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Caen, France – For years, clinical tests for equine diseases have worked much the same way. Once a sample is taken and sent to a lab, results can arrive in just a few days, depending on the mail.
But of course, in a world that has sped up to the point where days seem completely obsolete, it wasn’t long until someone brought in a lab.
Those people are LABEO, the Normandy Interdepartmental Analysis and Research Center, whose new LABEO track was first introduced at last year’s European Eventing Championships and at the Arcana Sale in February this year. This is the first of its kind in Europe, and possibly in the world.
With a staff of approximately 400 pharmacists, engineers, biologists and others, LABEO is one of France’s largest public interest organizations, processing approximately 1,250,000 samples each year and providing animal care services to 80,000 clients in France and abroad. We conduct research in the fields of health and water. , food etc.
Not only does this truck look great, it’s also named after a food truck (in case you’re wondering how we say it in French, we say “food truck” in our French accent). When testing a group of horses where proximity between horses can have a significant impact on their health, it makes sense to get test results quickly and with the same precision and standards as in a laboratory. The machines have been tested to ensure they maintain the same level of integrity as those used in the laboratory, even after driving on bumpy Norman roads. “If we want to be trusted, we want people to know that when they call us, they will receive the same level of service and that we are the same people in the field and here in the lab doing the analysis. ”, said Pierre-Hugues Pitel. , Head of LABEO’s Health Department and Research and Development Department.
Click here to view the 3D model of the truck.
The team at LABEO emphasizes testing for integrity. These are not quick do-it-yourself tests that you can get at a pharmacy or veterinarian. This is a whole laboratory with quality standards and experts are involved to process and read the results and make recommendations.
Pitel emphasized the importance of detection time early in an outbreak. “It can take him anywhere from 12 hours to 20 hours to get the results back. If there’s an emergency at a track meet or a big show jumping event, 24 hours is a little longer just to get the sample delivered.” ,” says Pitel. “That was the first trigger on the track, and the second was the EHV1 crisis that occurred in Valencia in February 2021.” The outbreak, which originated in Spain, killed 18 horses and infected horses in 10 countries. has spread. “We received 200 nasopharyngeal swabs into the lab and thought how efficient it would have been to do this in front of a show jumping arena.”
Camille Felken is a former president of Syndica des Éleveurs in France, well known in the thoroughbred industry as owner and founder of equine biosecurity company Equiways, and head of LABEO’s equine industry business unit. It is. She said the truck has solar panels attached to its roof, allowing it to be completely self-sustaining if it is called to an event without power. These panels provide power to computers, as well as refrigerators, freezers, stoves, and space heaters. WiFi is also available.
“We can also park the truck at the racetrack to give horse owners an opportunity to fully evaluate underperforming horses,” Felken said. “We can draw blood and know the results before he leaves the truck that day.”
Stefan Pronost is one of the world’s leading virologists, deputy research director at LABEO, and a molecular biologist. He explained the importance of conducting polymerase chain reaction or PCR tests on-site. A simple test can detect horses with a high viral load, but a PCR test can detect early stages of the virus by amplifying the DNA and examining it in more detail.
Stephane Pronost and Marie-Pierre Toquet | Sue Finley Photo
“Today, I think it’s very easy to explain what PCR is because of COVID-19,” Pronost said. “For horses it’s exactly the same, we use a nasal swab. If an equestrian event is held and the horse is alerted, the horseman or owner can come to the track and ask for a virus detection, and in just 2 We can get answers within hours. One of the most important aspects of the track is that we can go directly to the race track or event and detect the presence of pathogens very quickly.”
Pitel said the truck has three major purposes. “The first step is prevention,” he says. “This is to ensure the safety of the horses that come to perform. The second is in an emergency situation. If an influenza or EHV1 outbreak starts, we can do an emergency test. Third, if you If you are a stud manager and want to test all your animals for influenza, EHV and parasites, sending in a truck means you can get all the tests done faster and easier.”
Marie-Pierre Toquet, a research assistant at LABEO, displayed the menu of tests offered to customers. The menu looks a lot like a restaurant (or food truck) menu, but includes fitness and inflammation assessments, as well as tests for rhinopneumonitis, influenza, strangulation, and EVA. , piroplasmosis, EHV 1, 2, 4, and a complete parasitological evaluation all within 2 hours.
The purpose of the track is not to conduct drug testing at races or sales. It is handled by the French National Institute.
Arthur Seles, the dealership’s technical director, said Arcana had the truck available in its February sale this year and plans to offer it in future sales, which is a great opportunity for both vendors and dealers. He said it was an additional service that could be provided. buyer. “In 2024, this is a valuable service to offer,” Seles said. “Horses move around a lot, and this is a reassuring option for people on the sales floor.”
Arthur Serres of Arcana | Photo by Zuzanna Lupa
Seles said a common use could be post-sale testing to ensure there are no pathogens before a horse leaves the field and heads to a new owner’s stud farm. He also said a Coggins inspection is required before a horse arrives at the sale, but there have been occasional problems with vendors not receiving the paperwork by the time the horse arrives at the sale.
“Currently, we ask LABEO to perform simple tests, but from now on we will use trucks to request tests directly at the sales floor, and the results will be available in two hours. Therefore, we will have more time. That’s important, because otherwise the horses would be stuck in Vans or at another track in Deauville, missing out on being shown to potential buyers.”
Felken said the on-site nature of the machine allows collaboration between farm managers, veterinarians and laboratory technicians to move horses in and out of quarantine once results are released, or to move horses from one farm to another. Point out that you can move quickly. The same applies to horses that are exported. It can also quickly detect and stop large-scale outbreaks in training centers, saving costs by allowing races to continue with minimal trauma.
The trucks are cleaned and restocked before each use, keeping the interior in true laboratory-like conditions, and are small enough that anyone with a regular driver’s license can drive them. It was intentionally modeled after the food trucks that LABEO employees see in the parking lot every day, but with open windows to maintain indoor temperature and a safe environment while ensuring transparency. It has a glass window instead.
For LABEO, employees gain valuable contact with horses that are regular test subjects, and they are able to see the economic impact that something like a positive piroplasmosis test can have on auction prices. You can understand the work more deeply.
“That’s not why we built the truck, but it was a secondary benefit,” Pitel said. “That’s what gives their work meaning.”
For inquiries regarding LABEO trucks, please contact Camille Vercken (C).[email protected].
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