Best Test To Detect Lyme Disease  

Since its symptoms are usually very similar to those of many other illnesses, Lyme disease is quite difficult to diagnose. The first and foremost symptom of Lyme infection is the appearance of a rash. It appears as a "bull's-eye" with a central red spot that is surrounded by clear skin which is again surrounded by a red circular expanding rash. This rash appears within one or two weeks of the infection. Although it disappears within three to four weeks, there is every chance that the rash may appear again. Initial symptoms include headache, extreme fatigue, high fever, sudden chills, a stiff neck, muscular pains and joint pains. Chronic Lyme disease might lead to the manifestation of symptoms like prolonged joint pains, brain or heart related diseases or nervous disorders. This disease is spread by certain kinds of ticks.

In case Lyme disease is suspected, the doctor must study the complete medical history of the patient and conduct physical examinations. The common method to detect Lyme disease is to conduct a test to detect antibodies to the causative agent -- Borrelia burgdorferi -- in the blood. Antibody tests are conducted on the fluid collected from the spine or from a joint. The antibodies can get detected in the blood test only about two months after being infected. These antibodies remain in the blood for years, even after the successful treatment of this disease.

Antibody testing is usually done using a two-step process, which involves using either the Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) or Indirect Fluorescent Antibody (IFA) followed by the Western blot test. Other tests include using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test (which detects the genetic material of the Lyme disease bacteria) or skin culture. However, both these techniques have certain drawbacks because of which antibody testing is preferred worldwide to detect Lyme disease.