News - Lyme Disease Coalition Inc.

10/24/2017 Comments

October 24th, 2017

We have updated the web page to include instructions to create your own tick aid kits and a sign up form so you can click to sign up for a FREE tick drag to help with research and show us prevalence in (Susquehanna County).
Part of this program includes FREE kits given out at the tick drags if we find infestation, along with tips to help keep ticks away.

Click on the "prevention" page within the web site to sign up!
Also use the same form if you want to build a kit for your home or vehicle and can't afford it. We will contact you with information needed to help.
You can also reach us on Facebook, or call 570-500-(LYME)5963

10/23/2017 Comments

NBC Channel 5 starts a 5 part series "The Lyme Wars"

NBC is starting a 5-part series called The Lyme Wars on Monday, 10/23 at 6:30 PM on Channel 5. It is an I-Team investigation about the way so many doctors could not or would not deal with Lyme patients and refused to recognize it. https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Lyme-Wars-450077123.html ABOUT 'THE LYME WARS' Warring medical opinions. Funding controversy. Tens of thousands diagnosed with Lyme disease just this summer. The I-Team investigates why the medical and government response to this public health crisis is still in disarray -- as patients pay the price. Tune in for "The Lyme Wars," a special five-part series beginning on Monday, Oct. 23 on News 4 New York.

10/23/2017 Comments

Ocular Bartonellosis - sight-threatening manifestations of tick-borne disease

Summary
Bartonella infections continue to be a burden worldwide and
epidemiologic features may guide preventive measures in high-risk
regions and populations. An increased awareness of diverse posterior
segment manifestations will lead to an early diagnosis of ocular
bartonellosis. Laboratory diagnostic methods continue to evolve and may
be applied to the investigation of ocular fluids for a definitive
diagnosis of ocular bartonellosis. Well designed clinical trials are
required to establish the optimum treatment of especially
sight-threatening manifestations.

https://doi.org/10.1097/ICU.0000000000000419

Abstract

Purpose of review
The eye is commonly affected in disseminated cat scratch disease (CSD)
caused by Bartonella species. This article reviews recently published
data on epidemiology of CSD, clinical features of ocular involvement,
diagnosis and treatment.

Recent findings
The annual incidence of CSD has been estimated as 4.7 per 100 000 in the
United States. It occurs predominantly in the southern states, with a
peak in January, and disproportionately affects children. Retinal
infiltrates, neuroretinitis and branch retinal artery occlusions have
been reported as common manifestations of ocular bartonellosis in recent
series. The use of different antigens for serodiagnosis and new
real-time PCR assays for molecular diagnosis have been described.
Despite lack of a standard treatment, good visual outcomes were
generally reported in patients with ocular bartonellosis.

10/23/2017 Comments

PRESS RELEASE - IGeneX-Introduces-New-Diagnostic-Tests-Lyme-Disease

Press Release

October 16, 2017
Source: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171016005904/en/IGeneX-Introduces-New-Diagnostic-Tests-Lyme-Disease
or http://tinyurl.com/y9d9hzxd

Palo Alto, CA -- IGeneX Inc., a CLIA and New York-approved Reference Laboratory, specializing in testing for tick-borne diseases, is pleased to announce the launch of three new tests that are more inclusive and specific for aiding in diagnosis of Borreliosis (Lyme Disease and Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever, Borreliosis).
Lyme ImmunoBlot IgM and IgG TBRF ImmunoBlot IgM and IgG Lyme IGX Spot https://www.igenex.com/testing/diagnostic-tests-for-borrelliosis/lyme-igxspot-test/
Borreliosis is caused by two groups of Borrelia, B. burgdorferi group and the Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever (TBRF) Borrelia group. Until recently, it was believed that B. burgdorferi group was the only group that caused Lyme-like symptoms. However, we now know that TBRF Borrelia also causes Lyme-like symptoms. Therefore IGeneX developed two sets of Immunoblots, Lyme ImmunoBlot IgM and IgG and TBRF ImmunoBlot IgM and IgG.

Many patients with Lyme-like symptoms are misdiagnosed because: (1) The current serological tests cannot detect antibodies to all the different strains of B. burgdorferi (2) For TBRF Borrelia, only two serological tests, an IFA test for B. hermsii and a serological test that detects only B. miyamotoi GlpQ protein, are available. In addition, with the increase in tick populations, Borreliosis is on the rise. Thus there is an urgent need for better diagnostic tests for Borreliosis.

Because symptoms of Lyme and Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever are often similar, a more comprehensive battery of tests is critical for proper diagnosis.

“IGeneX’s new Lyme ImmunoBlot and the TBRF ImmunoBlot tests are the first, most inclusive and specific serological tests for Lyme disease and TBRF,” said Dr. Jyotsna Shah, President and CEO of IGeneX. “These tests, when combined with Lyme IgX spot and PCR, cover the full spectrum of the disease."

Lyme ImmunoBlots IgM and IgG

Although IGeneX Lyme Western blot prepared from Borrelia burgdorferi strains B31 and 297 is one of the most sensitive tests, it does not detect antibodies to all the B. burgdorferi sensu lato antigens. To develop all inclusive Western blots would be very expensive and impractical. Therefore, IGeneX has developed a Lyme ImmunoBlot that is very specific and inclusive of most species of B. burgdorferi sensu lato for clinical use with the following advantages over a Western blot:
The specificity of the ImmunoBlot is 98.0% for IgM and 98.7% for IgG. This is higher than the traditional Western Blot. The 31kDa Epitope confirmation test will not be required on patient samples tested by Lyme ImmunoBlots. The sensitivity of the Lyme Immunoblot is 90.9% with well-defined samples. The ImmunoBlot has better sensitivity compared tothe current Western Blot, because it is designed to detect antibodies to major B. burgdorferi sensu lato specific antigens from North America and European strains as listed below:
B. burgdorferi B31 B. burgdorferi 297 B. californiensis B. mayonii B. afzelii B. garinii B. spielmanii B. valaisiana TBRF ImmunoBlots IgM and IgG

The TBRF ImmunoBlot is designed to detect antibodies to specific antigens of TBRF Borrelia in human serum. It detects antibodies to B. hermsii, B. miyamotoi, B. turicatae and B. coriaceae. Based on in-house studies these blots detect antibodies to North American, European and Australian strains of TBRF Borrelia in patient serum samples. The specificity of the TBRF ImmunoBlot is 94% and 98% for IgM and IgG respectively.

Lyme IGX Spot

The Lyme IGXSpot is an Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSpot (ELISPOT) assay that detects human T cells reactive to B. burgdorferi specific antigens in vitro. ELISPOT is a widely used method for detecting and monitoring cellular immune responses to specific antigens.

The Lyme IGX Spot test:
Detects specific T-cell responses soon after B. burgdorferi infection, when antibodies to the organisms are not detectable or late in the disease, when the levels of antibodies are very low. When combined with Lyme ImmunoBlot tests, information on the full spectrum of patient’s immune response to infection and stage of disease is obtained. Is especially useful for seronegative patients.
IGeneX Inc.
https://www.igenex.com/ https://www.igenex.com/
795 San Antonio Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94303