Inferior Lyme tests are to be based on a single band.

This email was posted today on a listserv. It was written by Alan Mcdonald the noted and highly-experienced pathologist in the field of Lyme disease diagnosis and testing.

-Bob

Hello, the question about B31 As the "Borrelia of choice( sic) " continues to be asked of me by many correspondents. The answer follows - and the flawed science behind the selection of B31 blood test kits is Revealed below. The decision to use ONLY B31 Borrelia for the manufacture of All ELISA AND ALL WESTERN BLOT TEST KITS IN THE USA was a decision made early in the history of Lyme testing by highly placed Authorities in the USA. Today it is clear that  B31 has a limited library of proteins and a constant DNA signature BUT BORRELIA IN THE WILD FROM REAL VECTORS ARE A FAMILY OF STRAINS AND GENOTYPE VARIANTS WITHIN EACH NAMED STRAIN. DIVERSE BORRELIA DNA SIGNATURES  EQUAL THE SYNTHESIS OF DIVERSE BORRELIA PROTEINS - PROTEINS WHICH DO MATCH THE B31 Protein repertoire. So, we live in a Borrelia universe of ongoing DNA changes within strains and with newly discovered strains unknown to Dr. Burgdorfer. Any patient whose infection is due to a Borrelia in the wider group of NEW STRAINS and from Genovars within each of the named strains will run the risk of getting a false negative B31 based blood test kit.  "if the new strain proteins don't fit, your health care provider will acquit" and you will be dismissed from further Borrelia care.  Sad But true Best, Alan MacDonald MD. FCAP FASCP