Tezted, a diagnostics company in Jyväskylä, Finland, has developed an all-in-one Borrelia test that detects the three main Borrelia species — Borrelia afzelii, Borrelia burgdorferi, and Borrelia garinii — in their spirochetal and round-body persister forms.

To address the problem of Lyme co-infections, they also offer TickPlex Plus, which detects the Borrelias listed above and Babesia microti, Bartonella henselae, Ehrlichia chaffensis, and Rickettsia akari. It also screens for the opportunistic infections of Coxsackievirus, Epstein-Barr virus, Human Parvovirus B19, Mycoplasma fermentans, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

These tests use an indirect, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) antibody approach that has been validated using 432 characterized tick-borne disease specimens. (Garg et al. 2018). Their tests can be ordered in the U.S. through ArminLabs in Germany or Sanoviv Medical Institute in Mexico. The company is currently applying for FDA approval.

Tezted is a participant in Invisible International’s “Tick-borne Illness Diagnostics Development Incubator,” a yearlong collaborative forum designed to help bring better diagnostics solutions to the market faster.

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https://arminlabs.com/en/tests/tickplex

A children’s songwriting duo created a catchy new dance-jingle that makes tick checks fun and easy, potentially reducing the incidence of dangerous tick-borne diseases in kids.

Tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease affect children more than any other age group, yet only about 1-in-10 check for ticks after playing outside. To encourage kids to do more and better tick checks, comedic songwriters “Louis and Dan and the Invisible Band” created a “viral” song-and-dance routine to help kids remember to check for creepy-crawly ticks in their favorite hiding places.

The #TickCheckChallenge project, a collaboration between PA Lyme Resource Network and Invisible International, involves an educational campaign to help spread the word about the importance of tick checks. The informational website teaches people how to record their own TikTok-style interpretations of the dance, then share them on social media.

Three patient case studies guide physicians on how to diagnose and treat early Lyme disease. This online course summarizes the latest research on disease risk, symptoms, and treatment options.

Diagnosing early Lyme disease cases can be notoriously difficult. Initial symptoms mimic those of the flu or Covid-19 — fever, chills, headache, and aches. The recommended antibody testing isn’t reliable in the first month. And many of those infected by a tick never see the tick or the most helpful diagnostic sign — an expanding erythema migrans rash at the bite site.

“Case studies in early Lyme disease” is an online continuing medical education course that discusses disease risk in geographic regions, Lyme disease rashes, NIH-funded treatment trials, the basics on how Lyme bacteria evade the immune system, and the pros and cons of various patient treatment options. Participants’ diagnostic skills are tested with three real-life patient case studies. This course has been approved for 1.0 CME credit by the American Academy of Family Physicians.