How long are ticks tested for encephalitis? - briefly
Ticks are screened for tick‑borne encephalitis virus soon after collection, and laboratories usually deliver results within one to two weeks. The testing window does not extend beyond this period.
How long are ticks tested for encephalitis? - in detail
Ticks collected for viral encephalitis surveillance are usually held in the laboratory for a minimum of 14 days before testing begins. During this interval the specimens are stored at 4 °C to preserve viral RNA and to allow any latent infection to become detectable. After the holding period, nucleic‑acid extraction is performed, followed by real‑time PCR targeting the most common encephalitis‑causing flaviviruses (e.g., Tick‑borne encephalitis virus, Powassan virus) and orthomyxoviruses (e.g., Louping‑ill virus). The PCR run itself takes 2–3 hours, but results are confirmed by sequencing or virus isolation, which can add an additional 3–5 days.
Key steps that determine the overall timeline:
- Specimen receipt and registration: 0.5 day.
- Cold‑storage holding period: 14 days (minimum).
- RNA extraction and reverse transcription: 0.5 day.
- Real‑time PCR assay: 0.2 day.
- Confirmatory sequencing or cell‑culture isolation: 3–5 days.
Consequently, from the moment a tick is collected to the issuance of a definitive laboratory report, the process typically spans 18–21 days. Some diagnostic centers accelerate the workflow by omitting the optional holding phase when the tick is known to have been freshly removed; in such cases, the total turnaround can be reduced to 7–10 days, but this practice is reserved for outbreak investigations where rapid results are essential.