SPECIAL NOTICE
B -- Coxiella burnetii testing of sheep sera and dirt collected as part of the NAHMS Sheep 2011 study
- Notice Date
- 9/11/2012
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 541380
— Testing Laboratories
- Contracting Office
- Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Administrative Services Division/Contracting, 100 North 6TH Street, Butler Square 5TH Floor, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55403
- ZIP Code
- 55403
- Solicitation Number
- req_604543
- Archive Date
- 10/11/2012
- Point of Contact
- Nathan Johnson,
- E-Mail Address
-
nathan.d.johnson@aphis.usda.gov
(nathan.d.johnson@aphis.usda.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Justification for other than Full and Open Competition 1. Request the CEAH/NAHMS, Fort Collins, CO 80526 purchase Coxiella burnetii IFA and PCR testing as a non-competitive requirement. 2. Description of Supplies/Services: This contract provides funding for the continued Coxiella burnetii testing of sheep sera and dirt collected as part of the NAHMS Sheep 2011 study. The NAHMS Sheep 2011 sera have been screened using an IDEXX ELISA test at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory. The ELISA is convenient for large scale screening, but is not capable of differentiating acute verses chronic infection. The Iowa State University, College of Veterinary Medicine Diagnostic Laboratory has developed an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) test specific to identifying Phase I and Phase II IgG antibodies to Coxiella burnetii in sheep. These specific antibodies provide evidence of a recent C. burnetii infection or a past exposure. While IFA test is commonly used for serodiagnosis of human infection, to date, it has been rarely used for ruminant diagnosis in the US. Additionally, as part of the NAHMS Sheep 2011 study, one dirt sample was also collected from inside or nearby sheep pens to investigate the correlation between positive or negative status sheep operations and the presence of C. burnetii in soil. These samples have been stored at Iowa State University, and will be tested by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) as part of this contract. ISU has developed a highly sensitive high-throughput PCR protocol for the detection of Coxiella burnetii in dirt samples and is prepared to use this test for the NAHMS Sheep samples. Currently, the PCR is one of the most sensitive and rapid diagnostic tests for the direct detection of C. burnetii and for identification of animals that shed C. burnetii. PCR is considered to be a useful and reliable test for screen large numbers and various types of samples. 3. Market Research: There are no commercially available IFA kits for veterinary diagnostics. Iowa State University's diagnostic laboratory and Dr. Paul Plummer developed the IFA for routine sampling using Fuller diagnostic plates and optimized it for sheep sera. This test was then checked against the National Veterinary Service Laboratory known positive and negative controls. ISU and Dr Plummer have already tested 1500 of the NAHMS Sheep 2011 sera. This contract provides for continuation of work already in progress. Because of the need for each laboratory to develop their own IFA test, a direct comparison of results from one laboratory to another would be problematic. This contract also provides funding to test dirt samples, by PCR, collected from inside or nearby sheep pens. ISU diagnostic laboratory has the only PCR that has a built-in internal B. thuringiensis positive control. The Bacillus thuringiensis spores, as positive controls, provide an added measure of quality assurance and specificity. Additionally, the DNA purification protocols use a magnetic based recovery system which allows for high-throughput diagnostic testing. This PCR has been validated against a commercially available Taq_Vet kit available in Europe and was found to be more sensitive. It was also tested against CDC positive and negative controls and was in 100 percent correlation. This work requires knowledge and skill, along with a validated PCR which can detect Coxiella burnetii DNA in dirt. Because of this, the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic laboratory and Dr. Paul Plummer are uniquely qualified to run the dirt samples collected as part of the NAHMS Sheep 2011 study. There is no other laboratory currently able to run these samples as economically with the same sensitivity and specificity. 4. Reason for Authority Cited: The source of authority permitting this purchase is 10 U.S.C. 2304 (c) (1) as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1 (a), "Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements". 5. I certify that the above information is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. Katherine Marshall, DVM MSc NAHMS Epidemiologist and Sheep/Goat Specialist USDA APHIS VS CEAH Nathan Johnson Contracting Officer USDA APHIS MRPBS
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/USDA/APHIS/Contracting/req_604543/listing.html)
- Record
- SN02877179-W 20120913/120912000938-76d8b37bed050a7d339af99caef0825d (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |