Early Tick-Borne Disease Diagnosis with Molecular Testing: Knowing What's at Stake

Presented By: Neil Anderson, MD - Assistant Medical Director, Barnes Jewish Clinical Microbiology Laboratory Speaker Biography: Neil Anderson is certified in anatomic and clinical pathology and is a diplomat of the American Board of Medical Microbiology. He is currently an assistant professor at Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis and is an assistant director of medical microbiology at Barnes Jewish Hospital. His areas of expertise include virology, serology, and the molecular testing for infectious diseases. Webinar: Early Tick-Borne Disease Diagnosis with Molecular Testing: Knowing What's at Stake Webinar Abstract: Ticks are currently considered to be second only to mosquitoes as vectors of human infectious diseases in the world. Each tick species has preferred environmental conditions and habitat that determine the geographic distribution of the ticks and, consequently, the risk areas for tick-borne diseases. Tick-borne diseases are becoming more frequently diagnosed as the cause of human infections as animal reservoirs and tick vectors have increased in numbers and humans have inhabited areas where reservoir and tick populations are high. Ticks may become infected and harbor one or more disease-causing agents (e.g. bacteria, viruses, or parasites) and co-infection can also occur, compounding the difficulty in diagnosis and treatment. Co-infections often prove to cause worse symptoms than a single infection alone. In most cases, patients present severe atypical clinical manifestations, wider range of secondary symptoms, and longer recovery. Co-infections can be challenging to diagnose, as clinical features of tick-borne diseases often overlap. Identifying and treating polymicrobial infections are critical as morbidity and mortality increases substantially if there are delays in diagnosis and treatment. Learning Objectives: -Explain the general background of tick-borne diseases. -Understand the benefits and limitations of various diagnostic methods for tick-borne diseases. -Discuss the implications of tick-borne infections and manifestations. Earn PACE Credits: 1. Make sure you’re a registered member of LabRoots (https://www.labroots.com/webinar/tick...) 2. Watch the webinar on YouTube or on the LabRoots Website (https://www.labroots.com/webinar/tick...) 3. Click Here to get your PACE credits (Expiration date – April 24, 2021 09:00 AM): https://www.labroots.com/credit/pace-... LabRoots on Social: Facebook:   / labrootsinc   Twitter:   / labroots   LinkedIn:   / labroots   Instagram:   / labrootsinc   Pinterest:   / labroots   SnapChat: labroots_inc