Testing for Lyme Disease is advised when a person is experiencing symptoms associated with Lyme, especially if they have had a recent tick bite or have been in an area where Lyme Disease is prevalent. If left untreated, Lyme Disease can cause joint pain, numbness in the arms and legs, facial paralysis, Meningitis, heart problems, or memory problems. The ticks which spread the disease are typically very small (the size of a pinhead) and many people do not even realize they have been bitten. While some people will display a distinctive 'bulls-eye' rash around the site of the bite, others may experience common flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, fatigue, and headache. Lyme disease can be difficult to diagnose because the symptoms are often similar to other afflictions. It is most commonly spread by the Deer Tick or Black Legged Tick and is the most common tick-borne illness in the United States and Europe. Lyme Disease is caused by infection with the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. The CDC does not recommend the Western Blot test as a front-line screening as some conditions other than Lyme Disease may cause a false positive. The detection of multiple bands is required for a positive result. This test looks for the presence of both IgG and IgM antigen bands to confirm both recent and previous exposure. The immunoblot test is also known as a Lyme Disease Line Blot test. The Lyme Disease Western Blot test is typically used as a confirmatory test for people who have had positive results from previous Lyme Disease testing. Description: Lyme Disease Western Blot Test (Labcorp)

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