VETFIRE™: bioMérieux launches cutting-edge equine infectious respiratory disease testing

Marcy-l’Étoile, France – June 3^rd, 2025,– bioMérieux, a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics, today announced the launch of VETFIRE™, a ready-to-use PCR kit that makes testing for equine infectious respiratory diseases easier and faster.

Providing highly accurate results in less than 20 minutes, bioMérieux’s latest cutting-edge diagnostic test, called VETFIRE™, leverages advanced PCR technology, renowned for its high sensitivity and reliability, to provide a complete solution for the simultaneous detection of seven infectious respiratory pathogens in horses*.

David Smart, Global Veterinary Business Developer at bioMérieux, says: “This new diagnostic test is a landmark moment in equine healthcare. By providing rapid and accurate results, this simple test, which uses a nasopharyngeal swab, empowers veterinarians to make informed decisions about treatment and management, improving overall animal health.”

Respiratory pathogens are one of the biggest day-to-day concerns for equine veterinarians. The impact of infectious respiratory outbreaks is still front of mind following the 2019 equine influenza epidemic in Europe, which caused disruption to equestrian events in Britain, including the brief cancellation of horseracing in February, and interruption to many equine gatherings later in the year – notwithstanding the equine welfare impact arising from clinical disease. The economic impact of such an outbreak can be devastating, as was seen in Australia in 2007, when a widespread equine influenza outbreak had a A$1 billion impact on the industry.

Against this backdrop, VETFIRE™ can be used in a range of scenarios, including:

• Facilitating the better management of equine health where there are suspicions of respiratory infections, due to the test’s ability to quickly identify causative agents and support informed decisions around when animals should be isolated or treated.
• Mitigating the impact of an outbreak of a respiratory disease within a contained area e.g. in a training yard or wider area. The simplicity and speed of the test means that suspected outbreaks can be managed much more effectively, with positive cases identified at speed to allow for quarantine measures to prevent the spread of diseases.
• Overtime, it could become part of the standard testing processes ahead of horses travelling domestically or internationally for competition, ensuring they are healthy and fit to compete.

Crucially, bioMérieux’s new PCR-based test not only identifies the presence of infectious respiratory diseases but can inform the course of treatment – with the test detecting if an infection is caused by one of six viruses and/or a strain of bacteria. Playing an important role in antibiotic stewardship, the test’s capability to distinguish between viral and bacterial infections is hugely important for ensuring antibiotics are used appropriately when required to reduce the risk of resistance.

Pierre Rouppert, Global VETFIRE™ Product Manager, commented: “bioMérieux draws on more than 60 years of innovation in the field of infectious diseases to bring the same level of expertise to veterinary diagnostics as it does to human health – and we are excited about the opportunities offered by the veterinary market to extend the footprint of our VETFIRE™ technology.”

The VETFIRE™ test is performed on the BIOFIRE^® SPOTFIRE^® System, the latest advancement in molecular infectious disease diagnostics from bioMérieux for Point-of-Care testing. The cutting-edge equine infectious respiratory disease test is commercially available in United Kingdom, Ireland and France, with possible expansion plans to other countries in the near future.

* Equine Herpesvirus type 1, Equine Herpesvirus type 4, Influenza A, Equine Rhinovirus A, Equine Rhinovirus B, Equine Adenovirus 1, Streptococcus equi equi