Request European-species diagnostic testing

Standard US Lyme tests may miss Eurasian Borrelia species. Request testing panels that include B. garinii and B. afzelii antigens, not just B. burgdorferi sensu stricto. European two-tier testing uses species-specific recombinant antigens including VlsE homologues and DbpA from each species, significantly improving sensitivity.

Why It Works

The VlsE antigen from B. garinii strain PBi has the highest sensitivity of all antigens tested for IgG detection. Modern European line immunoblot assays assess antibody reactivity against proteins from multiple Borrelia species simultaneously. Without species-appropriate antigens in the test panel, infections by B. garinii or B. afzelii can produce false-negative results on US-standard panels.

Tips

• The C6 peptide ELISA has cross-reactivity across Borrelia species and may detect Eurasian infections better than traditional US ELISA
• Specify your travel history (Russia, Europe, Asia) when ordering Lyme testing
• Intrathecal antibody index (CSF:serum ratio) is the gold standard for confirming neuroborreliosis
• Specialty laboratories like Euroimmun offer species-differentiated Borrelia immunoblots