scholarly journals Canine infection with Dirofilaria immitis, Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma spp., and Ehrlichia spp. in the United States, 2013–2019

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Little ◽  
Jennifer Braff ◽  
Joshua Place ◽  
Jesse Buch ◽  
Bhagya Galkissa Dewage ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Geographic Distribution ◽  
Dirofilaria Immitis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Positive Test ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Tick Borne Disease ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Geographic Expansion ◽  
Endemic Areas

Abstract Background Dogs in the US are commonly infected with vector-borne pathogens, including heartworm and tick-borne disease agents. The geographic distribution of both arthropod vectors and the pathogens they transmit continues to expand. Methods To describe the current geographic distribution and prevalence of antigen of Dirofilaria immitis and antibody to Borrelia burgdorferi, Ehrlichia spp., and Anaplasma spp. in dogs, we summarized over 144 million test results from 2013 to 2019, inclusive, by county, state, and region. Canine seroprevalence by state was compared to population-adjusted human reports of tick-borne diseases. Results Results varied regionally, with D. immitis antigen and Ehrlichia spp. antibodies more frequently detected in the Southeast (2.6% and 5.2%, respectively) and antibody to B. burgdorferi and Anaplasma spp. most common in the Northeast (12.1% and 7.3%, respectively). Overall, percent positive test results to D. immitis decreased in the Southeast by 33.3% when compared to earlier summaries using the same strategy (from 3.9 to 2.6%). Geographic expansion of areas where dogs commonly test positive for Ehrlichia spp. was evident, likely because of a change in the test made in 2012 to allow detection of antibodies to E. ewingii concomitant with expansion of vector tick populations. Percent positive test results to Ehrlichia spp. increased in every region; this shift was particularly pronounced in the Southeast, where percent positive test results increased fourfold (from 1.3 to 5.2%). Continued geographic expansion of B. burgdorferi and A. phagocytophilum was apparent in the Northeast, Midwest, and Upper South, although canine seroprevalence of antibody to B. burgdorferi was much lower than prior surveys in many Lyme-endemic areas. Annual reports of human cases of Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis were associated with percent positive canine results by state for the three tick-borne disease agents (R2 = 0.812, 0.521, and 0.546, respectively). Within endemic areas, percent positive test results for all three tick-borne agents demonstrated evidence of geographic expansion. Conclusions Large scale analysis of results from screening dogs in practice for evidence of vector-borne infections, including those with zoonotic importance, continues to be a valuable strategy for understanding geographic trends in infection risk over time.

scholarly journals Advancing the Science of Tick and Tick-Borne Disease Surveillance in the United States

Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha Wisely ◽  
Gregory Glass
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Workforce Development ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
The United States ◽  
Centers Of Excellence ◽  
Public Health Burden ◽  
Vector Borne Disease ◽  
Tick Borne Disease ◽  
Vector Borne

Globally, vector-borne diseases are an increasing public health burden; in the United States, tick-borne diseases have tripled in the last three years. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognizes the need for resilience to the increasing vector-borne disease burden and has called for increased partnerships and sustained networks to identify and respond to the most pressing challenges that face vector-borne disease management, including increased surveillance. To increase applied research, develop communities of practice, and enhance workforce development, the CDC has created five regional Centers of Excellence in Vector-borne Disease. These Centers are a partnership of public health agencies, vector control groups, academic institutions, and industries. This special issue on tick and tick-borne disease surveillance is a collection of research articles on multiple aspects of surveillance from authors that are affiliated with or funded by the CDC Centers of Excellence. This body of work illustrates a community-based system of research by which participants share common problems and use integrated methodologies to produce outputs and effect outcomes that benefit human, animal and environmental health.

scholarly journals False-Positive Gen-Probe Direct Mycobacterium tuberculosis Amplification Test Results for Patients with Pulmonary M. kansasii and M. aviumInfections

1999 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 175-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
James H. Jorgensen ◽  
Jesse R. Salinas ◽  
Rosemary Paxson ◽  
Karen Magnon ◽  
Jan E. Patterson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
False Positive ◽  
Disease Patient ◽  
The United States ◽  
Positive Test ◽  
Test Results ◽  
High Power Field ◽  
Low Level ◽  
False Positive Test ◽  
Abnormal Chest

