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Vector-Borne Diseases (VBD) are viruses and bacteria spread by vectors including mosquitoes, ticks and fleas, and they can cause a variety of illnesses in humans. ​​The vectors ingest the microorganisms from an infected host and transmit to a new host through a bite. Many public health laboratories test for VBDs that are endemic (see list below) as well as those emerging or re-emerging in the US.

APHL works with CDC and public health laboratories to promote best practices, develop guidance and hold important laboratory trainings related to the most commonly found vector-borne diseases in the country. Public health laboratories are  integral to performing high quality testing to assess regional disease burden and inform the nation's response to vector-borne diseases.

Endemic Vector-Borne Di​seases

There are several endemic VBDs of public health concern within the US including those listed below. These VBDs are not equally distributed and therefore testing within a particular public health laboratory may only include some of the pathogens. 

  • Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme Disease)​
  • Colorado Tick Fever Virus (CTFV)
  • Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus (EEEV)
  • Jamestown Canyon Virus (JCV)
  • LaCrosse Encephalitis Virus (LCV)
  • Powassan Virus
  • St. Louis Encephalitis Virus (SLEV)
  • West Nile Virus (WNV)

APHL Resources

Invasive Vector-Borne Dise​ases

Dengue virus, chikungunya virus and Zika vi​rus have become public health concerns in the US. Though these viruses are predominantly seen in travelers returning to the US, some local tra​nsmission of dengue​ and chikungunya has occurred in the US, and health authorities continue to monitor the status of the Zika virus closely. Many public health laboratories maintain capability to test​ for one or more of these and other invasive​ VBDs. 

  • Dengue: State and local public health laboratories diagnose suspected dengue cases through virus isolation, serological tests or molecular methods. In order to support public hea​lth laboratories, ​CDC and APHL have developed laboratory guidance on diagnostic testing. 

  • Zika: ​Following the Zika virus response, APHL published a book highlighting the experiences of public health laboratories keeping up with the Zika outbreak and the challenges they faced during the response. 

  • Chikungunya: For Chikungunya virus protocols visit APHL's Emerging Infectious Disease Protocols (member access only). ​​

Vector-Borne Diseases Training and Educational Resources​

APHL, in collaboration with CDC, developed training and educational resources to promote competency, quality and safety in vector-borne disease testing practices. These resources are primarily designed for laboratorians interested in learning more about the several testing methods available for testing for vector-borne diseases.

Upcoming and Archived Webinars


• Current Challenges in Chagas Disease Diagnostics (Live Event May 16, 2023)

• ​​​Rickettsial Disease Diagnostics​ (Expires March 21, 2024)

• MALDI-TOF analysis of medically important ticks in the US and its application as a public health tool​ (Expires April 22, 2024)

• Dengue: A Global Public Health Problem (Expires April 30, 2024) 

• Eastern Equine Encephalitis: Finding a EEE positive mosquito in a haystack (Expires November 17, 2023)

• Orphan Arboviruses: The Discovery of Rare and Emerging Arboviruses (Expires December 16, 2023)

• Sentinel Chicken, an Unlikely Ally in the Fight Against Mosquitoes (Expires January 3, 2024) 


​Access eLearning Modules 

The following resources are available in APHL'​s Training Portal (follow​​ instructions below).

To access ​​the APHL Training Portal for the first time:

  1. ​Navigate to the APHL Training Portal.
  2. Select Login, then Create an Account.

Once you have a Training Portal account: 

  1. Navigate to the Catalog  to view all available courses.
  2. Enroll in "MAC-ELISA Training for the Detection of Arboviral Infections at Public Health Laboratories" Curriculum. 
    1. ​Overview of the CDC MAC-ELISA Assay and Arbovirus Testing in the US (2 hours; 1 PACE credit)
    2. Overview of the CDC MAC-ELISA Assay Calculations and troubleshooting Strategies (2 hours; 1 PACE credit)
    3. Discussion of Panel Results and Overview of Arboviral Reagent Production and Distribution (2 hours; 1 PACE credit)
    4. Overview of the Interpretation and Confirmation of Results and Discussion of Orphan arboviruses in the US (2 hours; 1 PACE credit)
​​​APHL members (all public health laboratory staff) can receive a coupon code for free access. Please contact phl.training@aphl.org to request a coupon code or for more information.

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