Antibody-based lateral flow chromatographic assays for detecting fish and shrimp pathogens: A technical review

Lateral flow immunoassays (LFIAs) are point-of-care detection systems based on the principle of immunochromatography. They have several advantages, including a relatively low manufacturing cost and a simple, rapid, and user-friendly application. A standard LFIA strip generally consists of two target-specific antibodies (one anti-species antibody and one bio-recognition element) and one reaction platform comprised of overlapped membranes, viz., sample pad, conjugate pad, reaction pad, and absorption pad. Depending on the pathogen of interest, preferences of manufacturing materials, reaction formats, selection of target tissue, choice of application buffer, and concentrations of antibodies can vary. Recently, as many as 22 LFIA detection devices have been reported for use in aquaculture, including nine devices for detecting fish pathogens and 13 devices that target shrimp pathogens. In this review article, we will summarize reported findings in terms of their technical aspects, manufacturing elements, and quality parameters for pathogen detection to present cumulative baseline data that might help us develop new LFIA devices for other significant pathogens in aquaculture.