Microbiology / Infectious Disease

Mayo Clinic and the University of Notre Dame’s Eck Institute for Global Health have launched a four-tiered joint project to better characterize and further assist in the detection of vector-borne infectious diseases in Belize.

In the war against microbes, human beings are vastly outnumbered—and losing the weapons race.

Bobbi Pritt, M.D., Director of the Clinical Parasitology Laboratory and Co-Director of Mayo’s Vector-Borne Diseases Laboratory Services, co-authored an article review in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology on an update on malaria diagnostics and test utilization.

The algorithm can be viewed here.

An algorithm is a step-by-step procedure to guide clinicians and laboratorians in appropriate laboratory test ordering.

In the United States, Lyme disease is caused by "Borrelia burgdorferi" and "Borrelia mayonii" bacteria, carried primarily by "black-legged" or "deer ticks." To learn more about Lyme disease, the Mayo Clinic Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and its reference laboratory Mayo Medical Laboratories have developed “The ABCs of Lyme Disease” flash cards.

To help you learn more about Lyme disease, “The ABCs of Lyme Disease” flash cards include information about symptoms, treatment, and other important facts.

Once confined to the southern part of the U.S., the lone star tick is now being found further north and west, and so are reports of allergic reactions to meat following a tick bite. Bobbi Pritt, M.D., Medical Director of the Clinical Parasitology Laboratory and Co-Director of Vector-Borne Diseases Laboratory Services at Mayo Clinic, weighs in.

Bobbi Pritt, M.D., Medical Director of the Clinical Parasitology Laboratory and Co-Director of Vector-Borne Diseases Laboratory Services at Mayo Clinic, discusses why the role of the white-footed mouse is so important in spreading tick-borne diseases.

Despite what you may have been told when you were younger, smothering or burning ticks is not a good idea. The correct removal method is even easier. Watch this video to learn how from Bobbi Pritt, M.D., a Mayo Clinic parasitic diseases expert.

Whether you’re camping, hiking, or just playing near woods this summer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says tick bites should be top of mind. Bobbi Pritt, M.D., a Mayo Clinic parasitic diseases expert, weighs in on ways to avoid ticks.

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.

In a recent article in the Star Tribune, Bobbi Pritt, M.D., Director of the Clinical Parasitology Laboratory in Mayo Clinic’s Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, weighs in on bugs present in Minnesota to watch out for this summer.