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Cytomegalovirus (CMV) causes life-threatening disease, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. CMV antivirals are toxic and before 2010 there was no standard for quantifying patients' viral load to enable precise use of these drugs. Research at Cardiff University led to the isolation and characterisation of wild-type CMV strain Merlin. The strain was recognised by the WHO in 2010 as the best source of the CMV genome and adopted as the international prototype strain and PCR standard. All major pharmaceutical companies offering CMV testing swiftly recalibrated their kits, and now market the assays as standardised against the strain. As a consequence, the Standard is improving clinical CMV disease definition and regulation of antiviral therapy, aiding the management of toxicity and resistance worldwide.
Viral infections pose a significant risk of long-term disease and death to cats. In Europe alone, over 30 million domestic cats are vaccinated each year against three core pathogenic viruses. Research performed at the University of Glasgow has systematically supported the development of key technologies against major feline viral diseases. This work has delivered incremental but wide-reaching benefits to veterinary healthcare and animal welfare by providing: (i) reagents used in the diagnostic industry; (ii) viral screening services for big cat conservation programmes; (iii) developmental input into the creation of one of the most efficacious and widely used vaccines against feline leukaemia virus; (iv) testing of feline vaccines for efficacy and safety; and (v) development of best practice guidelines and training for veterinary practitioners on feline viruses.