Vector-borne diseases
Diagnostic testing for:
Tick-borne diseases
- Lyme disease
- Babesiosis
- Anaplasmosis
- Ehrlichiosis
- Powassan virus
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF)
- Borrelia miyamotoi disease
- Alpha-gal syndrome
- Heartland virus
Mosquito-borne diseases
- Malaria
- West Nile virus
- Eastern equine virus
- Western equine virus
- California (La Crosse) virus
- St. Louis encephalitis virus
- Chikungunya virus
- Zika virus
- Dengue virus
Other vector-borne diseases
- Visceral leishmaniasis
- Parasite identification (arthropods)
- Chagas disease
Our vector-borne disease directors
Bobbi Pritt, M.D., is certified by the American Board of Pathology in clinical and anatomic pathology and microbiology. Her research interests include the evaluation and development of novel laboratory methods to aid in the diagnosis of parasitic and vector-borne diseases. Dr. Pritt works collaboratively with academic and public health partners to provide laboratory diagnostics and education in these areas to a global population. Some of her recent work resulted in the implementation of rapid and highly sensitive molecular tests for malaria, microsporidiosis, Lyme disease, and Borrelia miyamotoi infection. Dr. Pritt also played a key role in discovering and describing two new tick-borne pathogens: Ehrlichia muris eauclairensis and Borrelia mayonii. The latter bacterium causes Lyme disease in the upper Midwestern United States.
Elitza Theel, Ph.D., is certified by the American Board of Medical Microbiology. Her research interests include development and evaluation of novel methods for antibody and antigen detection as diagnostics, specifically for vector-borne and fungal diseases. Dr. Theel also spearheads an international laboratory outreach initiative in Belize. This initiative is focused on increasing the in-country diagnostic testing capacity for vector-borne diseases and enhancing the current quality assurance/quality control practices in clinical laboratories throughout the country.
News and updates
The latest
The increased prevalence of certain tick- and mosquito-borne illnesses, the benefits of an algorithmic testing approach, and the growing importance of co-infection testing.
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.
In this “Hot Topic,” Elitza Theel, Ph.D., discusses how common cases of presumed Lyme disease go unreported each year and discusses scenarios in which testing for Lyme disease is indicated and reviews both recommended and inappropriate testing methodologies. The overall focus is on performance of the CDC endorsed two-tiered serologic testing algorithm and the latest CDC recommendations.
During summer activities, it's bound to happen. But how dangerous is it to accidentally swallow a bug? Bobbi Pritt, M.D., a microbiologist, pathologist, and Director of the Clinical Parasitology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, discusses when swallowing an insect is harmless and which ones can be dangerous in The Wall Street Journal column entitled, "Burning Question."
References
- World malaria report 2021 (who.int)
- Final Cumulative Maps and Data | West Nile Virus | CDC