Almost everyone has been bitten by a mosquito, tick, or flea. Vectors are mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas that spread pathogens. A person who gets bitten by a vector and gets sick has a vector-borne disease.³

Malaria is a serious vector-borne and sometimes fatal disease caused by a parasite that commonly infects a certain type of mosquito that feeds on humans. People who get malaria often show signs of high fevers, shaking chills, and flu-like illness. Although left untreated, malaria infections can be fatal.⁴

Tropical fevers are diseases that are prevalent in the tropics but usually not seen in temperate climates. These may be vector-borne or occur due to conditions of high humidity and temperature or sudden temperature changes which favor growth of microorganisms. Diagnosis and management of tropical infectious diseases are important as they usually run a dramatic course if not treated. They may be caused by a variety of pathogens including bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi; hence an accurate diagnosis leads to appropriate management.⁵

The Novaplex™ Malaria Assay*, Novaplex™ Tick-borne Disease Assay*, and Novaplex™ Tropical fever virus Assay* are multiplex real-time PCR assays that can detect multiple targets associated with vector-borne diseases. These products can be used with Seegene’s other assays to help accurately detect viruses, bacteria, and parasites that can cause vector-borne diseases.