Rapid Detection of Microbial Infection in Livestock - Rapid-MIL

Rapid detection and identification of microbial infection in livestock on the farm will enable stratified antimicrobial treatment to be given to assist in the production of healthy animals and in turn, meat products. It will also assist in reduction of the use of antibiotics which in turn will lead to a reduction in the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in farm animals. In commercial terms healthy animals grow faster and in some cases, chicken production for instance, the growth cycle is just 35-36 days. Illness in chicken flocks can affect the commercial profitability in a major way, therefore early detection leads to early treatment and better productivity. Into this whole scenario of animal health, there is a trend towards significant restrictions of antibiotics with the possibility of a total ban on their use in livestock production in the future. By knowing the cause of an infection and potentially the identity and resistance profile of the micro-organism(s) responsible, the targeted use of antibiotics will become possible. The aim of the project is to produce a volatile organic compound analyser which, when coupled with rapid microbiology on selective agar plates, will give an unequivocal response and detect and identify the infectious agents in less than 8 hours - i.e. in a single working day.