Need urgent answer regarding tick testing

[Guest guest]

I know many of you are a lot more literate

about Lyme disease on this web site than I am. I need to know urgently

whether there’s some place I can send a tick for testing. I’m

starting to freak out that I’m living in a very tick infested area.

Both of my children have had tick bites (tiny tiny ticks) & developed

subsequent rashes & fevers. They were treated the standard 10

days with AB’s (didn’t know at the time this was probably

inadequate) but have done well. I have been bitten by a tick and am sick

as hell.

I pulled yet another tiny tiny tick off of

my daughter tonight. She wasn’t even outside tonight, so it’s

probably been attached at least 24 hours. I saved the tick. Is

there somewhere I can send this for testing?

I know I need to get her on Abx asap, but

my mainstream Pediatrician has his head stuck in the sand & doesn’t

believe Lyme exists in my part of the country.

Patrice

[Guest guest]

I've had 3 ticks tested in the past 2 years:

2 in Williston Vermont

http://www.analyticalservices.com/tick_testing/

and 1 at Igenex in Ca.

http://www.igenex.com/

Both places charge about $50.00 per tick.

1 came off me (negative) 1 off my neighbors horse (negative)

and 1 off a friend of mine (and it'd been on her at least a day)

and hers was positive - and she tested positive for Lyme 6 weeks

later, after she'd been on Doxy for 5 weeks.

Place the tick in a plastic baggie & mail it to either place.

The problem is, it'll be at least a week till you get the results

maybe 10 days. So if you think the tick's been feeding over 15

hrs., then I'd be nervous.

Barb

> I know many of you are a lot more literate about Lyme disease on

this web

> site than I am. I need to know urgently whether there's some

place I can

> send a tick for testing. I'm starting to freak out that I'm living

in a

> very tick infested area. Both of my children have had tick bites

(tiny tiny

> ticks) & developed subsequent rashes & fevers. They were treated

the

> standard 10 days with AB's (didn't know at the time this was

probably

> inadequate) but have done well. I have been bitten by a tick and

am sick as

> hell.

>

>

>

> I pulled yet another tiny tiny tick off of my daughter tonight.

She wasn't

> even outside tonight, so it's probably been attached at least 24

hours. I

> saved the tick. Is there somewhere I can send this for testing?

>

>

>

> I know I need to get her on Abx asap, but my mainstream

Pediatrician has his

> head stuck in the sand & doesn't believe Lyme exists in my part of

the

> country.

>

>

>

> Patrice

>

>

>

> _____

>

>

>

> _____

>

>

[Guest guest]

I beleive, but am not positive, that the test on the ticks

covers all sub species (it may look for OSPA) but you'd need to call

them to make sure.

B.

> > I know many of you are a lot more literate about Lyme disease on

> this web

> > site than I am. I need to know urgently whether there's some

> place I can

> > send a tick for testing. I'm starting to freak out that I'm

living

> in a

> > very tick infested area. Both of my children have had tick bites

> (tiny tiny

> > ticks) & developed subsequent rashes & fevers. They were

treated

> the

> > standard 10 days with AB's (didn't know at the time this was

> probably

> > inadequate) but have done well. I have been bitten by a tick and

> am sick as

> > hell.

> >

> >

> >

> > I pulled yet another tiny tiny tick off of my daughter tonight.

> She wasn't

> > even outside tonight, so it's probably been attached at least 24

> hours. I

> > saved the tick. Is there somewhere I can send this for testing?

> >

> >

> >

> > I know I need to get her on Abx asap, but my mainstream

> Pediatrician has his

> > head stuck in the sand & doesn't believe Lyme exists in my part

of

> the

> > country.

> >

> >

> >

> > Patrice

> >

> >

> >

> > _____

> >

> >

> >

> > _____

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Yes- The positive tick on my friend was sent to Igenex, and the 2

that were negative were tested in Vt. (one on me, one on my neighbors

horse).

