Thursday, March 28, 2024

Can I Get A Tick Tested For Lyme Disease

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Key Points To Remember

Ticks & Lyme Disease: People not waiting for symptoms to get tested
  • Most Lyme disease tests are designed to detect antibodies made by the body in response to infection.
  • Antibodies can take several weeks to develop, so patients may test negative if infected only recently.
  • Antibodies normally persist in the blood for months or even years after the infection is gone therefore, the test cannot be used to determine cure.
  • Infection with other diseases, including some tickborne diseases, or some viral, bacterial, or autoimmune diseases, can result in false positive test results.
  • Some tests give results for two types of antibody, IgM and IgG. Positive IgM results should be disregarded if the patient has been ill for more than 30 days.

Everlywell Lyme Disease Test

Everlywells Lyme Disease Test checks for a persons exposure to any of the three strains of Borrelia bacteria. The test is suitable for those experiencing fatigue, headaches, or joint pain. The test offers a fingerprick sample collection.

Once people receive their kits, they can register them online, collect their sample, and return it to the labs using the prepaid shipping labels. They can access their results through their online dashboards.

The kit costs $109.

There are some advantages that Everlywell services offer:

  • It works with CLIA-certified labs.
  • Independent board-certified physicians review and approve peoples tests.
  • It offers free shipping.

QuestDirects Lyme Disease Test is available in person. People purchase their test and book an appointment with a nearby Quest Patient Service Center, where a medical professional collects the sample.

They then receive their results through their MyQuest accounts.

The cost for the test is $89, with an additional $6 fee that covers the physicians visit.

Pros and cons

QuestDirect has some advantages. Firstly, the MyQuest portal allows individuals to view their results online. Additionally, the companys health team can contact the customer if their results require prompt attention.

However, disadvantages include the fact that there is an additional physician fee. The service is also unable to provide a receipt for health plan reimbursement.

How Is It Diagnosed

If youâve been outside in an area where ticks are known to live, you should tell your doctor. Theyâll also want to know about the symptoms youâre having. These details are crucial to making a diagnosis of Lyme disease.

Early symptoms that usually occur within the first month after a tick bite can include:

  • Rash at the site of the tick bite that may look like a âbullâs-eyeâ
  • Problems with your short-term memory

Symptoms that come and go are common with Lyme disease. They will also depend on the stage of the disease.

Read Also: What Insects Carry Lyme Disease

Do I Need A Lyme Disease Test

Your doctor will consider whether your symptoms and risk factors suggest Lyme disease when deciding whether you need a Lyme test. Laboratory tests can support a clinical diagnosis, but should not be used on their own to confirm or rule out a current Lyme disease diagnosis.

Your doctor may also do tests to see if other conditions with similar or overlapping symptoms for example, thyroid disease, autoimmune disease, or other tick-borne diseases could be causing your symptoms. If you have been traveling, your doctor might test you for species of Borrelia that cause Lyme disease in other parts of the world.

If you think you may have Lyme disease, but your doctor hasnt considered it or has ruled it out before testing you for it, heres how you can start a conversation: Give your doctor a list of Lyme disease symptoms and risk factors , and ask them if, given your own symptoms and risk factors, Lyme disease could be a possible cause and whether you should be tested.

In some cases, a Lyme test may not be helpful. Using todays tests it is difficult to distinguish between current and previous infections, so if you were previously diagnosed with Lyme disease and may have been re-infected, your doctor should make the diagnosis based on your symptoms and risk factors.

Tick Testing

Lyme Disease Frequently Asked Questions

Cutter Lyme Disease Tick Test Kit

If you have not done so already, remove the tick with fine-tipped tweezers.

The chances that you might get Lyme disease from a single tick bite depend on the type of tick, where you acquired it, and how long it was attached to you. Many types of ticks bite people in the U.S., but only blacklegged ticks transmit the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Furthermore, only blacklegged ticks in the highly endemic areas of the northeastern and north central U.S. are commonly infected. Finally, blacklegged ticks need to be attached for at least 24 hours before they can transmit Lyme disease. This is why its so important to remove them promptly and to check your body daily for ticks if you live in an endemic area.

If you develop illness within a few weeks of a tick bite, see your health care provider right away. Common symptoms of Lyme disease include a rash, fever, body aches, facial paralysis, and arthritis. Ticks can also transmit other diseases, so its important to be alert for any illness that follows a tick bite.

References:

Moody KD, Barthold SW, 1991. Relative infectivity of Borrelia burgdorferi in Lewis rats by various routes of inoculation.Am J Trop Med Hyg 44: 135-9.

There are no reports of Lyme disease being spread to infants through breast milk. If you are diagnosed with Lyme disease and are also breastfeeding, make sure that your doctor knows this so that he or she can prescribe an antibiotic thats safe for use when breastfeeding.

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What Time Of Year Are Ohioans At Risk For Contracting Lyme Disease

In Ohio, cases of Lyme disease are reported in every month of the year. However, the number of reported cases is lowest in the winter, gradually rises in the spring, peaks in the summer, then declines through late summer and autumn.

