Lyme Disease Confirmatory Western Blot Is Redundant for Screen Negative Samples in Low Endemic Areas, British Columbia, Canada.

is the causative agent of Lyme disease (LD). Possible early symptoms include flu-like symptoms and erythema migrans and later, the risk of disruption of the nervous system, joints, and heart. A two-tiered testing method is employed for serological diagnostics.

Passive tick surveillance and detection of in ticks from companion animals in British Columbia: 2018 to 2020.

Objective: The present study was designed to identify tick species and determine prevalence of infection in ticks obtained from companion animals in British Columbia.

Animals And Samples: Ticks were submitted by British Columbia veterinarians from client-owned companion animals over a 31-month period.

Procedure: Each tick was identified and PCR testing for undertaken on all species identified by the Zoonotic Diseases and Emerging Pathogens Section of British Columbia Centre for Disease Control Public Health Laboratory (BCCDC PHL).

British Columbia's Experience after Implementation of the Treponema pallidum Reverse Algorithm and PCR Detection, 2015 to 2020.

British Columbia (BC) implemented the syphilis reverse screening algorithm and Treponema pallidum PCR testing in 2014. We summarize the performance characteristics of the algorithm, together with PCR direct detection, and report on syphilis cases identified from 2015 to 2020. Prior to 2015, samples for syphilis diagnosis were first screened by rapid plasma reagin (RPR).

Surveillance for and ticks and their associated pathogens in Canada, 2019.

Background: The primary vectors of the agent of Lyme disease in Canada are and ticks. Surveillance for ticks and the pathogens they can transmit can inform local tick-borne disease risk and guide public health interventions. The objective of this article is to characterize passive and active surveillance of the main Lyme disease tick vectors in Canada in 2019 and the tick-borne pathogens they carry.

Performance comparison of micro-neutralization assays based on surrogate SARS-CoV-2 and WT SARS-CoV-2 in assessing virus-neutralizing capacity of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.

We compared neutralization assays using either the wild-type severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus or surrogate neutralization markers, using characterized sera. We found the results of the neutralization assays 75 % concordant overall and 80 % concordant for samples with high antibody levels. This demonstrates that commercial surrogate SARS-CoV-2 assays offer the potential to assess anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies' neutralizing capacity outside CL-3 laboratory containment.

SARS-CoV-2 serology: Validation of high-throughput chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) platforms and a field study in British Columbia.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing is required for estimating population seroprevalence and vaccine response studies. It may also increase case identification when used as an adjunct to routine molecular testing. We performed a validation study and evaluated the use of automated high-throughput assays in a field study of COVID-19-affected care facilities.

Comparative Analysis of Capillary vs Venous Blood for Serologic Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies by RPOC Lateral Flow Tests.

A comparison of rapid point-of-care serology tests using finger prick and venous blood was done on 278 participants. In a laboratory setting, immunoglobulin G (IgG) sensitivity neared 100%; however, IgG sensitivity dramatically dropped (82%) in field testing. Possible factors include finger prick volume variability, hemolysis, cassette readability, and operator training.

Serological survey following SARS-COV-2 outbreaks at long-term care facilities in metro Vancouver, British Columbia: Implications for outbreak management and infection control policies.

A cross-sectional serological survey was carried out in two long-term care facilities that experienced COVID-19 outbreaks in order to evaluate current clinical COVID-19 case definitions. Among individuals with a negative or no previous COVID-19 diagnostic test, myalgias, headache, and loss of appetite were associated with serological reactivity. The US CDC probable case definition was also associated with seropositivity.

Pooled nucleic acid testing increases the diagnostic yield of acute HIV infections in a high-risk population compared to 3rd and 4th generation HIV enzyme immunoassays.

Objectives: We compared a 3rd generation (gen) and two 4th gen HIV enzyme immunoassays (EIA) to pooled nucleic acid testing (PNAT) for the identification of pre- and early seroconversion acute HIV infection (AHI).

Study Design: 9550 specimens from males >18 year from clinics attended by men who have sex with men were tested by Siemens ADVIA Centaur(®) HIV 1/O/2 (3rd gen) and HIV Combo (4th gen), as well as by Abbott ARCHITECT(®) HIV Ag/Ab Combo (4th gen). Third gen non-reactive specimens were also tested by Roche COBAS(®) Ampliprep/COBAS® TaqMan HIV-1 Test v.