In December 2023, Vetinwild's Dr. Stephen Chege and Dr. Jessicah visited Lancet Laboratories Kenya to explore opportunities for enhanced diagnostic collaboration in support of wildlife health and One Health initiatives.
The Diagnostic Challenge
Accurate and timely diagnosis is fundamental to effective veterinary medicine and disease surveillance. However, wildlife veterinary practice in remote areas faces significant diagnostic challenges:
- Limited access to advanced laboratory equipment
- Delays in sample transport and processing
- Lack of wildlife-specific reference ranges
- High costs of specialized tests
Building the Partnership
Lancet Laboratories Kenya is one of East Africa's leading diagnostic service providers, with state-of-the-art facilities and expertise in clinical pathology, microbiology, and molecular diagnostics. The visit aimed to establish a collaborative framework that would extend these capabilities to wildlife medicine.
Key discussion points included:
- Sample Collection and Transport: Protocols for preserving sample integrity from remote field locations
- Test Menu Development: Adapting human diagnostic panels for wildlife species
- Turnaround Time: Expedited processing for emergency cases
- Capacity Building: Training opportunities for Vetinwild staff in sample collection and interpretation
One Health Applications
The partnership extends beyond individual animal care to support broader One Health objectives:
- Zoonotic Disease Surveillance: Screening livestock and wildlife for diseases that can affect humans
- Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring: Tracking resistance patterns across the human-animal interface
- Outbreak Investigation: Rapid diagnostic support during disease outbreaks
Early Outcomes
Since establishing the partnership, Vetinwild has submitted over 150 samples for analysis, including:
- Complete blood counts for anemic wildlife patients
- Bacterial cultures for wound infections
- Serology for disease surveillance programs
- Toxicology screening for suspected poisoning cases
The collaboration has significantly improved diagnostic accuracy and reduced turnaround times from weeks to days in many cases.
Looking Ahead
Vetinwild and Lancet Kenya plan to expand their partnership through joint research projects, development of wildlife-specific diagnostic panels, and establishment of a reference database for common wildlife species in northern Kenya.
This partnership exemplifies the importance of cross-sector collaboration in advancing wildlife medicine and One Health approaches to disease prevention and control.
