Antech Study Finds KeyScreen™ Detects Twice as Many Parasite-Positive Samples as Two Common Screening Methods Combined

Published in Parasites & Vectors, the study compared KeyScreen GI Parasite PCR with the Fecal Dx™ Antigen Profile with Giardia and centrifugal flotation

LOVELAND, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Antech™, a global leader in veterinary diagnostics, today announced a peer-reviewed study published in Parasites & Vectors with data showing that the KeyScreen™ GI Parasite PCR panel by Antech detected twice as many parasite-positive samples as the Fecal Dx™ Antigen Profile with Giardia (IDEXX Laboratories, Inc.) and centrifugal flotation (O&P) combined.

The study, conducted with scientists at Antech and university researchers, provides veterinarians with new data on the performance of the most common fecal screening methods. In a blinded evaluation of over 1,000 fecal samples, KeyScreen™ demonstrated a superior ability to detect parasites, providing a more complete picture for patient care.

Key findings for the KeyScreen™ GI Parasite PCR panel included:

• Higher detection: KeyScreen detects 1.6× more positives across the same six parasite groups as Fecal Dx™ Antigen Profile with Giardia.
• Better Giardia answers: KeyScreen tells you whether Giardia carries potentially zoonotic assemblages (A/B); Fecal Dx™ can’t. In the study, about 9 in 10 Giardia-positive samples were not A/B, which helps put a positive in context. Fecal Dx™ detected Giardia in only 4 of the 10 samples that were A/B-positive.
• Better-informed treatment decisions: KeyScreen flags benzimidazole-resistance markers (about 1 in 5 hookworm positives) and gives species-level identification, such as Echinococcus vs Taenia, that Fecal Dx™ and flotation don’t provide.

“A screening test is only as good as what it can find,” said Jimmy Barr, DVM, DACVECC, Chief Medical Officer, Antech. “KeyScreen PCR found parasites in twice as many samples as antigen testing and flotation combined, and it adds information on zoonotic risk and drug resistance that other methods can’t provide.”

In this study, KeyScreen™ alone detected parasites in twice as many samples as the Fecal Dx™ antigen panel and flotation combined. Flotation identified parasites in only 6 of 1,013 samples (0.6%) that KeyScreen did not detect, supporting KeyScreen as the primary fecal screen, with flotation reserved for selected cases.

The full study, “Comparison of gastrointestinal parasite detection methods in fecal samples from dogs and cats in the United States: qPCR, coproantigen immunoassays, and centrifugal flotation,” is available open access in Parasites & Vectors: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-026-07735-0

About KeyScreen™

Antech’s KeyScreen GI Parasite PCR is an advanced molecular diagnostic panel that uses real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to detect the DNA of 20 different intestinal parasites in dogs and cats. The test is designed to provide veterinarians with a more comprehensive and clinically actionable view of parasite infections, including information on drug resistance and zoonotic potential.

About Antech™

Antech, a Mars Science & Diagnostics company, is a global leader in veterinary diagnostics, driven by the belief that Better Petcare is in our DNA. Antech offers veterinarians a connected, comprehensive diagnostic ecosystem to help deliver improved animal health outcomes across a global network of reference laboratories, in-house diagnostics, Sound™ imaging equipment, imaging services, and software. For more information, please visit antechdiagnostics.com and join us on LinkedIn.

The referenced KeyScreen™ study was authored by researchers from Antech Diagnostics, Colorado State University, and Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Several authors are employees of Antech Diagnostics, and KeyScreen™ GI Parasite PCR is an Antech Diagnostics product. Full disclosures are available in the published manuscript.

KeyScreen™ is a trademark of Antech Diagnostics, Inc. Fecal Dx™ is a trademark of IDEXX Laboratories, Inc.