Patent ID: 7842513

Claim:
A method of detecting pregnancy in a female sheep or cow comprising detecting interferon-stimulated gene 17 (ISG17) in a test sample of blood or serum from a female sheep or cow, said method comprising: (a) providing an immunoassay test device comprising: i. at least one absorbent support; ii. an antibody specific to said ISG17 on a said absorbent support; iii a flow control component on a said absorbent support; iv. means for detecting binding of said antibody with said ISG17; and v. means for comparing the binding level of ISG17 in the test sample with a background binding level of ISG17 in a control sample from a non-pregnant animal of the same species; (b) flowing the sample into the immunoassay test device into contact with the antibody; (c) detecting a binding level of said antibody with said ISG17 in the test sample greater than that of the binding level of said antibody with ISG17 in a control sample from a non-pregnant animal of the same species, said greater binding level of said antibody with ISG17 in the test sample being indicative of pregnancy; and wherein said method does not comprise a cell-lysing step.