why is Lyme disease harder to diagnose compared to other bacterial infections?

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why is Lyme disease harder to diagnose compared to other bacterial infections?

In: Biology

2 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

The symptoms being used as a diagnosis are rather vague, and even the “telltale rash” doesn’t appear like 25% of the time.

The diagnostic tests have some limitations be cause the antibodies that they detect take time to build up in the system. It could be weeks before someone who is positive actually shows positive. It is also possible to get false positives be cause other bacteria may cause the same antibodies to show up.

The big deal is that our tests look for the antibodies rather than for the bacteria itself in samples. That alone could be a game-changer if developed.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Because serodiagnosis with elisa comes up negative at early stages of the disease. It also has alot of general symptoms that can be mistaken for anything else. Diagnosis may involve identifying a “target/bullseye rash”, and if its already spread hematogenously then bell palsy, palpitations, myocarditis.