ACVIM and hot research: Vector-borne disease and more

This podcast episode is sponsored by Antech Diagnostics

On this special episode of the Vet Blast Podcast presented by dvm360, Michelle Evason, BSc, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM), MRCVS, joins our host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, to preview Antech’s research highlights at the 2025 ACVIM Forum, including all 11 submitted abstracts being accepted. She discusses new PCR panels for vector-borne diseases, head-to-head diagnostic comparisons, practical tools for general practice, and more.

Below is a partial transcript, edited lightly for clarity

Adam Christman, DVM, MBA: So many different conversations to have on what we choose and the why behind the recommendation, and is there one specific piece of research you're most interested in from ACVIM?

Michelle Evason, BSc, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM), MRCVS: You know, it's really hard to choose. I think for me, one of the things that I'm really excited about is a presentation that was submitted from the team, [Christian M. Leutenegger, DrMedVet, BSc, PhD, FVH] will be presenting on the topic of PCR testing for some of these infectious diseases, vector-borne specifically. We are launching, and we actually, we have launched at this time, an updated and expanded PCR panel that's specifically available to look at genetic material from 21 vector-borne disease pathogens, and also includes a marker for atovaquone resistance, which we know is a concern now in cats, for the treatment of for treatment planning, for cytauxzoon felis, and for dogs, for babesia gibsoni and so Christian, Dr Lutnegger, will be presenting his work on that topic, since this test was designed and executed by his team, and we're proud to launch it.

Speaking to the practicality by comparing the panel to the one that most of us specialists regard as, I hate to use the term gold standard, but the panel to use when you're looking for evidence of genetic material on these vector-borne diseases, which is NC State's. And so he'll be presenting a head-to-head comparison at the Forum this year, and I'm really excited to see that one, because, again, I think that's a truly innovative test.

Christman: It really is. You know, when you're talking, I was like, if you look at 5 years ago, when I was doing PCR testing in practice, we didn't have hardly any of that at all. And look how far we've come. That's really exciting, right there