posted
Has anyone here tested for the tick- and other insect-borne encephalitis viruses? Has anyone tested positive for any of these?
The arboviruses with tests available at LabCorp and Focus Diagnostics include:
California Encephalitis Virus Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus St. Louis Encephalitis Virus Western Equine Encephalitis West Nile Virus
There are others but I haven't found tests for them yet. There is some cross-reactivity between the flaviviruses.
There's also:
Colorado Tick Fever
Thanks.
[ 14. January 2009, 08:17 PM: Message edited by: grace1 ]
Posts: 98 | From San Francisco | Registered: Oct 2006
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adamm
Unregistered
posted
Yep--negative. NOt sure if that means anything, though.
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timaca
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6911
posted
I've only been tested for West Nile virus out of the viruses you listed.
However, I just sent a ton of blood off yesterday to Focus lab (one of the labs you mentioned) to be tested for lots of other viruses which are problems for me. Specifically, HHV-6, EBV, VZV, HSV1, CMV, Parvo and Cpn (bacteria).
Focus is a good lab. If you are ill, I would suggest testing for these viruses.
Best, Timaca
Posts: 2872 | From above 7,000 ft in a pine forest | Registered: Feb 2005
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posted
There is also deer tick virus/powassan which are tickborne and in flavivirus family too. But no commercial lab tests.
Posts: 8430 | From Not available | Registered: Oct 2000
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I think all the viruses you listed with the possible exception of West Nile are carried by mosquitoes. Don't think I have ever seen any references that indicate they are carried by ticks as well.
Colorado Tick Fever is of course carried by a tick.
Hubby was tested for Borna virus -- not on your list. Was big news 6 or 7 years ago because it was found in lots of patients with depression and schizophrenia. Hubby tested positive 4 times by Immmunosciences Lab over a period of 3 or 4 years -- that lab does not do commerical testing anymore and I don't know of any other labs in the U.S. which test for this virus.
Have read that Dr K in Washinton believes that all tickborne patients have Borna virus. There should be several threads here on LymeNet if you search under Borna virus.
Hubby takes amantadine for this virus although I don't think it is doing much good. At some point need to retest and treat him for HHV-6, CMV, and EBV which all have tested positive at some point over the last 8 years.
Timaca -- What is VZV? -- I recognize the others but not that one.
Bea Seibert
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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Yes, I have tested for the herpes viruses too. I'm "grace" on the HHV-6 Foundation message board too.
I think a lot of people know about the herpes research but not much if any attention is being paid to the tick-borne viruses.
Sort of befuddling that doctors would test me for herpes viruses but not for tick viruses when I said I had a tick attached and a rash. So I'm trying to see if anyone else has tested positive for any of them, so that I have a good reason to ask for testing.
Posts: 98 | From San Francisco | Registered: Oct 2006
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You are probably correct. There is a Tick-Borne Encephalitis (TBE) flavivirus that has variants mostly known in Russia, Europe, and Asia. But I don't see a commercial lab test in the U.S. for it.
I think they are all related arboviruses which have some cross-reactivity. So I was thinking that testing for all available arbovirus tests would be one way to get an idea if there's a tick-borne virus involved.
I am interested in testing for Borna virus too but have not found testing in the U.S.
Posts: 98 | From San Francisco | Registered: Oct 2006
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posted
The two viruses that lou mentioned, Powassan, and Deer Tick Virus, are actually tick-borne flaviviruses. But as mentioned, there don't seem to be commercial tests for them.
Posts: 98 | From San Francisco | Registered: Oct 2006
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timaca
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6911
posted
Bea~ VZV is Varicella Zoster Virus (chicken pox and shingles virus).
There is a video on BornaVirus at the HHV-6 website. Click on "View videos from the Symposium on Viruses in CFS"
Scroll down until you see the BornaVirus session. I think testing is only available outside the U.S.
Grace~ Good luck getting tested. It seems like a good idea in your case.
Best, Timaca
Posts: 2872 | From above 7,000 ft in a pine forest | Registered: Feb 2005
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