Have Test – Can Travel
Lyme disease is under-reported and increasing in the United States, with as many as 300,000 new cases a year. But did you know that Lyme disease is not just here in the United States? With 68 million Americans traveling abroad last year alone, business travelers, vacationers, and people in the military should be aware of the facts: Over 80 countries of Europe and Asia have reported cases of Lyme, with more than 360,000 cases reported over the last two decades. Mexico reports cases of patients being infected when visiting the forested areas. Canada describes the increasing numbers of infected black-legged ticks. Not all countries have mandatory reporting, so these statistics do not account for all of the cases of disease. At least three species of Borrelia may be responsible:
*Borrelia burgdorferi
*Borrelia garinii
*Borrelia afzelii
Because of this, travelers returning to the U.S. showing symptoms of a tick-borne illness should be tested for more than Borrelia burgdorferi.
Coppe Laboratories is the only commercial reference laboratory testing for multiple genospecies including these European strains.
Using selective antigens (VlsE and OspC), Coppe’s Lyme panel is highly sensitive, which increases the likelihood of detection of antibodies from multiple strains of the Borrelia bacteria. Densitometry software is used to read the immunoblots, rather than relying on visual identification. Indeterminate results are less than 1% providing clear interpretation and actionable results.
In addition to the high–quality testing of Borrelia, Coppe Laboratories provides testing for Babesia and exclusive testing for Powassan virus. As a courtesy, Coppe will file insurance on behalf of the patient.
For more information, please visit our website at www.coppelabs.com.
Madison Area Lyme Support Group 