Dr. Kim Ngoc-Stoykova

National Centre of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases,

Microbiology department,

National reference laboratory for vector-borne infections

Sofia , Bulgaria

Topics of interest: Serological diagnostics of vector-borne diseases, phylogenetics and molecular epidemiology, bioinformatics applications in public health laboratories, data interpretation and visualization for surveillance purposes

Contribution to BAVBD mission:

My primary background is in laboratory diagnostics of vectorborne diseases with practical experience in serological methods. I am particularly interested in expanding toward genomic and bioinformatics-based approaches that support surveillance and epidemiological understanding of vectorborne infections. Within BAVBD I would welcome learning and collaboration opportunities related to phylogenetics, bioinformatics, approaches for combining laboratory and genomic findings with epidemiological data, as well as visualisation and interpretation of laboratory and surveillance data.

Relevant publications:

• Ngoc K, Stoikov I, Trifonova I, et al. Molecular and Clinical Characterization of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever in Bulgaria, 2015-2024. Pathogens. 2025;14(8):785. Published 2025 Aug 6. doi:10.3390/pathogens14080785

• Ngoc K, Stoikov I, Trifonova I, et al. Epidemiological, Clinical and Phylogenetic Characteristics of West Nile Virus in Bulgaria, 2024. Microbiology Research. 2025; 16(4): 82. Published 2025 Apr 4. doi:10.3390/microbiolres16040082

• Trifonova I, Ngoc K, Gladnishka T, et al. Prevalence of Toscana Virus Antibodies in Residents of Bulgaria: A Nationwide Study Following the Pandemic of COVID-19. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2025;25(2):142-147. doi:10.1089/vbz.2024.0050

• Ngoc K, Trifonova I, Gladnishka T, et al. Serological Assessment of Lyme borreliosis in Bulgaria: A Nationwide Study. Pathogens. 2024;13(9):754. Published 2024 Sep 2. doi:10.3390/pathogens13090754

Relevant projects:

• Study of Humoral and Cellular Immune Response in Patients with Lyme Borreliosis Research focus: Laboratory diagnosis and immunological profiling of patients across different stages of Lyme Borreliosis in Bulgaria Funded by: National Science Fund (BNSF) Project No: KP-06-N73/4/05.12.2023

• National Programme "Young Scientists and Postdoctoral Research Fellows - 2" - 2024/2025 Research focus: Clinical, laboratory and epidemiological characteristics of vector-borne infections in Bulgaria Funded by: National Science Fund (BNSF)