HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--What is a reliable laboratory test for Lyme disease and related borrelioses for the earliest diagnosis and timely treatment?
Sin Hang Lee, M.D., a noted pathologist from Milford Hospital in Milford, Conn., informed a group of national Lyme disease experts at a recent Massachusetts General Hospital roundtable discussion on November 8:
“As for any emerging infectious diseases whose causative agents are difficult to culture, for example, the Ebola virus, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of a signature segment of the genomic nucleic acid of the causative agent followed by DNA sequencing of the amplicon is the standard diagnostic approach,” (See document http://www.dnalymetest.com/images/Nov._8_Handout.pdf) .
Additionally, Dr. Lee recommended that “To encourage technology innovation, it is recommended that blind-coded simulated blood samples spiked with various species of borreliae or blank be distributed to all clinical laboratories performing Lyme disease testing for a bacteriology survey, as routinely conducted by the College of American Pathologists for Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The laboratories which return the correct answers will be invited to further develop a generally accepted diagnostic protocol to be used by hospitals located in Lyme disease-endemic areas.”
The Coalition Against Lyme and Related Borrelioses, Inc. (CALRB), a non-profit organization which promotes science based Lyme disease testing and research, (www.calrb.org) agrees with Dr. Lee’s approach, said Kevin Moore, president and executive director of CALRB.
“We are seeking to partner with hospitals located in heavy Lyme disease endemic areas to create Lyme disease diagnostic and treatment centers to conduct further research on this wide spreading infectious disease, he said.” Interested hospitals should contact Moore at www.kjtm@calrb.com .
Lyme disease is reaching epidemic levels in the United States, Moore said, with more than 300,000 cases diagnosed each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
CALRB (www.calrb.org) is a Connecticut non-profit organization dedicated to informing the public, medical, scientific and political communities about developments in the fight against Lyme disease, specifically pertaining to the reliable diagnosis of Lyme disease and Lyme disease-mimicking borrelia infections.