Diagnostic Testing in the Context of International Trade with Animal Products: Challenges for Cross Disciplinary Collaboration and Methodological Research

摘要

Diagnostic testing for animal diseases relevant to international trade occurs for various purposes, such as (ⅰ) demonstration of freedom from infection in the population; (ⅱ) demonstration of freedom from infection or agent in individual animals or products for trade purpose; (ⅲ) eradication of infection from defined populations; (ⅳ) confirmatory diagnosis of clinical cases; (ⅴ) estimation of prevalence of infection to facilitate risk analysis and (ⅵ) determining the immune status in individual animals or populations. It is a commonly accepted notion that the diagnostic performance characteristics of tests should be established and assessed with regard to the specific purpose of the tests ("fitness for purpose" principle).