Friday, April 25, 2014

Free Lyme culture test!

It just came to my attention that there's an opportunity for getting a free Advanced Laboratories Services Borrelia culture test which is normally runs about $600. 

This is both for people who may have Lyme disease and for healthy controls (meaning people who do not have Lyme disease). Both classes of subjects are needed for the collection of data for a study. So, if you are not sick but have friends or family who have Lyme disease, you can help contribute to the search for a cure simply by supplying some blood, at no cost to you.

Go to the following link and scroll down to News and Announcements. Then read about the opportunity for the free culture test. If you think you may have Lyme disease, this is the most conclusive test I know of. I would take the opportunity to engage in the study if I were you.

Here's the text, so you can read it here if you want to:

Advanced Laboratory is participating in a collaborative research study involving a blood culture test for detecting Lyme Disease. They are in need of both healthy patients with NO history of Lyme or tick bites, as well as patients with a current Lyme infection who meet the CDC surveillance case definition for Lyme Disease. If anyone is interested in participating and believes they fall into one of these categories, please call us at 714-667-5222 or email info@ocimc.com. The sample will be processed free of charge to you!

The criteria are as follows:
Suspected Lyme-Infected Patients:
• Physician/health care practitioner-diagnosed erythema migrans rash, measuring at least 5 cm in average diameter
OR
•CDC-recognized rheumatologic, neurologic, cardiac or skin signs of Lyme, not caused by another obvious concurrent illness PLUS a positive two-tier Lyme serology as currently defined by the CDC (copy of reports required for study enrollment)
In addition, the patient:
• Is currently displaying signs and symptoms consistent with an active Borrelia infection
• Is NOT currently on antibiotics, and has not been exposed to antibiotics during the prior four weeks
• Is willing and able to have EIGHT 9cc Vacutainer tubes drawn at one time

Healthy Control Patients:
• No history of tick bites OR of Lyme Disease
• Has never displayed any signs/symptoms consistent with Lyme Disease
• Is NOT currently on antibiotics, and has not been exposed to antibiotics during the prior four weeks
• Is willing and able to have EIGHT 9cc Vacutainer tubes drawn at one time



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