Clinical Information

In North America, ticks are the primary vectors of infectious diseases and rank second only to mosquitoes in disease transmission worldwide. In the United States, tick-borne diseases include Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, human monocytic ehrlichiosis, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, babesiosis, tularemia, relapsing fever, Colorado tick fever, and Borrelia miyamotoi infection.(1) Several of these diseases are transmitted by the same tick, and coinfections are occasionally seen. In particular, Ixodes species ticks are capable of transmitting the causative agents of Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia mayonii), anaplasmosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilum), and babesiosis (Babesia species). These diseases are prevalent throughout the Northeastern and upper Midwestern states and parts of the Pacific Northwest.

Symptoms of the various tick-vectored diseases range from mild to life-threatening. Early symptoms, which include fever, aches, and malaise, do not aid in distinguishing the various diseases. Because early treatment can minimize or eliminate the risk of severe disease, early detection is essential, yet patients may not have developed distinctive symptoms to help in the differential diagnosis. A rapid tick-borne polymerase chain reaction panel can assist in identifying the pathogen, allowing treatment to be initiated.

While Lyme disease due to B burgdorferi is best detected through 2-tiered serologic testing, acute ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and B miyamotoi infection are best detected using molecular amplification assays. This tick-borne panel offers sensitive, specific, and rapid detection of the agents that cause these 4 diseases.

For information on the specific diseases, see the individual test information.