The Gen-Probe Amplified Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Direct (MTD) test has been approved for use in the United States for the rapid diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in patients with acid-fast smear-positive sputum samples since 1996. Four patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus and one chronic pulmonary-disease patient seen in our institutions with abnormal chest radiographs and fluorochrome stain-positive sputa were evaluated for tuberculosis, including performance of the MTD test on expectorated sputum samples. Three of these five patients’ sputa were highly smear-positive (i.e., more than 100 bacilli per high-power field), while two patient’s sputa contained 1 to 10 bacilli per field. MTD results on sputum specimens from these patients ranged from 43,498 to 193,858 relative light units (RLU). Gen-Probe has defined values of at least 30,000 RLU as indicative of a positive test, i.e., the presence ofMycobacterium tuberculosis RNA. Four of the patients’ sputum cultures yielded growth of M. kansasii within 6 to 12 days, and the fifth produced growth of M. avium only. One patient’s culture contained both M. kansasii andM. avium, but none of the initial or follow-up cultures from these five patients revealed M. tuberculosis. However, subsequent cultures from three of the patients again revealed M. kansasii. During the period of this study, in which MTD tests were performed on smear-positive sputum specimens from 82 patients, four of seven patients with culture-proven M. kansasiipulmonary infections yielded one or more false-positive MTD tests. The MTD sensitivity observed in this study was 93.8%, and the specificity was 85.3%. Five cultures of M. kansasii (including three of these patients’ isolates and M. kansasii ATCC 12478), and cultures of several other species were examined at densities of 105 to 107 viable CFU/ml by the MTD test. All five isolates of M. kansasii and three of three isolates ofM. simiae yielded false-positive test results, with readings of 75,191 to 335,591 RLU. These findings indicate that low-level false-positive MTD results can occur due to the presence ofM. kansasii, M. avium, and possibly otherMycobacterium species other than M. tuberculosis in sputum. Low-level positive MTD results of 30,000 to 500,000 RLU should be interpreted in light of these findings. It remains to be determined if the enhanced MTD test (MTD 2) recently released by Gen-Probe will provide greater specificity than that observed in this report with its first-generation test.

scholarly journals Seropositivity of Main Vector-Borne Pathogens in Dogs Across Europe

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guadalupe Miró ◽  
Ian Wright ◽  
Helen Michael ◽  
Wade Burton ◽  
Evan Hegarty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Aggregated Data ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Sufficient Test ◽  
Retrospective Database ◽  
Total Test

Abstract Introduction: Canine Vector-borne disease (CVBD) has been an area of increasing interest in Europe over the last few decades, and there have been changes in the prevalence and distribution of many of these diseases. Monitoring CVBD infections in Europe is often done by individual countries, but aggregated data for the European countries are helpful to understand the distribution of CVBDs. Methods: We used an extensive retrospective database of results from point-of-care rapid enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests on dogs across Europe to identify distribution and seropositivity in animals tested for selected CVBDs (Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia spp., Borrelia burgdorferi, Leishmania spp., and Dirofilaria immitis) from 2016 through 2020. Geographic distribution of positive tests and relative percent positive values were mapped by the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics classification for regions with sufficient test results for reporting.Results: A total of 404,617 samples corresponding with 1,134,648 canine results were available from dogs tested in 35 countries over the 5-year study period. Over this period the number of test results per year increased whereas test positivity decreased. Leishmania spp. had the largest increase in total test results from 25,000 results in 2016 to over 60,000 results in 2020. Test positivity for Leishmania spp. fell from 13.9% in 2016 to 9.4% in 2020. Test positivity fell for Anaplasma spp. (7.3% to 5.3%), Ehrlichia spp. (4.3% to 3.4%), and Borrelia burgdorferi (3.3% to 2.4%). D. immitis test positivity trended down with a high of 2.7% in 2016 and low of 1.8% in 2018. Leishmania spp. test positivity was highest in endemic areas and in several non-endemic countries with low numbers of test results. Co-positivity rates were significantly higher than expected for all pathogen test positive pairs except for Ehrlichia spp. with Borrelia burgdorferi and D. immitis with Borrelia burgdorferi.Conclusions: This study represents the largest data set on CVBD seropositivity in Europe to date. The increase in the number of test results and decreasing test positivity over the study period may reflect changes in testing behavior and increased screening of healthy animals. The Europe-wide mapping of CVBD provides expected test-positivity that can help inform veterinarians’ decisions on screening and improve prevention and identification of these important, sometimes zoonotic, diseases.

