Laboratory Diagnosis of Tick-Borne Infections
Part 2
Tick-Borne PCR Panel

July 2010
The tick borne PCR panel consisted of assays for Babesia microti which was negative, Borrelia burgdorferi which was also negative, and finally Ehrlichia and Anaplasma species and this was positive. So just as a reminder, Ehrlichia chaffeensis is the agent of human monocytic ehrlichiosis, otherwise known as HME and Anaplasma phagocytophilum causes a disease called human granulocytic anaplasmosis, otherwise known as HGA. Lastly, there is Ehrlichia ewingii which causes human ewingii ehrlichiosis and this PCR would detect all three of these organisms.
Tick-Borne PCR Panel |
Jump to section:
- Introduction
- Presentation Outline
- Tick-Borne Diseases
- Advantages and Limitations of Conventional Tests
- Molecular Diagnostic Methods Potential Advantages
- Molecular Diagnostic Methods Potential Disadvantages
- Treatment and Diagnostic Recommendations
- Case 1
- Diagnostic Workup
- Representative Image Giemsa-stained Peripheral Blood Smear
- Differential Diagnosis
- Which one is Plasmodium falciparum?
- Main Morphologic Features Table
- Classic Maltese Cross
- Extracellular Forms of Babesiosis
- Side-by-Side Comparison
- Further Workup
- Malaria PCR
- Babesia microti PCR
- Advantages/Uses of PCR
- Potential Disadvantages
- Potential Disadvantages
- Case 2
- Lyme Disease: Diagnostic Approach
- Reported Cases of Lyme Disease, 2008
- Serologic Assay: Test of Choice for Diagnosis of Lyme Disease
- Case 2, Further Workup
- Potential Roles for PCR
- Which Specimens Should be Tested by PCR?
- PCR for Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi DNA in Blood
- Case 3
- Live Tick Image
- Tick Image Close Up
- IDSA Guidelines
- IDSA Guidelines, continued
- Testing of Ticks by PCR
- Case 4
- Tick-Borne PCR Panel
- Diagnostic Tests for HME and HGA
- PCR for Diagnosis of Ehrlichiosis/Anaplasmosis
- Ehrlichia and Anaplasma PCR Assay Graph
- Phylogenetic Tree
- Ehrlichia muris-like Organism
- All Patients with EML had Tick Exposure
- Prevention of Tick-Borne Diseases
- Conclusions
- Conclusions, continued
- Questions?


