![]() In addition to testing for antibodies, it reports reactivity against a panel of 10 different proteins found on the Lyme bacteria. WESTERN BLOT – This test is run as a second-stage to confirm a positive ELISA result. Sadly, many people are never tested beyond this point and are told they do not have Lyme disease when in fact they may be infected. However, the ELISA is falsely negative nearly 50% of the time. If the ELISA is positive or unclear, a second test is recommended to confirm the disease. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, if the ELISA test results prove negative for the antibodies, no further test is recommended. It measures the levels of antibodies against Lyme bacteria. As a result, a blood test may give false negative results even if you are infected with Lyme.ĮLISA – This is the screening test used when Lyme disease is first suspected. It can take weeks to generate enough antibodies to be detected by these tests. Both the ELISA and Western Blot are indirect tests, since they measure an antibody’s response to the infection, not the infection itself. ![]() Lyme Disease Test EffectivenessĪccording to the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS), the tests are not always reliable to make a definitive diagnosis of Lyme. Both of these blood tests measure the presence of antibodies that form in your body if you are infected with Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme. The two most common diagnostic tests for Lyme are the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the Western blot. ![]()
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