Posted: April 30, 2021

On June 8, 2021, ADL hosted the annual Practitioners’ Meeting, a one-day continuing education event primarily for veterinarians who utilized the diagnostics services offered by ADL. This year, like last, the event was held virtually due to the ongoing pandemic, but the event will hopefully be held in-person in 2022. 52 veterinarians were in attendance. The focus of this year’s meeting was on diagnosing causes of abortion and reproductive losses in ruminants, and also included updates from the PA Department of Agriculture. Other topics included a timely update from Dr. Suresh Kuchipudi on emerging coronaviruses in livestock, an update on the application of whole-genome sequencing technology in routine diagnostic submissions, and an overview of clostridial diseases in domestic animals. Dr. Fred Williams III, a veterinary pathologist from the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine with an interest in reproductive pathology, was the keynote speaker. He gave an engaging and well-illustrated overview of the common causes of abortion in ruminants. The meeting was well-received by attendees, with 97% of attendees rating it above average to excellent. A common response from attendees was the desire for face-to-face interactions, which will hopefully happen next year. In the words of one participant, “Overall, I think this was one of the best ADL practitioners' meeting ever. It was focused, high quality, useful information.” For additional information, please contact Erin Luley at ehl5008@psu.edu