News

Study Shows Tick Expansion in US

2015 Blacklegged tick study In an article published in the Journal of Entomology, authors looked at the incidence of blacklegged ticks across counties in the US and compared the number in 2015 with those previously reported in 1998.  According to the authors, there is a 44.7% increase in the number of counties with ticks in 2015 over the number reported in 1998. The majority of the changes occurred in the Northeastern and North Central United States. This study is important…

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Powassan Guide Available

Coppe Laboratories' publication on Powassan Virus The Powassan Guide is a monograph published by Coppe Laboratories that provides information on another tick-borne pathogen, the Powassan virus.  This virus belongs to the same virus family as Zika and West Nile, but unlike those, it is transmitted by a tick and not a mosquito.  Recent news articles have alerted the public to the increased incidence of the Powassan virus.  Because symptoms related to infection with this virus are similar to a number…

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Cape Cod Times Reports New Information On Powassan Virus Incidence

Dr. Konstance Knox discusses Powassan Virus study Dr. Knox, CEO of Coppe Laboratories, was interviewed by reporter, Cynthia McCormick of the Cape Cod Times for an article published Sunday, August 14, 2016 (full article here). In her interview, Dr. Knox reported a 10.4% incidence of Powassan virus in clinical samples from several sites in Wisconsin.  The study was the collaborative work of the Marshfield Clinic (WI), the Medical College of Wisconsin and the New York State Department of Health. Powassan virus was…

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HHV-6A Infection of the Uterus Linked to Infertility

Study supports immunohistochemistry testing of endometrial tissue HHV-6A Found in Women with Unexplained Infertility HHV-6A was found in 43% of women with unexplained infertility, according to a study published in PLOS Pathogens. (Marci R, et al, 2016.) The study authors found that the virus was present in uterine epithelial cells only, and not the blood. 30 infertile women and 36 fertile (control) women participated in the study. HHV-6B was found in equal amounts in the blood of patients and controls.…

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Local Governments Launch Tick-Borne Illness Awareness Campaigns

Ticks carry multiple diseases: Coppe Labs provides tick-borne testing As pleasant summer weather entices people to spend more time outdoors, ticks are also out in full force, looking to attach to a host. In New York City, the Department of Health launched a campaign on June 9 to increase public awareness of ticks and the many diseases they carry. A children’s workbook with a dog named "Tick Check Harry" teaches children how to identify and remove ticks from themselves. It is available on the NY website: http://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/ticks.page In Pike…

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Painless Knee Effusion is Early Sign of Lyme Disease

Water on the knee could be indicator of Lyme disease Early symptoms of Lyme disease are not always obvious, including the notorious erythema migrans ("bullseye") rash, which is seen in only a subset of patients. Thus, knowing additional signs of the disease is important. A November 2015 study by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons suggests knee effusions, or “water on the knee,” might be an indicator of the disease even in the absence of the rash and a known…

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Categorized: News, Research & Journals

Coppe Laboratories’ Lyme Testing Includes European Strains of Borrelia

Lyme testing for individuals who have traveled outside of U.S. Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia mayonii are the primary bacteria that cause Lyme Disease in the United States. Two other strains, Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii, are the primary causes of Lyme disease in Europe and Asia. In a recent “Hot Topic” from the Mayo Clinic’s Dr. Elli Theel, a recommendation of using European immunoblots was recommended for individuals traveling outside the United States.  Wisconsin-based Coppe Laboratories is the only commercial reference laboratory…

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Coppe Laboratories Announces New Powassan Virus Testing for Patients with Tick Exposure

Powassan Virus testing by Coppe Labs Coppe Laboratories has announced the availability of testing for a tick-associated virus, the Powassan Virus (POWV). Transmitted by the tick known to carry Lyme disease bacteria, the POWV is a member of the family of viruses that include such familiar names as Zika, West Nile, and Yellow Fever. Coppe Laboratories is the first commercial laboratory to provide POWV testing, which will include both a direct and indirect test. Symptoms associated with POWV are similar…

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Direct and Indirect Powassan Virus Testing

Blood test for Powassan Virus by Coppe Laboratories Coppe Laboratories Powassan Virus testing includes both a direct and indirect test.  A simple blood sample is all that is required.  The direct test (PCR) will detect acute infection and the indirect test (IFA) provides evidence of viral exposure. The picture at the left represents a positive POWV. Powassan virus is carried by the same tick that causes Lyme disease.  Unlike Lyme Borrelia, however, the virus is transmitted within 15 minutes of tick…

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Fulminant hepatic failure attributed to infection with human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) in an immunocompetent woman

Case study utilizing Coppe Lab's HHV-6 IHC Testing Coppe Laboratories novel immunohistochemistry (IHC) technology for diagnosing life threatening HHV-6 associated organ disease was profiled in a recent publication in the Journal of Clinical Virology (J Clin Virol. 2015 Dec 14;75:27-32, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26745830.)  In collaboration with the University of Chicago we describe the case of a previously healthy woman who presented with a skin rash, mild upper respiratory symptoms, and succumbed to fulminant hepatic failure that was attributed to infection with HHV-6B…

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Categorized: Press Releases