In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic, speaks with William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, about Ebola, hantavirus and takeaways from a recent healthcare conference. Later, she welcomes Elli Theel, Ph.D., a microbiologist in Mayo Clinic’s Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, to explore vector-borne diseases.

• Top industry topics (00:04): Dr. Morice highlights key topics from a recent major healthcare conference, including AI and payment reform.
• Infectious diseases in the news (04:04): Overview of hantavirus, Ebola, and why laboratory medicine is important during outbreaks. 
• Growing prevalence of vector-borne diseases (06:48): Insights on the growing prevalence of vector-borne diseases.
• Testing options (09:45): Understand the different types of testing available for pathogens and when it is best to use each one. 
• Innovation and discovery (17:05): Discover emerging pathogens and advances in detection.
• Protect yourself (19:41): Learn easy ways to protect yourself and your family from vector-borne diseases. 

Note: Information in this post was accurate at the time of its posting.

Resources

• Forbes: Is hantavirus an emerging threat? What you need to know
• Vector-borne diseases by geographic region
• Vector-borne diseases: The right tests for detection and diagnosis
• Learn the ABCs of ticks