Wow, interesting. Why don't we have the C6-based ELISA in the US???
Posted by Marnie (Member # 773) on :
I wondered the same which is why I wanted to post that link!
Posted by poppy (Member # 5355) on :
We do have the C6 test in the U.S. and it doesn't appear to be any better. It has been tried by many lyme docs here. As we all know, test results are frequently inconsistent, so it isn't very surprising that one ELISA result would not match a C6 ELISA or a western blot either.
It sounded like this man actually went back to Spain for the test, as a result of a suggestion by a doofus doctor who then wouldn't accept the positive result! Now there's a new wrinkle in excuses not to treat patients--send them off to a foreign country for testing. Looks like it was in Boston, no surprise there.
Other interesting points in the linked article: IV silver gave this man kidney and liver failure; they take another whack at "unapproved tests."
Posted by Phoiph (Member # 41238) on :
I tested positive for the same strain (Borrelia garinii) as this man through an ELISA test done by a US lab in 2007.
At that time, I hadn't ever traveled to Europe, but have recently read that this strain, believed by many to be "European-only", has been found on the offshore islands of the Northeastern US (carried by sea birds)...which is where I had been vacationing prior to finding an attached nymph tick and becoming ill soon after.
It is criminal that testing for all known strains is not standard practice in the US, and there is no excuse for it. Had I been given this test 3 years earlier, I would have received a timely diagnosis and treatment, and may not have become chronic...
I'm actually surprised that there has not been more interest in litigation for such cases, as it seems perfect fodder for malpractice lawyers...
Posted by poppy (Member # 5355) on :
There are actually a number of different lyme species in the U.S. that are not being tested for.
Posted by SickSci (Member # 43849) on :
Phoiph -
I *loathe* what litigiousness has done to hamper the practice of medicine... But I so agree with you. More "failure to diagnose" malpractice cases might really advance the cause.
Also, consider the fact that your pets can be tested for the same C6 peptide in a matter of minutes for around $15 at the vet's office.
And the C6 peptide in that snap test is not really species specific. It is unacceptable that more public funds have not been diverted to improving or approving available diagnostics.
Posted by elara (Member # 41819) on :
I tested positive by C6 ELISA at multiple labs while came up short 3/5 and 4/5 of the required 5/10 IgG Western Blot also at multiple labs. It can be ordered from IGenex, Quest and StonyBrook but most doctors will ignore the results if you are not positive by the CDC 2 tiered test.
My 3/5 and 4/5 were not the same bands and if you added them up, it was 6/10 but that was also ignored even in the face of multiple lab positive C6. The ignorance among most doctors runs pretty deep.