Evidence-based testing for detection and identification
Our internationally renowned clinical microbiology laboratories offer a broad selection of tests designed for rapid identification and in-depth characterization of the causative agents of infectious diseases. We have developed and implemented culture techniques, immunoassays, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and molecular methods for rapid detection, identification, and characterization, as well as provision of treatment guidance for microbial pathogens.
“We're always trying to develop new methods, broader methods, faster methods, less expensive methods.”
Nancy Wengenack, Ph.D., Division of Clinical Microbiology
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In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, to discuss recent news about drug-resistant infections. Later, Paul Jannetto, Ph.D., director of the Clinical and Forensic Toxicology Lab, Clinical Mass Spectrometry Lab, and Metals Lab, joins Dr. Pritt for the deep dive segment. Together, they explore how diagnostics are shaping the future of therapeutics.
Mayo Clinic Laboratories is one of the few laboratories in the country to offer two special sequencing-based tests for bacteria in its catalog. The first test is designed to help protect patients by investigating potential outbreaks of a single bacterial species or by identifying recurrent infections in an individual patient. The second has the ability to detect DNA of any bacteria to help identify the cause of an infection.
Blacklegged ticks (also known as deer ticks) are turning up more frequently in Minnesota, and so are the diseases they carry. Bobbi Pritt, a parasitologist in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, weighs in on the issue.
Joseph Yao, M.D., gives an overview of this new test available through Mayo Clinic Laboratories. He discusses when this testing should be ordered, how this testing improves upon other testing approaches, and what clinical action can be taken due to the results of this testing.
In this month’s “Hot Topic,” Elitza Theel, Ph.D., will discuss diagnostic testing options for patients with suspected neuroinvasive Lyme disease or Lyme neuroborreliosis.
In this month’s “Hot Topic,” Elitza Theel, Ph.D. will discuss a new interferon-gamma release assay that can assist in the detection of individuals that are infected with tuberculosis.
In the war against microbes, human beings are vastly outnumbered—and losing the weapons race.
To help you learn more about Lyme disease, “The ABCs of Lyme Disease” flash cards include information about symptoms, treatment, and other important facts.
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.
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.
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.
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.