I only live 15 miles from the lab in Vt- so just drove the

samples there. The lab in Vt bought out another tick testing lab on

2 years ago (based in NJ I think) - so they do alot of ticks as far

as I know... The state of Vt tested alot of ticks from last years

hunting season, and I have not been able to get the data- rumors are

flying that the positives were anywhere from 2% to 25% - but I cannot

get reliable data or answers.. I'm working on it though.

Barb

> Barb,

>

> Was the tick that tested positive sent to Igenex and the two that

tested neg sent to the other lab, in Vermont? I notice they mention

the CDC and the ALDF as useful links (?!)

>

> I happened to be in the middle of writing a mail to our french lyme

list re where to have ticks tested. California is a bit far from

Europe, MDLs has revamped their website and I am going crazy trying

to find the place where they mention their tick testing.

>

> Spring is here and I know we will start getting loads of people

pulling ticks off them and nowhere to sent them.

>

> Nelly

>

>

> [infections] Re: Need urgent answer

regarding tick testing

>

>

>

>

> I've had 3 ticks tested in the past 2 years:

> 2 in Williston Vermont

>

> http://www.analyticalservices.com/tick_testing/

>

> and 1 at Igenex in Ca.

>

> http://www.igenex.com/

>

> Both places charge about $50.00 per tick.

> 1 came off me (negative) 1 off my neighbors horse (negative)

> and 1 off a friend of mine (and it'd been on her at least a day)

> and hers was positive - and she tested positive for Lyme 6 weeks

> later, after she'd been on Doxy for 5 weeks.

>

>

> Place the tick in a plastic baggie & mail it to either place.

> The problem is, it'll be at least a week till you get the results

> maybe 10 days. So if you think the tick's been feeding over 15

> hrs., then I'd be nervous.

>

> Barb

[Guest guest]

Nelly-

I'll ask them- and let you know.

Barb

> Barb,

>

> http://www.analyticalservices.com/tick_testing/

>

> I just had a closer look at what they say re tick testing for Lyme.

What do you think can be made of this : " tick testing for the bacterium

responsible for Lyme Disease is a screen and will not definitively rule

out or confirm the presence of B. burgdorferi " ?

>

> Nelly

[Guest guest]

Hi Nelly:

I talked to someone at this lab today, and they said the primer they

use for the PCR test is b. burgdorferi (North American Strain)

He said they do test ticks from all over the USA.

I asked what percentage of ticks were positive for lyme bacteria, and

of course he said he couldn't reveal that data (whether he even knew

I don't know cuz I'm not sure who at the company I was talking to).

Then I asked about European strain..

I know the European strains share DNA with the north American strain,

so asked if he thought their PCR was selective enough to detect the

barteria in a european tick that was infected.. he said he didn't

know. I asked if they'd be willing to try their test on a known

infected european tick and he said yes....(Of course where would we

get one we knew for sure was infected?)

Then I asked what was meant by the statement you quoted,

and he said it was becuase any PCR could yrild a false positive if

one wasn't carefull about how the test was run. (I felt like saying

Duh..)

So based on these answers, and the fact they're up to $75.00 per

tick -

I think I'd stick to Igenex.

Barb

> > Barb,

> >

> > http://www.analyticalservices.com/tick_testing/

> >

> > I just had a closer look at what they say re tick testing for

Lyme.

> What do you think can be made of this : " tick testing for the

bacterium

> responsible for Lyme Disease is a screen and will not definitively

rule

> out or confirm the presence of B. burgdorferi " ?

> >

> > Nelly

[Guest guest]

Nelly:

I'd like the address for the lab you're mentioning.

(you can backchannel me if you'd like).

Since I think I'm infected with b.afzelii

I just might send some serum or blood FEDX to him in parallel with

sending some to Igenex.. maybe for my next test in November.

does he do whole blood or serum or both?

I'll jump over to EuroLyme.

Barb

> > Barb,

> >

> > http://www.analyticalservices.com/tick_testing/

> >

> > I just had a closer look at what they say re tick testing for

Lyme.

> What do you think can be made of this : " tick testing for the

bacterium

> responsible for Lyme Disease is a screen and will not

definitively rule

> out or confirm the presence of B. burgdorferi " ?

> >

> > Nelly