That’s one reason why Lyme disease, particularly the discussion around chronic Lyme disease, is so controversial. People who previously had a Lyme disease infection and were treated can still have antibodies in their systems for months to years following the initial infection, according to the CDC. To further complicate things, a positive Lyme disease test also isn’t proof of an active infection (one that is present during the time of the blood test). So, a person with an active Lyme infection may test negative for the disease because their body hasn’t created an adequate immune response, meaning they don’t have enough antibodies to trigger a positive result. “The sicker an individual is, the more unresponsive their immune system is,” Dr. The bacteria that cause Lyme disease can also suppress the immune system, which makes it tricky for tests to get an accurate reading simply due to the stress your body may be under. (If you’re taking an at-home test, then it would be even harder to figure out the best testing timeframe without an expert’s advice.) Even if you take one that does, IgG and IgM antibodies may not develop until weeks after you become infected, so testing too soon can lead to false negatives, Dr. Dattwyler and Samuel Shor, MD, FACP, former president of the International Lyme & Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) and clinical associate professor of health care sciences at George Washington University. Some Western blot tests don’t look for every type of protein band related to Lyme disease, for example, which could skew results, according to both Dr. There are numerous reasons for potential inaccuracies. Dattwyler, MD, a professor of microbiology, immunology, and medicine at New York Medical College, tells SELF. “There are a lot of false positives out there, and that’s always been a problem,” Raymond J. In general the recommended lab tests for Lyme disease can lack both.
The second is specificity, which refers to how well a test identifies people who don’t have the markers of a disease (accurately identifying someone without Lyme disease).
4 The first is sensitivity, which refers to how accurately a test identifies people who have the markers of a disease (accurately identifying someone with Lyme disease). Researchers determine the validity of most disease screening tests by looking at two factors. “Gold-standard” Lyme disease tests are still murky-meaning a kit you buy online may be even less reliable. Lab testing for Lyme disease is notoriously tricky, even for trained doctors. However, it’s impossible to know what lab each at-home testing company uses because they typically don’t disclose that information. The FDA, Center for Medicaid Services (CMS), and CDC oversee the program to ensure labs are following the exact protocols they claim to be, according to the FDA. Some at-home testing companies may conduct their tests in labs that have completed the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) program.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not approve medical laboratories, but it has cleared the CDC-recommended testing methods above.
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