People frequently ask me whether there are any reliable Lyme tests that can prove current, active Borrelia (Lyme) infection in humans. The answer is Yes. Because existing tests (ELISA and Western Blot) are prone to false negatives, conclusive testing is central to an accurate diagnosis as well as to establish a better standard of care for the estimated 300,000 newly infected (in the US, alone) citizens per anum. (That is a CDC estimate, not one imagined by Lyme 'conspiracy theorists.')
I saw the following statement on a listserv of Lyme-Literate MDs (LLMDs) today and want to reprint it here on my blog. The statement is from Alan MacDonald, MD a very well-regarded career pathologist and specialist in human infection, with a specialty in Lyme disease. Here is his quote concerning allegations that Advanced Labs in Pennsylvania has been slipshod in their quality control and therefore their tests should not be used by doctors who may suspect their patients have Lyme. Likewise, insurance companies will not cover the expense (which is about $900 last time I had one done), due to such baseless criticism, resulting in human suffering that is tragic and unnecessary.
-Bob
"As a reviewer of the protocol for the Advanced Labs Borrelia culture method
I have concluded that the method in Advanced Labs is scientifically Sound
and that the test results (although pricey) are completely reliable.
I have written a letter to the Editor of the Journal of Clinical Microbiology. My letter was published.
The letter pointed out the sound science in the Advanced Labs Method, and it criticized the vindictive and inferential Barbara Johnson, et al. paper published in JCM for sloppy science and for their lack of any attempt by hard science methods to actually repeat the scientific method of Advanced Labs' blood culture, which was previously published in 10 single-spaced pages in a manuscript authored by Dr. Eva Sapi.
The Advanced labs adds DNA sequencing to each of the positive borrelia human blood cultures to prove that the nucleotides (DNA sequences) of the products of the Advanced Lab Blood cultures are IN FACT at the LEVEL of DNA SEQUENCE Analysis : Borrelia Burgdorferi.
No other borrelia diagnostic method existing today combines Positive Borrelia blood cultures with follow-up DNA sequence analysis for the microbes cultured from blood. It is a superb and sound scientific method.
Respectfully,
Alan B. MacDonald, MD, FCAP
January 16, 2015
So a 16-week positive culture means I have the disease?
ReplyDeleteThe claim is that there are no false positive with the culture test. If they put your blood into a petri dish and let it culture, and they look at a drop of that blood under a microscope and see spirochetes swimming around, That is the proof that you have living Lyme disease bacteria in your body.
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