It can take anywhere from three to 30 days from when the tick bite occurs to when symptoms of Lyme disease appear. Since most cases get sick in July and August, that means most cases are bitten by an infected blacklegged tick between June and July. Therefore, late spring through mid-summer is the time of year when Ohioans are most at risk for contracting Lyme disease.

Management Of Individuals Without Symptoms Following A Tick Bite

Diagnostic testing is not recommended for individuals who do not develop any symptoms suggestive of Lyme disease after a tick bite.

Some commercial companies offer services to test removed ticks for the presence of the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. UKHSA does not provide such tick-testing services. The results of such tests should not be used to inform diagnosis or treatment. A positive result does not mean that the infected tick will have passed on the bacteria there are many factors that determine whether Lyme disease results from the bite of an infected tick. A negative result may not be technically valid and could give false assurance, as it does not exclude the possibility that another tick elsewhere on the body has been missed by the patient.

UKHSA runs a tick surveillance scheme and is happy to receive ticks for species identification and to monitor tick distribution.

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Why Lyme Disease May Be On The Rise

Experts say the rates of infection with Lyme disease are increasing and this may be due to a number of factors.

Lyme disease does seem to be increasing in prevalence, for several reasons, Hawkinson said. First, we just have a growing population. We also have more people doing more activities outside, doctors more willing to test for Lyme disease, longer warmer temperatures throughout the year allowing longer tick-borne illness season , and slowly recognized identification of the bacteria in the U.S. regions where it typically had not been identified.

Dr. Saahir Kahn is an infectious disease specialist with Keck Medicine of USC in Los Angeles. He says environmental factors are likely also playing a role in the expansion of areas with a higher prevalence of Lyme disease.

Climate change is increasing the size of the regions where the ticks that carry Lyme disease are present, he told Healthline.

But Kahn argues the BMJ study may have overestimated the true prevalence of Lyme disease.

While the study did take into account Western blot confirmation of positive cases, the methods didnt specify whether CDC criteria were used as the basis for determining positive results. Some laboratories use looser criteria for Western blot positivity that are more prone to false positives, he said.

Due to the limitations of the meta-analysis approach used, I think the result of the study is an overestimate of Lyme disease seroprevalence, he concluded.

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What To Do If You Are Bitten By A Tick

Officials harvest ticks, test for Lyme disease in Sacramento area

Remove a tick as soon as possible to reduce your risk of getting Lyme Disease.

  • using fine-tipped tweezers, carefully grab the tick close to the skin
  • pull it straight out, gently but firmly
  • don’t squeeze the tick!
  • don’t put anything on the tick or try to burn it off
  • clean the bite site with rubbing alcohol and or soap and water

Ticks that have been removed from a person can be brought to Southwestern Public Health for identification. Knowing the type of tick, can help determine the risk of getting Lyme disease.

  • place the tick in a screw-top bottle or hard plastic container
  • keep an eye out for symptoms such as fever, chills, headache and/or the bull’s eye rash
  • talk to your health care provider if you have any concerns
  • ticks will be identified but there is no testing for Lyme disease in the tick. Your health care provider will assess your risk of Lyme Disease based on how long the tick was attached, symptoms and other factors.

Note: Southwestern Public Health staff are not able to remove ticks from clients.Protect yourself from ticks. Watch this short, informative video:

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In What Habitats Are Deer Ticks And Dog Ticks Typically Found

  • Deer ticks are usually found in wooded areas and along the forest edge. Deer ticks like areas with leaf litter and low vegetation. They tend to stay low to the ground so they can find a host, since they do not jump, fly, or drop from trees.
  • Dog ticks are usually found in wooded areas, in open fields with long grasses, and in brush.,

Borrelia Species Pcr Results

Borrelia species DNA may occasionally be detected in the blood by PCR, but a negative PCR test is of no value in excluding localised Lyme disease.

The overall sensitivity of PCR on a skin biopsy of an EM or ACA rash is around 50% and is limited by the chance of a single biopsy hitting a site with a significant number of organisms.

In neurological Lyme disease involving the CNS, up to 10% of cases may be PCR positive on a CSF sample a negative PCR result does not exclude the diagnosis.

Synovial fluid may be positive by PCR in up to 50% of cases. A negative result does not exclude the diagnosis.

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In What Maine Counties Am I Likely To Find Ticks

  • Ticks are found in every county in Maine.,
  • Deer ticks first inhabited the southern counties of Maine. The deer tick then spread up the coast and inland. Occasionally deer ticks are found in northern Maine.,
  • American dog ticks are most commonly found in southern Maine and their range has expanded throughout the entire state.

Do I Need To See An Infectious Disease Specialist To Get Tested For Lyme Disease

Ticks Be Gone! Lyme Disease FYI

No, you do not need to see an infectious disease specialist.

