Lyme Disease Blood Test, IgM, Early Test With Reflex - NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE
A Lyme Disease Blood Test, IgM, Early Test With Reflex is used to detect Lyme disease antibodies, IgM, EIA; supplementary Western blots for all positives from antibody test. Used to aid in the diagnosis of acute infection with the Lyme disease agent.
Additional fee of $128 will be added for Western blot analysis if the EIA test is positive or equivocal. The additional fee must be paid prior to the release of lab results.
The CDC currently recommends a two-step process when testing blood for evidence of antibodies against the Lyme disease bacteria. Both steps can be done using the same blood sample.
The first step uses a testing procedure called “EIA” (enzyme immunoassay). If this first step is negative, no further testing of the specimen is performed. If the first step is positive or indeterminate (sometimes called "equivocal"), the second step is performed. The second step uses a test called an immunoblot test, commonly, a “Western blot” test. Results are considered positive only if the EIA/IFA and the immunoblot are both positive.
Early Signs and Symptoms (3 to 30 days after tick bite)
- Fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes
- Erythema migrans (EM) rash:
- Occurs in approximately 70 to 80 percent of infected persons
- Begins at the site of a tick bite after a delay of 3 to 30 days (average is about 7 days)
- Expands gradually over a period of days reaching up to 12 inches or more (30 cm) across
- May feel warm to the touch but is rarely itchy or painful
- Sometimes clears as it enlarges, resulting in a target or “bull's-eye” appearance
- May appear on any area of the body
- See examples of EM rashes(http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/signs_symptoms/rashes.html)
Later Signs and Symptoms (days to months after tick bite)
- Severe headaches and neck stiffness
- Additional EM rashes on other areas of the body
- Arthritis with severe joint pain and swelling, particularly the knees and other large joints.
- Facial or Bell's palsy (loss of muscle tone or droop on one or both sides of the face)
- Intermittent pain in tendons, muscles, joints, and bones
- Heart palpitations or an irregular heart beat (Lyme carditis(http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/signs_symptoms/lymecarditis.html))
- Episodes of dizziness or shortness of breath
- Inflammation of the brain and spinal cord
- Nerve pain
- Shooting pains, numbness, or tingling in the hands or feet
- Problems with short-term memory
