Snake envenomation in horses and its detection by rapid immunoassay.

Summary

The aim of this project is to determine the effectiveness (specificity and sensitivity) of the readily available commercial snake venom detection kit, designed for use in humans, when used with equine urine and serum samples.

Program

Thoroughbred Horses

Research Organisation

The University of Melbourne

Objective Summary

This project aims to determine the value of a readily available commercial snake venom detection kit (SVDK), designed for use in humans, in detecting snake venom in equine biological fluids. The objective is to determine the effectiveness (specificity and sensitivity) of the snake venom detection kit (SVDK) when used with equine urine and serum samples. Equine urine and serum with two known concentrations of snake venom (Brown, Tiger, Black, Death Adder and Taipan) will be tested. The concentrations selected will reflect the optimal venom concentration and the minimum venom concentration detected by the SVDK in non biological fluids, as recently published by Steuten et al (2007)