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We are thrilled to announce the new article on Phage test: “Successful diagnosis and treatment of Borrelia miyamotoi in a patient with joint and muscle pains, ME/CFS and cognitive dysfunction following tick bites: a case report.”
This article is a case report detailing the successful diagnosis and treatment of Borrelia miyamotoi disease (BMD), a type of tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF), in a patient suffering from joint and muscle pain, cognitive dysfunction, and chronic fatigue after multiple tick bites. Diagnosing BMD is particularly challenging due to its similarity to Lyme disease (LD) and the lack of a characteristic rash that can help diagnose LD. In this case, standard diagnostic tests (like ELISA and antibody tests) failed to detect any infections, including LD, Bartonella, or Anaplasma.
However, a phage-based PCR (phb-PCR) test, which detects bacterial phages rather than just bacterial DNA, was able to identify Borrelia miyamotoi. This allowed the patient to receive appropriate treatment, including antibiotics and intravenous vitamin therapy, resulting in a significant improvement in her symptoms.
Importance of the Article for Understanding Lyme and Tick-borne Diseases:
- Diagnostic Challenges: The report highlights how current Lyme disease tests can be unreliable when other tick-borne infections like BMD are involved. It emphasizes that negative test results for Lyme and other infections don't rule out the presence of pathogens like Borrelia miyamotoi.
- Phage-based PCR: The study demonstrates the potential of phb-PCR as a more sensitive and accurate diagnostic tool for detecting Borrelia miyamotoi, especially when standard bacterial tests fail. This is crucial for correctly diagnosing and treating complex cases of tick-borne illnesses.
- Symptom Overlap: It illustrates the significant overlap in symptoms between LD and TBRF, making it difficult for clinicians to distinguish between these diseases without advanced diagnostic methods. This complicates treatment and can lead to chronic, unresolved symptoms if misdiagnosed.
- Treatment Success: The case provides a hopeful example of how proper diagnosis can lead to effective treatment, improving patient outcomes in otherwise difficult-to-treat cases.
For more information, please visit our Redlabs website Phage page.
Please find bellow three more publications for the Phage Borrelia Test:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8005754/pdf/fmicb-12-651217.pdf
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10169747/pdf/fmicb-14-1126498.pdf
