BALLYCLARE-based diagnostics company Linnodee has added a customer from
Mongolia to its growing list of export destinations.

The company, which specialises in the development of diagnostic tests for
infectious diseases, primarily in the livestock sector, received the order last
week from a veterinarian in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar.

Linnodee will supply the customer with a device for the detection of
leptospirosis in pigs. The disease, although under-recognised, is a growing
concern in many parts of the world in both humans and animals, and has been the
focus of Linnodee’s research operations for some years.

Dr Ernest Logan, company director, said: “We are delighted that our products
are generating interest from so far afield. With so many businesses struggling
financially, it is reassuring to see that a small Northern Ireland company can
make a global impact. I think this is testament to the quality of our products
and staff.”

Having recently employed several new staff members including a specialised
R&D scientist, Linnodee has been striving over the past months to improve
its product performance and expand its global customer base.

The company already supplies leptospirosis kits to many of the leading
laboratories in the UK and Ireland, with their bovine leptospirosis kits widely
used in cattle health schemes. The tests have been exported to customers
throughout Europe and have been used in studies by animal health giant Pfizer,
but sales to more distant locations are a boost to exports and their
international profile.

The tests were developed in collaboration with experts at the OIE
Leptospiral Reference Laboratory in Belfast and have come to market at a time
when leptospirosis is increasingly being recognised as a significant cause of
productivity losses in the livestock industry.

Dr Logan who is also a research vet, explains: “Leptospirosis is often
responsible for reduced fertility and reproductive losses in livestock animals.
The problem is that it spreads slowly and is difficult to detect so often the
farmer is unaware of the infection and of the reduction in farm profitability
caused by it.”

He adds: “Luckily the disease is now receiving more attention, especially as
farmers become more business-minded and increasingly work to maximise yields by
improving the health of their animals. We expect that countries like Mongolia,
who are developing their agricultural sectors, will be a growing market for
leptospirosis testing, and we hope that our products can lead the way.”

Source: http://www.farminglife.com