Advanced Animal Diagnostics (AAD) announced Nov. 1 that it has entered into a license and commercialization agreement with Zoetis to bring AAD’s innovative mastitis detection technology to dairy producers and veterinarians outside the U.S.

AAD said its QScout MLD (milk leukocyte differential) test helps improve milk quality and production by guiding management and treatment decisions. It detects subclinical mastitis at the individual quarter (mammary gland) level before symptoms are visible so dairy producers can intervene at the earliest stages of mastitis and maximize animal well-being. The test runs on AAD’s portable lab-in-a-box diagnostic platform, the QScout Farm Lab, that provides actionable, on-farm test results within minutes per cow, AAD said.

The agreement builds off a successful pilot program that the two companies launched in 2016 in which Zoetis introduced the QScout MLD technology to veterinarians and dairy producers in key European markets.

“Our mission is to give producers rapid diagnostic information that helps them make better, more profitable decisions. As the largest animal health company in the world, Zoetis is an ideal partner to help us accomplish this mission by bringing the benefits of QScout MLD to dairy producers and veterinarians outside of the U.S.,” AAD president and chief executive officer Joy Parr Drach said. “This deal validates our work developing a platform to provide real-time information to detect disease, ensure precise use of antibiotics and improve reproductive, nutritional and overall health status of production animals.”

“We are committed to antibiotic stewardship and the important role that diagnostics can play in helping producers and veterinarians provide the best care for their cows,” said Clint Lewis, Zoetis executive vice president and group president, international operations, commercial development, global genetics and aquatic health. “Early and accurate detection — using technology like QScout MLD — can provide timely information and guide treatment decisions. We look forward to bringing these tools to producers and veterinarians in markets around the world.”

Digital test results on the immune status of each quarter are stored securely through an online portal, which also provides benchmarking information to users.

Mastitis is commonly referred to as the most costly disease in the dairy industry, with an economic impact of billions of dollars each year in the form of reduced milk production, fertility and milk quality and increased culling, the companies said. Recent studies show that subclinical mastitis is costlier than visible clinical mastitis.