scholarly journals Follow-Up SARS-CoV-2 PCR Testing Outcomes From a Large Reference Lab in the US

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Sullivan ◽  
David Alfego ◽  
Brian Poirier ◽  
Jonathan Williams ◽  
Dorothy Adcock ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
False Positive ◽  
False Positive Rate ◽  
The United States ◽  
Positive Test ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Positive Rate

By analyzing COVID-19 sequential COVID-19 test results of patients across the United States, we herein attempt to quantify some of the observations we've made around long-term infection (and false-positive rates), as well as provide observations on the uncertainty of sampling variability and other dynamics of COVID-19 infection in the United States. Retrospective cohort study of a registry of RT-PCR testing results for all patients tested at any of the reference labs operated by Labcorp® including both positive, negative, and inconclusive results, from March 1, 2020 to January 28, 2021, including patients from all 50 states and outlying US territories. The study included 22 million patients with RT-PCR qualitative test results for SARS-CoV-2, of which 3.9 million had more than one test at Labcorp. We observed a minuscule <0.1% basal positive rate for follow up tests >115 days, which could account for false positives, long-haulers, and/or reinfection but is indistinguishable in the data. In observing repeat-testing, for patients who have a second test after a first RT-PCR, 30% across the cohort tested negative on the second test. For patients who test positive first and subsequently negative within 96 h (40% of positive test results), 18% of tests will subsequently test positive within another 96-h span. For those who first test negative and then positive within 96 h (2.3% of negative tests), 56% will test negative after a third and subsequent 96-h period. The sudden changes in RT-PCR test results for SARS-CoV-2 from this large cohort study suggest that negative test results during active infection or exposure can change rapidly within just days or hours. We also demonstrate that there does not appear to be a basal false positive rate among patients who test positive >115 days after their first RT-PCR positive test while failing to observe any evidence of widespread reinfection.

scholarly journals Prenatal Testing, Disability, and Termination: An Examination of Newspaper Framing

2012 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol Bishop Mills ◽  
Elina Erzikova
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Full Text ◽  
Print Media ◽  
Prenatal Testing ◽  
The United States ◽  
Positive Test ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Positive Representations

<p>Keywords: disability, genetics, prenatal testing, health, framing</p><p>Given the increase in the prevalence of prenatal testing for disabilities and the options following positive test results, this study investigates how information about prenatal testing and disability is represented in the top 30 newspaper markets in the United States. The goal is to examine how print media convey information about prenatal testing for disabilities to its readers. Analyses of 148 full-text articles from 1998 to 2006 indicate that disability is represented in negative terms. The negative framing of disability is paired with positive representations of prenatal testing, and to a slightly lesser extent, positive representations of termination of pregnancies involving a fetus diagnosed with disabilities.</p>

scholarly journals Lyme Disease Presenting with Multiple Cranial Nerve Deficits: Report of a Case

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhishek Chaturvedi ◽  
Keith Baker ◽  
Donald Jeanmonod ◽  
Rebecca Jeanmonod
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Inflammatory Disease ◽  
Cranial Nerve ◽  
Cranial Nerves ◽  
The United States ◽  
Vector Borne Disease ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Multiple Cranial Nerve

Lyme disease is a tick-transmitted multisystem inflammatory disease caused by the spirocheteBorrelia burgdorferi. With more than 25,000 CDC reported cases annually, it has become the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. We report a case of 38-year-old man with Lyme disease presenting with simultaneous palsy of 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, and 10th cranial nerves.

scholarly journals PCR in laboratory diagnosis of human Borrelia burgdorferi infections.

1997 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 185-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
B L Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Target Selection ◽  
Laboratory Diagnosis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ocular Manifestations ◽  
Direct Demonstration ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Methodological Aspects ◽  
And Control ◽  
Monitoring Treatment

