INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Recognizing Dr. Pritt’s innovative work in medical education, the Infectious Diseases Society of America is highlighting her role as an educator in its monthly series.

In this month's "Hot Topic," Elitza Theel, Ph.D., will be discussing laboratory utilization management, specifically for diagnostic testing for tick-borne diseases.

In this month’s “Hot Topic,” Nancy Wengenack, Ph.D., discusses susceptibility testing of yeast for those who are considering performing it in their laboratory, perhaps for the first time, or for those who choose to send their yeast isolates out to a reference laboratory for susceptibility testing but who want to understand how the reference laboratory generates the data that comes back on reports.

Audrey Schuetz, M.D., provides a detailed overview of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ new culture-based extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) testing. Used to screen for the presence of multi-drug resistant gram-negative bacteria in donor stool intended for fecal microbiota transplantation, the screening test is performed on stool or swab samples taken from around the anus to detect potentially harmful ESBL bacteria that could jeopardize the outcomes of fecal microbiota transplants -- especially in patients who carry the bacteria in their gut without getting sick.

Joseph Yao, M.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ SARS four-target test for viral respiratory disease can enhance patient care. The test detects RNA from SARS-CoV-2, influenza A, influenza B and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. RSV — which poses significant risks for infants and patients with underlying health conditions — can be treated if diagnosed early.

If you need a test for COVID-19, a variety of options are now available. But how do you know which one is right for you? Use this guide from Mayo Clinic Laboratories to sort through the choices and help you decide.

This week on the podcast, Brad Karon, M.D., Ph.D., chair of Mayo Clinic’s Division of Clinical Core Laboratory Services, joins "Answers From the Lab" with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. and William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D. This episode focuses on at-home testing for COVID-19, including the types of tests that are available, when they should be used, and how well they work.

With the omicron variant grabbing headlines around the world, media outlets have turned to experts like Dr. Binnicker to help clarify the effect this new variant could have and what it might mean for the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a recent Wall Street Journal article, the director of Mayo Clinic’s Infectious Diseases Serology Laboratory, Elitza Theel, Ph.D., was among a group of experts discussing the value of COVID-19 antibody testing.

Audrey Schuetz, M.D., discusses Mayo Clinic Laboratories' PCR assay that identifies two recently described staphylococcus species. The assay is unique in its ability to distinguish the new organisms from Staphylococcus aureus, providing clearer results that ultimately improve patient care.

Director of Mayo Clinic’s Infectious Diseases Serology Laboratory, Elitza Theel, Ph.D., joins a discussion about COVID-19 antibody testing in a recent story on NPR.

Mayo Clinic Laboratories has been key to Minnesota’s COVID-19 testing strategy since the start of the pandemic. At their height in 2020, Mayo’s COVID-19 labs were running 24/7, processing up to 90,000 COVID-19 specimens a day. Dr. Morice explains what Mayo Clinic Laboratories is doing now to handle the latest surge.