplicons based on  post‐amplification melt curves  (potential to identify S19 and RB51  without multiplexing) • New TaqMan assay developed for  other instruments (15 fg LOD)