Target the Bite: Knowledge on Lyme’s Disease
Anjali Kumar *
Washington University of Health and Science, Belize.
Jennings Hernandez
Washington University of Health and Science, Belize.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Disease agent Borrelia burgdorferi has continued to incrementally spread Lyme disease throughout the United States and has become the concern of the general population’s health. Ixodes ticks infected with Borrelia burgdorferi, that come in contact with any area of the human body, typically stay attached for a period of 36-48 hours in order for them to completely transfer the bacteria into the host. The symptoms manifested typically inhabit the nervous system, musculoskeletal system and the cardiovascular system. New methods in the diagnostic techniques have been in ongoing research including the SYBR Green I/PI assay which quantifies living bacteria after dosage completion along with molecular testing which uses PCR of synovial fluid, blood, tissue biopsy, and cerebrospinal fluid to detect for an imbalance in OspA and its respective chromosomal targets. Current diagnostic measures of ELISA and Western blot are not reliable due to individuals vaccinated with Lymerix testing positive regardless of infection because it is insensitive to early detection, creates false positives and cannot detect chronic Lyme after treatment
Keywords: ELISA, B. burgdorferi, Lyme disease, Ixodes tick, SYBR assay, PCR, Western blot, Lymerix vaccine.