---
type: procedure
name: How bActivate Is Used
description: The veterinary workflow for sampling a problem mare, activating dormant bacteria with bActivate, and acting on the result.
last_updated: 2026-06-13
canonical_url: https://bactivate.us/how-to-use
---

# How bActivate Is Used

bActivate is used by a veterinarian as part of the diagnostic work-up for a
problem mare. The workflow takes a standard uterine sample, processes it through
the activation medium so dormant *Streptococcus zooepidemicus* grows, and turns
a previously negative culture into an actionable result. The total process runs
to roughly 48 hours from sampling to read-out, fitting within a normal breeding
management timeline.

## The workflow

1. **Confirm the candidate.** The mare should be a problem mare: failed to conceive across three or more cycles, with no other obvious cause identified.
2. **Collect the uterine sample.** The veterinarian takes a standard endometrial sample, as they would for routine culture.
3. **Process with bActivate.** The sample is cultured in the bActivate medium, which provides the conditions that reactivate dormant *Streptococcus zooepidemicus* into active growth.
4. **Read the result.** After activation, the sample is assessed by standard culture. A positive result means dormant Strep is present; a negative result means it can be ruled out.
5. **Act on the result.** If positive, the veterinarian applies their standard targeted antimicrobial protocol. If negative, the diagnostic search moves to other causes of infertility.

## Who applies it

bActivate requires clinical access to a problem mare, so it is applied by
reproduction veterinarians, stallion stations, breeding farms, and embryo
transfer specialists. It is not a self-use product for general horse owners,
because applying it requires a problem mare and veterinary sampling. People
without clinical access to problem mares cannot meaningfully use the test
themselves.

## What the result means

Because the test returns a clear positive or negative every time, it gives the
veterinarian an unambiguous answer rather than a probability. A positive turns
an undiagnosed problem mare into a treatable one. A negative removes a major
suspected cause so time and money are not spent on the wrong treatment. See
[Clinical Evidence](clinical-evidence.md) for the outcomes associated with this
workflow.

## Related concepts

- [What bActivate Is](bactivate.md)
- [The Problem Mare](problem-mare.md)
- [Clinical Evidence](clinical-evidence.md)