From Bench to Diagnosis: The Use of MALDI-TOF in Veterinary Microbiology
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5380/avs.v31i2.102904Keywords:
Continued expansion of veterinary-specific databases, protocol standardization, and integration with molecular approaches are essential to maximize global diagnostic and One Health impact.Abstract
Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has transformed routine diagnostic microbiology by enabling rapid, accurate, and cost-effective identification of microorganisms from cultured isolates. This qualitative narrative review critically synthesizes evidence on the use of MALDI-TOF MS in veterinary microbiology published between January 2000 and January 2026, focusing on principles, diagnostic applications, performance, limitations, and future perspectives. An active literature search was conducted in SciELO, PubMed, Virtual Health Library (VHL), Scopus, and Web of Science using controlled descriptors and free keywords in English, Spanish, and Portuguese related to MALDI-TOF MS, veterinary microbiology, microbial identification, and One Health. Overall, 162 records were retrieved; after deduplication and screening, 46 articles were assessed in full text and 24 met eligibility criteria for qualitative synthesis. The included studies were categorized by microorganism group (bacteria, yeasts, filamentous fungi), animal host (companion animals, livestock, wildlife, exotic species), geographic region, and diagnostic application. Evidence indicates that MALDI-TOF MS is most robust for bacterial identification, frequently achieving high species-level accuracy with substantially reduced turnaround time compared with conventional biochemical methods, and supporting high-throughput workflows relevant to clinical practice, food safety, and antimicrobial resistance surveillance. Yeast identification also shows favorable performance when supported by curated spectral libraries, whereas filamentous fungi remain more technically challenging due to extraction and database constraints. Adoption is geographically uneven, with most studies originating from Europe and North America, while implementation in underrepresented regions remains limited. Continued expansion of veterinary-specific databases, protocol standardization, and integration with molecular approaches are essential to maximize global diagnostic and One Health impact.
References
ASHFAQ, M. Y.; DA’NA, D. A.; AL-GHOUTI, M. A. Application of MALDI-TOF MS for identification of environmental bacteria: a review. Journal of Environmental Management, v. 305, 2022.
BISWAS, S.; ROLAIN, J. M. Use of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry for identification of bacteria that are difficult to culture. Journal of Microbiological Methods, v. 92, n. 1, p. 14–24, 2013.
BIZZINI, A. et al. Performance of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry for identification of bacterial strains routinely isolated in a clinical microbiology laboratory. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, v. 49, n. 4, p. 1549–1554, 2011.
CARBONNELLE, E. et al. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry tools for bacterial identification in clinical microbiology laboratory. Clinical Biochemistry, v. 44, n. 1, p. 104–109, 2011.
CLARK, A. E. et al. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry: a fundamental shift in the routine practice of clinical microbiology. Clinical Microbiology Reviews, v. 26, n. 3, p. 547–603, 2013.
COUTURIER, M. R. et al. Clinical and financial benefits of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry for routine bacterial identification. Clinical Microbiology Reviews, v. 29, n. 3, p. 623–643, 2016.
CROXATTO, A.; PROD’HOM, G.; GREUB, G. Application of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry in clinical diagnostic microbiology. FEMS Microbiology Reviews, v. 36, n. 2, p. 380–407, 2012.
FENSELAU, C.; DEMIREV, P. A. Characterization of intact microorganisms by MALDI mass spectrometry. Mass Spectrometry Reviews, v. 20, n. 4, p. 157–171, 2001.
KANG, L. et al. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry provides high accuracy in identification of Salmonella at species level but is limited for serovar differentiation. Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, v. 11, n. 2, 2017.
LAY, J. O. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry of bacteria. Mass Spectrometry Reviews, v. 20, n. 4, p. 172–194, 2001.
LOPES, T. S. et al. MALDI-TOF bacterial subtyping for rapid detection of biomarkers in Staphylococcus aureus from subclinical bovine mastitis. Journal of Applied Microbiology, v. 134, n. 11, 2023.
LOPES, T. S. et al. Species identification and antimicrobial susceptibility of staphylococci isolated from bovine mastitis using MALDI-TOF MS. Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira, v. 42, 2022.
MANUKUMAR, H. M. et al. MALDI-TOF-MS based identification and molecular characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in food samples. Scientific Reports, v. 7, 2017.
NEVILLE, S. A. et al. Utility of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry following introduction for routine laboratory bacterial identification. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, v. 49, n. 8, p. 2980–2984, 2011.
OLIVEIRA, T. C. A. et al. Identification of bovine mastitis pathogens using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry in Brazil. Journal of Dairy Research, v. 88, n. 3, p. 302–306, 2021.
PAGE, M. J.; et al. The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, v. 372, p. n71, 2021.
PATEL, R. MALDI-TOF MS for the diagnosis of infectious diseases. Clinical Chemistry, v. 61, n. 1, p. 100–111, 2015.
PETERS, M. D. J.; et al. Updated methodological guidance for the conduct of scoping reviews. JBI Evidence Synthesis, v. 18, n. 10, p. 2119–2126, 2020.
RANDALL, L. P. et al. Evaluation of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry for the identification of bacteria isolated from animals. Journal of Microbiological Methods, v. 115, p. 1–7, 2015.
SCHMITT, B. H. et al. Implementation of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry in routine clinical microbiology. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, v. 51, n. 6, p. 1836–1840, 2013.
SENG, P. et al. Identification of rare pathogenic bacteria in a clinical microbiology laboratory: impact of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, v. 48, n. 9, p. 3399–3407, 2010.
SULAIMAN, I. M. et al. Single-laboratory performance evaluation of MALDI-TOF MS for identification of Staphylococcus spp., Cronobacter spp., and Vibrio spp. Journal of AOAC International, v. 106, n. 6, 2023.
VAN DEN BELD, M. J. C. et al. MALDI-TOF MS using a custom-made database, biomarker assignment, or mathematical classifiers does not differentiate Shigella spp. and Escherichia coli. Microorganisms, v. 10, n. 2, 2022.
WELKER, M.; MOORE, E. R. B. Applications of whole-cell matrix-assisted laser-desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry in systematic microbiology. Systematic and Applied Microbiology, v. 34, n. 1, p. 2–11, 2011.
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION. Global antimicrobial resistance and use surveillance system (GLASS) report 2023. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2023.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors that wish to publish in AVS agree with the following conditions:
- To keep copyright of the article and allow the AVS to publish the first time. The article will be licensed by Creative Commons - Atribuição 4.0 Internacional allowing the sharing of their work.
- Authors may distribute their work by other channel of distribution (ex.: local or public repository).
- Authors have the permission to publish their work online, using different channels (similar to above), even before the final editorial process.