The laboratory diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis, the most prevalent vector-borne disease in the United States and endemic in parts of Europe and Asia, is currently based on serology with known limitations. Direct demonstration of Borrelia burgdorferi by culture may require weeks, while enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for antigen detection often lack sensitivity. The development of the PCR has offered a new dimension in the diagnosis. Capable of amplifying minute amounts of DNA into billions of copies in just a few hours, PCR facilitates the sensitive and specific detection of DNA or RNA of pathogenic organisms. This review is restricted to applications of PCR methods in the diagnosis of human B. burgdorferi infections. In the first section, methodological aspects, e.g., sample preparation, target selection, primers and PCR methods, and detection and control of inhibition and contamination, are highlighted. In the second part, emphasis is placed on diagnostic aspects, where PCR results in patients with dermatological, neurological, joint, and ocular manifestations of the disease are discussed. Here, special attention is given to monitoring treatment efficacy by PCR tests. Last, specific guidelines on how to interpret PCR results, together with the advantages and limitations of these new techniques, are presented.

scholarly journals Retrospective evaluation of vector-borne pathogens in cats living in Germany (2012–2020)

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingo Schäfer ◽  
Barbara Kohn ◽  
Maria Volkmann ◽  
Elisabeth Müller
Keyword(s):  
Direct Detection ◽  
Blood Feeding ◽  
Indirect Detection ◽  
Positive Test ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Retrospective Evaluation ◽  
Viral Pathogens ◽  
Diagnostic Panel ◽  
Vector Borne

Abstract Background Blood-feeding arthropods can transmit parasitic, bacterial, or viral pathogens to domestic animals and wildlife. Vector-borne infections are gaining significance because of increasing travel and import of pets from abroad as well as the changing climate in Europe. The main objective of this study was to assess the percentage of cats with positive test results for selected vector-borne pathogens in Germany and explore any possible association of such results with time spent abroad. Methods This retrospective study included test results from cats included in the “Feline Travel Profile” established by the LABOKLIN laboratory at the request of veterinarians in Germany between April 2012 and March 2020. This diagnostic panel includes the direct detection of Hepatozoon spp. and Dirofilaria spp. via PCR as well as indirect detection assays (IFAT) for Ehrlichia spp. and Leishmania spp. The panel was expanded to include an IFAT for Rickettsia spp. from July 2015 onwards. Results A total of 624 cats were tested using the “Feline Travel Profile.” Serum for indirect detection assays was available for all 624 cats; EDTA samples for direct detection methods were available from 618 cats. Positive test results were as follows: Ehrlichia spp. IFAT 73 out of 624 (12%), Leishmania spp. IFAT 22 out of 624 (4%), Hepatozoon spp. PCR 53 out of 618 (9%), Dirofilaria spp. PCR 1 out of 618 cats (0.2%), and Rickettsia spp. IFAT 52 out of 467 cats (11%) tested from July 2015 onwards. Three cats had positive test results for more than one pathogen before 2015. After testing for Rickettsia spp. was included in 2015, 19 cats had positive test results for more than one pathogen (Rickettsia spp. were involved in 14 out of these 19 cats). Conclusions At least one pathogen could be detected in 175 out of 624 cats (28%) via indirect and/or direct detection methods. Four percent had positive test results for more than one pathogen. These data emphasize the importance of considering the above-mentioned vector-borne infections as potential differential diagnoses in clinically symptomatic cats.

scholarly journals Pediatric unilateral knee swelling: a case report of a complicated differential diagnosis and often overlooked cause

2022 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine E. Guardado ◽  
Shane Sergent
Keyword(s):  
Differential Diagnosis ◽  
Lyme Disease ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lyme Arthritis ◽  
Tick Bite ◽  
Joint Effusion ◽  
Test Results ◽  
History Of ◽  
Vector Borne

Abstract Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne illness in the United States. However, Lyme arthritis is a diagnosis that is often missed, even in children, who are the population with the highest incidence of Lyme disease. Lyme arthritis, which presents in the later stage of Borrelia burgdorferi infection, needs to be recognized and managed promptly, especially in endemic areas or when exposure to ticks is known. We present a case of a 3-year-old female presenting to the emergency department with a history of limping for 2 weeks. The mother of the child recognized a tick bite. However, the child was not taken to seek care expeditiously, because she had not developed any rashes. Test results demonstrated that the patient was IgG positive and IgM negative for Lyme disease, with Western blot confirming the diagnosis of Lyme arthritis. Most patients presenting with Lyme arthritis do not recall having a tick bite, making it difficult to differentiate it from other pediatric conditions. When this diagnosis is missed, it can result in long-term morbidity, which is generally refractory to intravenous antibiotic therapy, oftentimes requiring synovectomy. Hence, this underscores the importance of the consideration of Lyme arthritis as a differential diagnosis in patients presenting with joint effusion.

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