If you live in a state at higher elevation, you may need to know that you need tested not with the typical lyme test (for Borellia Burgdorferi), but, instead, for Borellia Hermsii.
Borellia Hermsii is commonly called Tick Borne Relapsing Fever. The test for lyme (B. Burgdorferi) that is used in the eastern U.S. and elsewhere will NOT detect Borellia Hermsii.
Igenex has recently announced a new test for Borellia Hermsii. You can see it right on their home page.
Here is their page talking about the 2 strains of lyme and the different tests used for each one:
As you will see, they show in their header that the strain of lyme found in Utah is Borrelia Hermsii.
And, at their Home page, they clearly say "Lyme disease from Utah is caused by the strain Borrelia Hermsii."
Other good info for those sufferers out west is that Q Fever is also a common disease in Utah. So, sufferers need tested for that.
And, under "Stories" I found this informative statement:
"Update: A recent member of our Lyme group found an Infectious Disease doctor in California whose daughter has Lyme Disease. I contacted his office and he told me that people in higher elevations like Utah, all the way even to Minnesota, seem to have the strain Borrelia Hermsii. We had Mark tested and he was CDC positive for it. The common name for B. Hermsii is TBRF – Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever. Mark got this at LDS Cub Scout Camp, Utah!"