Clinical “Lyme disease” is in fact a group of infectious diseases caused by many species of spirochetes, the corkscrew-shaped parasitic bacteria of the genus Borrelia. As for all infectious diseases, the laboratories can test for the antibodies generated by the patient in response to the infectious agent by ELISA or Western blots, or perform a molecular test for the DNA or RNA of the casual agent. The difference is that a positive molecular test result indicates a current, active infection, and a positive antibody test indicates an exposure to the infective agent in the past. This principle of laboratory diagnostic testing is summed up by a statement of Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, the Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) when he made a public comment on the diagnosis of Zika virus in June 2016, quoted as follows:
“Frieden emphasized the distinction between this molecular test for Zika DNA versus serology tests. The latter can indicate any exposure to the virus over time, and also may not give a positive result in a person recently infected. In contrast, a positive molecular test result indicates a current, active infection.”
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In diagnosing bacterial infections, the CDC also advises through its MicrobeNets website:
Milford Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory follows the CDC scientific advice, using a highly conserved segment of the borrelial 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequence to identify:
[1] All members of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato including Borrelia mayonii;
[2] Borrelia miyamotoi ;
[3] Borrelia hermsii, Borrelia turicatae or Borrelia parkerii ; and
[4] Other novel unnamed borrelia strains.
(See more information on our Lyme Disease DNA testing page)