As noted above, any type of physician should be able to order the correct diagnostic tests, interpret your test results, and provide antibiotics to treat Lyme disease. This is especially true the earlier the disease is caught.

In fact, American Lyme Disease Foundation points out that waiting for an appointment with an infectious disease or other type of specialist can actually delay your diagnosis and treatment. If you were bitten by a tick, notice symptoms of Lyme disease, or believe youre at risk for Lyme or another tick-borne disease, its important that you make an appointment with a doctor immediately even if its your primary care physician.

That said, there are plenty of reasons why you may want to consult with, or get a second opinion from, someone with specific experience with Lyme disease. In other words, you may want to make an appointment with a Lyme-literate doctor . Read on to learn more.

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How Is Lyme Disease Diagnosed

An EM rash is a sure sign of Lyme disease, so your doctor can diagnose and treat you without the need for laboratory tests.

An EM rash, often shaped like a bullseye , is a sure sign of Lyme disease. If you develop an EM rash, you should be diagnosed & treated for Lyme disease without the need for further lab tests. EM rashes are not as obvious on darker skin .

For all other cases, your doctor should consider whether your symptoms and risk factors point to a Lyme disease diagnosis. For example:

  • Were you bitten by a tick?

  • Did you spend time outdoors in an area where Lyme disease is common?

  • Recent travel: Lyme disease may be common where you were, even if it is unusual where you live.

  • Your current symptoms and how long have they been present.

  • Your full medical history, including previous unexplained symptoms that may help lead to an accurate diagnosis whether that ends up being Lyme or another condition.

Are There Any Risks To Lyme Disease Tests

There is very little risk to having a blood test or a lumbar puncture.

With a blood test, you may have slight pain or bruising at the spot where the needle was put in, but most symptoms go away quickly.

With a CSF test, you may feel a little pinch or pressure when the needle is inserted. After the test, you may feel some pain or tenderness in your back where the needle was inserted.

You may also have some bleeding at the site or get a headache. The headache may last for several hours or up to a week or more, but your provider may suggest treatment to help relieve the pain.

Also Check: Is Lyme Disease A Bacterial Infection

Positive C6 Elisa On Serum

RIPL will automatically proceed to do IgM and IgG immunoblot tests after a positive or indeterminate ELISA test and will provide an overall interpretation of the ELISA and immunoblot in the light of the clinical details provided on the request form.

Please provide clinical details to allow the interpretation of serological results. These are needed for interpretation because antibody levels from a protective humoral immune response to Borrelia species may persist indefinitely in patients who have had Lyme disease in the past. After successful treatment of Lyme disease antibody concentrations may slowly fall over time.

Borrelia species are notifiable organisms. The numbers of positive results from laboratory confirmed cases in RIPL are reported to PHE and analysed for inclusion in PHE Health Protection Reports as part of Lyme disease epidemiology and surveillance.

Read Also: Signs And Symptoms Of Lyme Disease In Dogs

Is That A Bulls Eye Is Tick

IGeneX testing for Lyme Disease and other Tick-Borne Diseases

Lyme disease can be challenging to distinguish from many common pediatric infections. Michael Russo, MD, attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, reviews: disease history and incidence disease stages, including early localized, early disseminated, and late tips for distinguishing the Lyme-related symptoms bulls-eye rash, facial palsy and arthritis from other ailments indications for testing amoxicillin, doxycycline, and ceftriaxone for different manifestations duration of treatment indications for post-exposure prophylaxis and more.

Listen in as Katie Lockwood, MD, a primary care pediatrician at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, discusses hot topics in primary care with CHOP subject-matter-experts as they weigh in on issues affecting the daily practice of pediatricians. This podcast is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not to be considered as medical advice for any particular patient. Clinicians must rely on their own informed clinical judgment in making recommendations to their patients.

This Primary Care Perspectives Podcast episode was originally released on November 8, 2022.

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How To Mail Your Tick:

We test Blacklegged Deer and Western Deer ticks in all sorts of conditions both nymphs and adults. Simply place your order and follow the instructions that will be emailed to you upon successful placement of the order.

Simply place the tick in a tightly sealed Zip-Lock bag with the order number written on the bag with permanent marker, then mail it to us here in Loudoun County, Virginia!Additional information on exactly how and where to mail the ticks to, will be emailed to you once you have placed your order.

IMPORTANT! Since COVID-19, we have been working with a very limited staff and on average receive anywhere between 20 to 50 or more ticks daily. Any ticks that we receive that do NOT have an Order/Lab Number on the bag or container housing the tick will be Discarded or returned to sender.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Are Llmds Infectious Disease Specialists

No. While it is possible for a LLMD to be an infectious disease specialist, LLMDs can come from any field or background. Many LLMDs are general practitioners or family doctors, while others may specialize in a specific type of medicine, such as naturopathic medicine.

For more information on finding a LLMD, read IGeneXs blog How to Find Doctors Who Can Help with Your Tick-Borne Disease.

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