Continuing Education  » Internal Medicine - Small Animal  » Vector-borne disease diagnostics: From "ruff" to "purrfect"

Vector-borne disease diagnostics: From "ruff" to "purrfect"

CE Event Information

  • Description:
    Worldwide, diseases that are transmitted by ticks and fleas to companion animals continue to expand in frequency and geographic distribution. While a positive test result for a vector-borne disease greatly helps the clinician in providing appropriate care, a negative test result always introduces extra challenges. Nowadays, serology and PCR are well-established methods used to diagnose vector-borne diseases (VBDs), but certain limitations of these assays impact the detection of pathogens and our ability to make a correct diagnosis.

    The massively parallel sequencing technology known as next-generation sequencing (NGS) has revolutionized biological sciences. It has become a key tool in detecting and characterizing infectious diseases in humans, such as the SARS-Cov2 virus. NGS is soon to become an important tool in veterinary medicine as well.

    The focus of this presentation is vector-borne disease (VBD) diagnosis and the discussion will include:

    - What is working well and what needs to be improved in VBD diagnostics
    - The “sample-volume paradox” of PCR assays and current efforts to address it
    - How next-generation sequencing works, its advantages and limitations for VBD detection
    - Best practices when interpreting serology and PCR results for VBDs

    Running time: 44 mins

    Fee: Free for Premium Membership subscribers or
    pay-per-view ($28)
  • Sponsor: AKC Canine Health Foundation
  • Presenter(s): Pedro P. Diniz, DVM, PhD
  • Fee (Basic Membership): $28