One of the most heart-wrenching aspects of Lyme disease is the lengthy process that precedes an accurate diagnosis.
Healthcare providers have a difficult time getting a handle on an accurate diagnosis because the disease’s symptoms are also symptoms of other diseases. Even the tell-tale “bulls-eye rash,” which is unique to Lyme disease, is not a good indicator, since many patients never develop this symptom.
Lyme disease cases are concentrated in the Northeast and upper Midwest,
with 14 states accounting for over 96% of cases reported to CDC.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the number of Lyme disease cases reported tops 30,000 each year; however, most estimates from sources indicates the true number of infections nationwide is probably closer to 300,000 each year. And many of these patients are misdiagnosed while their disease progresses.
Patients treated with antibiotics in the early stages of the infection usually recover rapidly and completely. Most patients who are treated in later stages of the disease also respond well to antibiotics, although some may have suffered long-term damage to the nervous system or joints.
Translational Genomics Research Institute in Flagstaff, AZ has developed a test that could more quickly identify Lyme disease in patients and by extension, limit the emotional toll that the uncertainty causes. Hopefully an earlier diagnosis can lead to an earlier intervention with antibiotics, and therefore fewer long-lasting complications.
TGen has been using genetic sequencing to identify pathogens like tuberculosis and E. coli in the past and has recently started using a diagnostic tool through tests on DNA extracted from infected ticks and mice. The results have been very positive and they’ve identified the Borrelia burgdorferi that causes Lyme disease.
The difficulty in positively identifying Borrelia burgdorferi is that, rather than hiding in the host’s blood, it is found in the cartilage of the host. The tests that are currently used are only about 50% accurate. Next, TGen researchers will start verifying the accuracy of their diagnostic test by using human blood samples.
“We think we can diagnose it even if it is hiding out in cartilage because it’s shedding stuff”
– Paul Keim, director of the Translational Genomics Research Institute
Contracting Lyme disease and then getting an accurate diagnosis and treatment before permanent damage is done is a very emotional struggle for patients with Lyme disease. The hope is that with a new method of testing will make it less traumatic and put the focus and the energy on getting better instead of figuring out what is wrong.
