Tickborne Diseases (Online CE Course)

(based on 438 customer ratings)

Lynda Britton, PhD, MLS(ASCP)CMSM
Reviewers: Marcia Firmani, PhD, MSPH, MT(ASCP) and Laurie Bjerklie, MEd, MLS(ASCP)CM

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Tickborne infections are the most important of vectorborne diseases in the United States (US). Because tickborne diseases are so difficult to diagnose, deaths and morbidity occur. This course will review the life cycle, geographical ranges, and identification of ticks involved in human diseases. The organisms that cause tickborne diseases will be discussed, to include Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, human monotropic ehrlichiosis and granulotropic anaplasmosis, tularemia, babesiosis, southern tick-associated rash illness, tickborne relapsing fever, Colorado tick fever, and other rare and emerging tickborne diseases. Numerous case studies about tickborne diseases are also presented.

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Continuing Education Credits

P.A.C.E.® Contact Hours (acceptable for AMT, ASCP, and state recertification): 2 hour(s)
Approved through 7/31/2024
Florida Board of Clinical Laboratory Personnel Credit Hours - General (Serology/Immunology): 2 hour(s)
Approved through 7/31/2024

Objectives

  • Review the life cycle, geographical ranges, and identification of ticks involved in human diseases.
  • Identify the organisms that cause tickborne diseases, to include Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, human monotropic ehrlichiosis and granulotropic anaplasmosis, tularemia, babesiosis, southern tick-associated rash illness, tickborne relapsing fever, Colorado tick fever, and rare and emerging tickborne diseases.
  • Recognize the symptoms, pathogenesis, and laboratory diagnosis of the discussed tickborne diseases.
  • Analyze and solve case studies about the tickborne diseases presented.

Customer Ratings

(based on 438 customer ratings)

Course Outline

Click on the links below to preview selected pages from this course.
  • Introduction
      • Introduction
      • Tick Phylogeny and Life Cycle
      • How Ticks Cause Disease
      • Tickborne Diseases
  • Lyme Disease
  • Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI)
  • Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF)
      • Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF): Epidemiology
      • RMSF: Clinical Presentation
      • RMSF: Laboratory Diagnosis
      • What is the fastest laboratory method for diagnosing RMSF?
  • Ehrlichiosis
  • Anaplasmosis
      • Anaplasmosis: Epidemiology
      • Anaplasmosis: Clinical Manifestations
      • Anaplasmosis: Laboratory Diagnosis
  • Tularemia
  • Babesiosis
  • Tickborne Relapsing Fever (TBRF)
  • Colorado Tick Fever
  • Case Studies
      • Case Study 1 A 12-year-old female from Santa Cruz, California, presented with a swollen, painful right knee and hip. She reported recurrent knee swell...
      • Case Study 2A five-year-old female who lived in Missouri was taken to the emergency department (ED) in June. She had a three-day history of intermitte...
      • Case Study 2, continuedTo narrow the diagnosis, more information is required. Healthcare personnel should determine the following points:How long has ...
      • Case Study 3 A healthy 20-year-old female from southeast Missouri presented with a fever of 104° F, vomiting, and diarrhea. She had a red, maculo...
      • Case Study 4An 81-year-old woman taking prednisone and methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis fell and fractured her hip. She received two units of leu...
      • Case Study 4, continued
      • Case Study 5In June, a woman attempted to take a dead rabbit from her dog. She already had a splinter in her finger, and it became infected. A lesion ...
      • Case Study 6 A one-month-old infant from Massachusetts was fussy, pale, had warm skin, and was vomiting. His temperature was 101.5º F (38.6º...
      • Case Study 7 A 60-year-old male from Boise, Idaho, had a 1-month history of intermittent fevers and headaches. He reported a fever of 105º F with...
      • Case Study 8 A healthy 49-year-old man from Manhattan, New York, presented with a fever and malaise three days after returning from a horseback riding...
  • Emerging and Rare Tickborne Diseases
  • Prevention of Tick Borne Diseases
  • References
      • References

Additional Information

Level of instruction: Intermediate
Intended audience: Medical laboratory scientists, medical technologists, and technicians. This course is also appropriate for medical laboratory science students and pathology residents.
Author information: Lynda Britton, PhD, MLS(ASCP)CM SM, received her BS degree in medical technology from the University of Texas at Arlington and her doctorate from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA. She began her career as a bench microbiologist and worked in several states. Currently, Lynda is the Clinical Coordinator for the Medical Laboratory Sciences Program at LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, LA. She is a professor and teaches microbiology and molecular diagnosis.
Reviewer information: Marcia Firmani, PhD, MSPH, MT(ASCP), earned a PhD in microbiology from the University of California at Berkeley. She received a Master's degree in Science in public health from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, LA, and a BS degree in medical technology from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY. Marcia has been a faculty member in the CLS departments at Louisiana State University in New Orleans, LA, and the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. She is currently the Medical Laboratory Sciences Programs Director at The George Washington University in Washington, DC.
Reviewer Information: Laurie Bjerklie, M.A., MLS(ASCP)CM, is currently a Content Developer for MediaLab and LabCE. She has been in higher education for over 14 years, has been a professor in both MLT and MLS programs, and served as a Program Director. 
Course description:  Tickborne infections are the most important vector-borne diseases in the United States (US). Because tickborne diseases are so difficult to diagnose, deaths and morbidity occur. This course will review the life cycle, geographical ranges, and identification of ticks involved in human diseases.

How to Subscribe
MLS & MLT Comprehensive CE Package
Includes 176 CE courses, most popular
$109Add to cart
Pick Your Courses
Up to 8 CE hours
$55Add to cart
Individual course$25Add to cart
Need multiple seats for your university or lab? Get a quote
Ixodes scapularis on blade of grass (2).


Peripheral blood smear of TBRF-causing bacteria (33).


TBRF illustration CDC Courtesy of Larry Stauffer, Oregon State Public Health Laboratory


R. ricketsii Gimenez .3 x 2 CDC Billie Ruth Bird


Ehrlichia monocytic morula/CDC


Distribution of key tickborne diseases 2010. Courtesy of the CDC.