Lyme and Other Infections

Lyme Disease is America’s most widespread tick-borne disease, making up 82% of all tick-borne illness cases. Other unrelated diseases include Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Bartonella infections, Ehrlichiosis, Rickettsiosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF). Since the signs of these conditions are not distinctive or similar to other ailments, they tend to go unnoticed for a long time leading to more serious medical problems.

When Lyme disease and other infections are left undiagnosed and untreated in elderly individuals, the difficulty of treating them increases. Even though late-stage Lyme is addressed, lingering sensations such as tiredness or queasiness may not completely disappear. Unsurprisingly, seniors have a more fragile immune system than healthy young adults – making these bacteria an especially dangerous threat to aging people. Standard testing for Lyme Disease and other infections often fails to go as in-depth, leaving many aging and other individuals at risk for further medical problems.

Fortunately, advanced testing is available for those who want a more comprehensive assessment of their condition. These tests use sophisticated techniques that identify even trace amounts of bacteria compared to standard tests. This way, those suffering from Lyme and other infections can get timely treatment and protect their health.

Standard testing for Lyme and other infections involves a two-tiered approach, including an ELISA and Western Blot. However, many researchers believe these tests are unreliable and may miss many of the infections, and this is why advanced testing methods are now available to ensure comprehensive results.

Doctors cannot rely on traditional testing for reliable medical decisions. Moreover, these tests only apply to Borrelia burgdorferi and no other subspecies that cause Non-classic Lyme Disease.

ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay)

A laboratory specialist must take and analyze the patient’s blood sample to diagnose a potential Lyme disease. The ELISA test is conducted first to detect antibodies that may be present; if it yields positive results, then the Western blot validation exam must follow to validate the diagnosis.

The Lyme Western Blot, a qualitative immunoassay that identifies antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi antigens on a membrane strip, is insufficient due to the 20% of tickborne diseases caused by other agents and subspecies. In addition, the Western Blot places the bar very high, requiring 5 DNA samples to be positive to rely on a positive diagnosis. Therefore,  the Western Blot should not be used as an exclusive testing method for diagnosis.

The expanded test menu for tick-borne diseases and opportunistic infections in humans is now accessible – thanks to an advanced chemiluminescence-based assay that allows the detection of even the lowest antibody level. Compared to traditional methods, this modern technology can amplify results up to 16,000 times!

The most comprehensive antibody and DNA tests for Lyme diseases and related infections are available to help clinicians assess the situation, ultimately leading them to a reliable diagnosis. With this test, you can be sure of an accurate outcome in most cases.

Classic Lyme, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, is tested for 16 distinct antibody biomarkers. Any single one of these positive biomarkers increases the suspicion of having had Lyme in the recent or distant past. Additionally, more antibody biomarkers are used to test for an additional 16 species of Borrelia besides Burgdorferi. This Advanced Lyme Testing method also includes PCR testing, which increases the probability of an active infection if positive. Finally, more testing is done to include antibody biomarkers and PCR tests for common co-infections such as Babesia, Bartonella, Anaplasma, and Ehrlichia.

To provide a complete diagnosis, Advanced Lyme and Other Infections Testing goes beyond just testing for Lyme Disease; it also tests for other common infections such as Rickettsia, Powassan Virus, Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus, West Nile Virus, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Coxsackie Virus, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Additional tests can target infections like:

• Cytomegalovirus
• Epstein Barr Virus
• Parvovirus B19
• Toxoplasma gondii
• Streptococcal A, and
• Herpes viruses HSV-1, HSV-2, HHV-6, and HHV-7.

Never have doctors seen such extensive, comprehensive, and clinically useful antibody and PCR testing as we have with this Advanced Lyme Testing from Vibrant Wellness.

Our centers do Advanced Lyme and Other Infection Testing (Tick Borne 2.0) by Vibrant Wellness for our patients to evaluate: