A member asked:

Any special test for lyme disease?

2 doctors weighed in across 2 answers

ELISA/West blot.: The 2 main best tests, early or late, are elisa and western blot. Elisa or serology is used for screening for an antibody response to the b. Burgdorferi spirochete responsible for the disease, while the western blot is a specific test that makes sure the positive response is not a false positive, or a reaction to something else. Pcr, or polymerase chain reaction is another possible test.

Answered 5/26/2012

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Dr. Randy Baker answered

Specializes in Holistic Medicine

Many tests: There are many tests for lyme disease, but none are totally reliable. The elisa test is positive in about half of those infected. The western blot test is positive in ~70% of cases, but most labs don't do a thorough enough version- i recommend igenex labs. Pcr tests are positive only ~20% of the time. A new test, a culture by advanced laboratories may detect lyme in >80% of cases so may be best.

Answered 5/2/2014

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