According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), veterinary workers ranked second in incidence rates for nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses in 2016. Workers who are frequently exposed to domestic and/or wild animals are at the highest risk for acquiring zoonotic pathogens, especially Bartonella species. Bartonellosis is a zoonotic infectious disease caused by […]
Could Bacteria Cause Crohn’s Disease?
Crohn’s disease was first described in the early 1700s, but its exact cause is still unknown. It is an immune system dysregulation that is most commonly characterized by inflammation of the ileum (the final and longest part of the small intestine). However, inflammation and damage can occur in other parts of the gastrointestinal system as […]
Parasites and the Immune System
The classic biological definition of parasitism is “a symbiotic relationship where one member, the parasite, gains benefits that come at the expense of the host”. This means only the unwelcome guest gains nutritional and/or protective benefits while the host’s health suffers. However, emerging research indicates low-level infections could be beneficial because of the complex relationship […]
Bartonella and the Brain
People with vector-borne infections often report a variety of symptoms that originate in the central nervous system. How can all of these different pathogens have so many symptoms that overlap? As Galaxy Diagnostics president and CEO Amanda Elam wrote in her 10-year reflection, “our bodies are complex biological systems with only a few ways to […]
The Basics of Serology
Reading a diagnostic company’s menu can often feel like interpreting another language. The commonly used name of an infection may not be listed, and the scientific name of the pathogen may not be familiar (e.g., Lyme disease vs. Borrelia burgdorferi). To make things more difficult, acronyms for the testing methods can seem like randomly grouped [...]
Tick-Borne Infection Risk in Blood Transfusion
The risk of tick-borne infection from blood donation is hotly debated, with very little information available. Certain research studies that may clarify the risk have been done in mice but are not ethical to do in people. Meanwhile, current tests for these infections have low sensitivity and specificity (low accuracy). Consequently, it is difficult to […]