Virbac Speed Giardia Detection test for dogs and cats

Virbac Speed Giardia Detection test for dogs and cats

Product Overview and Diagnostic Utility

• Speed Giardia is a rapid diagnostic test for the detection of Giardia intestinalis (or duodenalis) cyst antigens in dogs, cats, and cattle.
• Target Species: Dogs, cats, and bovines.
• Diagnostic Function: Identifies shedding animals by detecting Giardia cysts in feces.
• Speed and Simplicity: A quick and simple test that can be completed during a single visit within 10 minutes.
• Clinical Value: Rapid diagnosis enables specific treatment to be initiated at the first sign of disease, reducing the risk of chronic disease, reinfestation, and contamination of the environment or other animals.
• Treatment Follow-up: Used to monitor reinfestation and assess treatment response after therapy.
• Usage Restriction: For veterinary use only.

Clinical Background and Zoonotic Importance

• Pathogenous Nature: Giardiasis is a parasitic disease caused by the colonization of the intestinal mucosa by Giardia duodenalis, a common enteric parasite.
• Zoonotic Risk: This zoonosis affects dogs, cats, and other mammals, and can be transmitted to humans.
• Symptoms by Age Group: Adult hosts are mostly healthy carriers, whereas in young or immunocompromised animals, the parasite causes chronic, intermittent, and often watery diarrhea.
• Impact on Growth: Infestation of young animals through the ingestion of cysts in drinking water leads to maldigestion-malabsorption syndrome and growth retardation.
• Prevalence Rates: Giardia prevalence varies according to host species:
• 6 to 33 percent of dogs are carriers.
• 4 to 14 percent of cats are carriers.
• 1 to 4 percent of diarrheic calves are carriers.

Indications for Use

• Speed Giardia is recommended in the following clinical scenarios:
• Young Dogs and Cats: Indicated for chronic, watery, or intermittent diarrhea that persists despite first-line treatment.
• Repeat Testing on Negative Results: In the event of a negative result, the test can be repeated by collecting feces over several consecutive days, as cyst excretion may be intermittent.
• Older Cats: Indicated in cases of chronic diarrhea.
• Calves Aged 8 Days to 6 Months: Helps identify the cause of diarrhea responsible for stunted growth and economic losses.
• Treatment Monitoring: Indicated for follow-up testing after anti-giardial treatment.

Product Specifications and Storage

• Sample Type: Feces.
• Handling Time: 5 minutes.
• Time to Results: 5 minutes.
• Storage Conditions: Long shelf life of 24 months stored at room temperature (between 2°C and 30°C).
• Packaging: Box containing 5 tests.