Index
- How is Lyme disease diagnosed?
- A little reminder about Lyme disease
- What are the most common manifestations of Lyme disease?
- How is the diagnosis of this disease going?
- The history
- Clinical observation
- Serology
- Specific tests to diagnose Lyme Disease
- How do we prevent it?
How is Lyme disease diagnosed?
Infectious but not contagious, Lyme disease has been the talk of the town in recent years. Transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected tick, this disease can have serious consequences if it is not diagnosed in time. In addition, it can affect both children and adults. The best way to properly manage this disease is to detect it as early as possible. In this article, you'll learn how to diagnose Lyme disease and what symptoms you should be aware of.
A little reminder about Lyme disease
Lyme disease is an infectious disease that is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected tick. The tick is infected with the bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi. The discovery of this disease dates back to 1975, and at present it is present in the United States, Europe and Asia. It has also been shown that Lyme disease is not present in areas at high altitudes (above 1500 m).
Ticks carrying the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease live mainly in forests and grasslands. However, these ticks are not found in coniferous forests. For information, these small insects are only active between April and November. The risk of infection is therefore higher during this period. Also, you should be aware that this risk increases with the length of time the tick is attached to the skin. It is therefore important to remove the tick immediately after the bite.
What are the most common manifestations of Lyme disease?
This disease is progressive. Its symptoms change and worsen over time. In any case, the signs that should alarm you when you have not noticed the tick bite are the following:
- Chronic erythema migrans is a skin lesion that can grow as the disease progresses. This lesion is pale in the centre and extends in a circle around the bite
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Irregular heartbeat
- Numbness or tingling
- Damage to the nervous system (such as paralysis for example)
- Joint and muscle
However, the bite may go unnoticed and the erythema may not appear for the first few days after the bite. Indeed, the lesion may take up to 30 days to appear.
How is the diagnosis of this disease going?
Because of the variety of symptoms and the time it can take for them to appear, the diagnosis of Lyme disease can be very difficult. But if one or more of the symptoms mentioned above is of concern to the doctor, he or she must go through a few steps to detect possible Lyme disease.
The history
This step consists of an interrogation to determine possible exposure to the patient's tick bites. If this is the case or if the physician suspects potential exposure, he or she proceeds to clinical observation.
Clinical observation
In 95% of cases, a person who has been bitten by an infected tick has a migratory rash. If clinical observation allows the physician to detect an erythema larger than 5 cm in diameter, the diagnosis of Lyme disease is made immediately. Antibiotic treatment is then started.
The clinical examination can also reveal other symptoms such as neurological, cardiac, rheumatological or psychiatric manifestations of the disease. If, following this examination, the suspicion of Lyme disease is significant, a blood serology should be carried out.
Serology
It is one of the methods for the biological diagnosis of Lyme disease. Serology is the search for antibodies specific to the disease. These antibodies are specifically directed against three species of bacteria:
- The Borrelia burgdorferi sensu sticto
- The Borrelia afzelii
- The Borrelia garinii.
Specific tests to diagnose Lyme Disease
Apart from serology, other tests can also be used to diagnose Lyme disease.
- The Elisa test - this is a screening technique based on an indirect immunofluorescence test or This test is done on a sample of the patient's blood. When a negative result is obtained, serology is scheduled two weeks after the test to ensure that there is no infection.
- Western blot test - when the result of the first or second serology is doubtful, a complementary serology is This is the Western blot test. If the result of this test is positive, the diagnosis is made and treatment with antibiotics is started. It should be noted that this type of test is not reimbursed in France.
How do we prevent it?
In order to prevent Lyme disease, the following three rules must be observed:
- Use insecticides to kill or repel ticks
- Avoid contact with hazardous environments as much as possible
- Remove the tick from its skin on the very first
