SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549


                                    FORM 8-K


                                 CURRENT REPORT
                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934



Date of report (Date of earliest event reported):           September 14, 2000



                           MERIDIAN DIAGNOSTICS, INC.
      ---------------------------------------------------------------------
               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)


                                      Ohio
      ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                 (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)


          0-14902                                          31-0888197
- -------------------------------                ---------------------------------
   (Commission File Number)                                (IRS Employer
                                                       Identification Number)




                             3471 River Hills Drive
                             Cincinnati, Ohio 45244
      ---------------------------------------------------------------------
               (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)



       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (513) 271-3700








Item 5.   Other Events.

     On September 14, 2000 Meridian Diagnostics, Inc., announced it had executed
definitive  agreements to acquire all of the outstanding  capital stock of Viral
Antigens, Inc. (VAI) based in Memphis Tennessee.  The purchase price includes $9
million in cash and earnout opportunities over the next six years. VAI's current
management will remain intact.  Viral  Antigens,  founded in 1982, is one of the
country's leading manufacturers of custom and specialty viral reagents for human
infectious disease.  VAI's highly specialized  proprietary know-how gives it the
ability to produce bioproteins for new drug and vaccine discovery.

This  acquisition  is an  important  element in  Meridian's  recently  announced
initiative to expand its capabilities in biotechnology, reagent development, and
other  services  that  will  aid  in  the  discovery  and   realization  of  new
pharmaceuticals,  vaccines, and diagnostics.  More specifically,  Viral Antigens
will  provide the  resources  necessary  to  identify,  develop and  manufacture
specific proteins for  biotechnology.  These specific proteins are essential for
the creation of new vaccines, drugs and early detection diagnostics.

John A. Kraeutler,  President, stated, "By acquiring Viral Antigens, Meridian is
well  positioned  to expand it's  activities in supplying  reagent-grade  source
biologicals,  participating  in early stage drug and vaccine  discovery,  and in
veterinary   diagnostic  testing.   Through  our  focused  investment  in  VAI's
technological   capabilities,   Meridian  will  broaden  its   opportunities  in
proteomics and other key growth sectors."

Dr.  Preston  Dorsett,  President of Viral  Antigens,  stated,  " As part of the
Meridian  team,  VAI  will  accelerate  its  entry  into  the  biopharmaceutical
manufacturing  markets by accessing Meridian's global marketing and distribution
network.  The  pharmaceutical  industry  is under  intense  pressure  to  reduce
development  time and expand quickly into new markets.  New  opportunities  have
been created for manufacturers that can comply with CBER regulations and produce
pilot scale  biopharmaceuticals.  VAI has focused on partnering with early-stage
biotechnology   companies  that  have  strong  research  capabilities  but  lack
manufacturing experience.  Our new facility is specially designed for production
and  purification  of bioproteins  using  gene-based  recombinant  technologies,
techniques   especially  important  for  the  biotechnology   industry.  We  are
enthusiastic about these new directions and assure our current customers that we
will maintain  VAI's high level of service and product  quality.  VAI has been a
trusted supplier of complex biological raw materials to the diagnostics industry
for the past 18  years  and will  continue  to  supply  our  customers  from our
facilities in Memphis, TN."

Meridian Diagnostics, Inc. is a fully integrated medical diagnostic company that
manufactures,  markets and  distributes a broad range of  innovative  diagnostic
test kits,  purified  reagents  and  related  products.  Utilizing  a variety of
technologies, these products provide accuracy, simplicity and speed in the early
diagnosis and treatment of common medical conditions,  such as gastrointestinal,
viral,  urinary and  respiratory  infections.  All  Meridian  products  are used
outside  of the human  body and  require  little or no  special  equipment.  The
Company's products are designed to enhance patient well-being while reducing the
total outcome costs of healthcare.  Meridian has strong market  positions in the
areas of gastrointestinal infections,  serology, parasitology and fungal disease
diagnosis.   The  Company   markets  its   products  to   hospitals,   reference
laboratories,  research centers and physician  offices in more than 60 countries
around the world.  The  Company's  shares are  traded  through  Nasdaq  National
Market,    symbol   KITS.    Meridian    Diagnostics'    website    address   is
www.meridiandiagnostics.com.




FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe harbor from
civil  litigation  for  forward-looking  statements  accompanied  by  meaningful
cautionary  statements.  These statements  identify important factors that could
cause actual  results to differ  materially  from those that might be projected.
Meridian's  continued growth depends,  in part, on its ability to introduce into
the  marketplace   enhancements  of  existing  products  or  new  products  that
incorporate  technological  advances,  meet customer requirements and respond to
products  developed  by  the  Company's  competition.   While  the  Company  has
introduced approximately 35 internally-developed  products since 1991, there can
be no assurance  that it will be  successful in the future in  introducing  such
products on a timely basis. Ongoing consolidations of reference laboratories and
formation of  multi-hospital  alliances may cause adverse changes to pricing and
distribution.  One of  Meridian's  main  growth  strategies  is  acquisition  of
companies  and  product  lines.  There  can  be  no  assurance  that  additional
acquisitions will be consummated or that, if consummated, will be successful and
the acquired businesses successfully integrated into Meridian's operations.



                                   SIGNATURES

Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934,  the
Registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned hereto duly authorized.


                                   MERIDIAN DIAGNOSTICS, INC.



Dated: September 14, 2000         By:  /s/ Melissa Lueke
                                       ---------------------------------
                                           Melissa Lueke
                                           Corporate Controller
                                           (Acting Principal Accounting Officer)