Alveo Technologies, Inc., recently announced that studies conducted by the Poultry Research and Diagnostic Center (PDRC) demonstrated that the Alveo Sense™ Poultry Avian Influenza Test successfully detected the H5N1 virus in experimentally infected chickens and ducks during the acute stages of infection.
PDRC, which is part of the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, provides global diagnostic assistance and consultation to poultry producers.
“PDRC’s evaluation and enthusiasm around the ease of use, efficacy and accuracy of the Alveo Sense Poultry Avian Influenza Test is a critical voice of support for our test,” said Shaun Holt, Alveo CEO.
“With our platform, we are shifting the paradigm of diagnostic molecular testing, monitoring and data reporting to rapidly detect and respond to the growing threat of avian flu, empowering industries and agencies to know sooner and act faster. We believe reshaping diagnostics will lead to a healthier and more sustainable future.”
The first-of-its-kind Alveo Sense Poultry Avian Influenza Test is a portable molecular test for notifiable avian influenza (H5 and H7 subtypes), as well as the major global endemic strain affecting commercial poultry production (H9 subtype). Differentiation of H5 and H7 or H9 subtypes is achieved through IntelliSense™, a patented method of direct electrical sensing of nucleic acid amplification.
The self-contained kit includes everything required to run the test. The rugged design of the palm-sized analyzer allows users to test at the Point of Need™ — on the farm and in the field — for different pathogens, and receive fast and accurate results in 45 minutes via a mobile app. No transportation or central lab is needed.
Through the Alveo Vista™ portal, the raw data and analytics from these results can be automatically geotagged, uploaded to the cloud in a private and secure environment and then exported for regulatory agencies and state veterinarians to have actionable insights rapidly. This technology is already in use in the EU, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
Study details
In this two-phase study, PDRC evaluated the performance of the Alveo Sense Poultry Avian Influenza Test Type A H5 H9 to assess its ability to detect high and low pathogenic H5N1 viruses in infected chickens and ducks.
In phase 1, ducks were monitored over five days with two swabs, one oropharyngeal and one cloacal, collected daily from each duck. The samples were analyzed to determine viral load and evaluate the sensitivity of the Alveo Sense Poultry Avian Influenza Test. For phase 2, the research team evaluated H5N1 in chickens and ducks over six days.
Viral detection at low levels
Initial testing of the most complex sample type in ducks — pooled cloacal swabs — demonstrated > 99% accuracy in detecting Type A and H5 targets across all tests, including on day 1 of infection, as well as on day 5, when the pooled viral load was at its lowest. The early time-to-result values of relevant assays underscored the platform’s strong analytical sensitivity and its suitability for detecting viruses.
These findings support the utility of the Alveo Sense Poultry Avian Influenza Test for detecting low levels of H5N1 virus in avian samples and support the feasibility of sample pooling strategies in field-based surveillance efforts.
These results, as well as the results of a recent, more extensive, follow-on study, will be presented at the 15th International Seminar on Poultry Pathology and Production, organized by PDRC and the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, scheduled to take place from August 18 to 22, 2025.
“Properly evaluating poultry for avian flu is critical, requiring enhanced bio-surveillance and biosecurity tools,” said Daniel Perez, PhD, Georgia Research Alliance Distinguished Investigator and Caswell S. Eidson Chair in Poultry Medicine within the PRDC.
“These studies demonstrated that molecular testing with Alveo Sense Poultry Avian Influenza Test produces highly sensitive results at clinically relevant virus shedding levels. These findings support the test’s performance in the field to enable rapid decision-making, timely action and better outcomes. Now more than ever, this type of solution is essential as the bird flu catastrophe continues to worsen,” said Perez.
