Laboratory Diagnosis of Tick-Borne Infections

Conventional Methods for Diagnosis of Lyme Disease

July 2010

When laboratory testing is performed, there are several standard methods that can be used. The first is culture, with the optimal specimens including tissue obtained by biopsy of the EM rash, or synovial fluid collected from an affected joint. Although a positive culture for Borrelia burgdorferi is diagnostic, recovery of this organism in culturemay take from 4 days to several weeks, and culture is usually performed only at specialized, reference or government health department laboratories.

The most common approach for the laboratory diagnosis of Lyme disease is through the use of serology, in which methods such as enzyme immunoassay or Western blot are often performed.

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Conventional Methods for Diagnosis of Lyme Disease

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Jump to section:

• Introduction
• Outline
• Patient Case 1
• Laboratory Workup
• Conventional Methods for Diagnosis of Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis
• Conventional Methods for Diagnosis of Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis
• Conventional Methods for Diagnosis of Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis
• Typical Positive Result by IFA
• Conventional Methods for Diagnosis of Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis
• Diagnostic Tests for HME and HGA
• Conventional Methods for Diagnosis of Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis
• Conventional Methods for Diagnosis of Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis
• Patient Case 2
• Giemsa-stained Preparation Slide
• Giemsa-stained Preparation Slide
• Conventional Methods for Diagnosis of Babesia
• Conventional Methods for Diagnosis of Babesia
• Conventional Methods for Diagnosis of Babesia
• Conventional Methods for Diagnosis of Babesia
• Conventional Methods for Diagnosis of Babesia
• Patient Case 3
• Lyme Disease - Diagnostic Approach
• Conventional Methods for Diagnosis of Lyme Disease
• Patient Case 3 (continued)
• Diagnosis of Lyme Disease
• Lyme Disease - Serologic Assays
• Lyme Disease - Serologic Assays
• Lyme Disease - Serologic Assays
• Patient Case 3 (continued)
• Lyme Disease - Serologic Assays
• Patient Case 3 (continued)
• Lyme Disease - Factors to Consider
• Conclusions
• References
• Questions?