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 includes: 

• 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
  Approved for 0.75 hrs of CE credit by AAVSB RACE and NY State