Published on 29 July, 2022

Tick-borne diseases

Tick-borne diseases are exceptionally polymicrobial in nature, so it is important to look at the bigger picture. A 2018 study published in Nature found an 85% probability that a randomly selected patient will show an immune response to Borrelia burgdorferi and other related tick-borne microbes, rather than to Borrelia alone (Garg et al., 2018).

The most common tick-borne bacteria are from the Borrelia family, but ticks can also carry and transmit co-infections.

Coinfections include:

• Babesia
• Bartonella
• Brucella
• Ehrlichia
• Rickettsia
• Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV)

As a consequence of tick-borne exposure patients may develop a weakened immune system and develop opportunistic infections.

Opportunistic infections include:

• Chlamydia pneumoniae
• Coxsackievirus
• Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
• Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)
• Human parvovirus B19
• Mycoplasma

Non-tick-borne opportunistic microbes share an array of symptoms with Lyme borreliosis concerning the heart, kidney, musculoskeletal, and central nervous system, so these will be considered in the differential diagnosis of Lyme disease. 

Laboratory testing

If Lyme disease is suspected, AONM ArminLabs offers a range of Laboratory tests – contact info@aonm.org for more information.

Complete the Lyme Questionnaire and Coinfection Checklist online here. Forward your checklist results to your therapist, or email to laboratories@aonm.org

_{Reference: Garg, K., Jokiranta, T., Filén, S., Gilbert, L. (2021). Assessing the Need for Multiplex and Multifunctional Tick-Borne Disease Test in Routine Clinical Laboratory Samples from Lyme Disease and Febrile Patients with a History of a Tick Bite. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease. 6. 38. 10.3390/tropicalmed6010038.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350142847_Assessing_the_Need_for_Multiplex_and_Multifunctional_Tick-Borne_Disease_Test_in_Routine_Clinical_Laboratory_Samples_from_Lyme_Disease_and_Febrile_Patients_with_a_History_of_a_Tick_Bite}