A rapid “point-of-care” test for the diagnosis of Insect Bite Hypersensitivity in horses.

Insect Bite Hypersensitivity (IBH) is the most common skin allergy in horses, affecting 10-15% of all horses. In these IBH-affected horses the bites of midges cause an intense itch, which triggers excessive scratching, resulting in hair loss and wounds that often get infected. Over the past 12 years, the Cell Biology and Immunology group at Wageningen University has worked on the development of an effective immunotherapy and a reliable diagnostic test for IBH. Based on a unique set of reagents developed during this research, we aim to develop a rapid Point-of-Care diagnostic IBH-test that can diagnose IBH within minutes.