Vector-Borne Diseases

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.

Bobbi Pritt, M.D., a Mayo Clinic parasitic diseases expert, says, as the last of the winter's snow melts, ticks start coming up from under the grass looking for a "blood meal." She says that this year, after a relatively mild winter, ticks got an early start. This means that tick season could be particularly busy. In this "Mayo Clinic Minute," Dr. Pritt explains an easy trick to remember the best ways to protect yourself from tick bites.

On the April 22 broadcast of Mayo Clinic Radio, co-hosts Tracy McCray and Tom Shives, M.D., spoke with Bobbi Pritt, M.D., Director of the Clinical Parasitology Laboratory, about an update on Lyme disease predictions for 2017.

With tick season underway in parts of the United States, it's important to understand the signs and symptoms of Lyme disease to determine when to seek medical treatment. Bobbi Pritt, M.D., Director of the Clinical Parasitology Laboratory in Mayo Clinic’s Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, identifies Lyme disease signs and symptoms at AccuWeather.com.

Bobbi Pritt, M.D., Director of the Clinical Parasitology Laboratory in Mayo Clinic’s Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, discussed how to safety remove ticks from skin with AccuWeather.com.

On March 21, Bobbi Pritt, M.D., Director of the Clinical Parasitology Laboratory in Mayo Clinic’s Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, presented “Advances in Diagnosing Tickborne Diseases” during a live webcast for the Centers for Disease Control Public Health Grand Rounds session.

In this “Hot Topic,” Bobbi Pritt, M.D., discusses how Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne illness in the United States and Europe and caused primarily by Borrelia burgdorferi in the United States, while B burgdorferi, B afzelii, and B garinii cause Lyme disease in Europe. We will also discuss using PCR and melting curve analysis to identify a new species of Borrelia.