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Teamwork is critical among staff from Mayo Clinic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Minnesota Department of Health, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison in order to keep tabs on tick trends and defend against vector-borne diseases.

Greg Widseth was suddenly hit by a rare disease that prompted his immune system to attack his brain cells, resulting in as many as 60 seizures a day. Special blood and spinal fluid tests developed by Mayo Medical Laboratories confirmed that Widseth had antibodies known to target certain brain cells.