2017, volume 11, issue 2

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Analysis of the methods for diagnosing borreliosis − Lyme disease

(Państwowa Szkoła Wyższa im. Papieża Jana Pawła II w Białej Podlaskiej, 2017-07-28) Pedrycz-Wieczorska, Agnieszka

Lyme borreliosis is a multi-organ disease transmitted by ticks, whose etiological factor is an anaerobic bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. The incidence of this disease has risen each year for more than 10 years now in all parts of the world where ticks are present. Due to the multiplicity of the clinical symptoms, the disease is difficult to diagnose as it resembles other illnesses. Further, its pathomechanism through which Borrelia burgdorferi spirochetes attack joints, heart, nervous system and skin is not fully understood. This leads to many problems, both diagnostic and therapeutic. At present, there are two views on Lyme disease: one forwarded by the Polish Society of Epidemiology and Physicians of Infectious Diseases and the other one recommended by the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society. The following article presents clinical diagnostic procedures as well as additional laboratory, serological, histological, microbiological and genetic analyzes. It is an attempt to provide the most reliable diagnostic methods although it should be noted that all of them encounter difficulties. Accordingly, the diagnosis of Lyme disease is far from perfect and requires further research and standardization.