Lyme disease is a growing problem in the United States. The disease is a tick-borne bacterial infection (Borrelia burgdorferi) that, if untreated, can have long-lasting rheumatic and neurological implications. But, early antibiotic treatment can effectively treat the infection and prevent progression of symptoms. Historically, definitive diagnosis has been complicated by reliance on antibody-based testing, which cannot determine if the infection was still active or not. But, with a surging number of cases, there is growing interest in the laboratory industry to improve diagnostic testing by turning to newer, more sensitive techniques. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported last month that the number of geographic areas at risk for Lyme disease has substantially expanded over the past few decades, driven by climate change. Currently, the states with the highest disease concentration remain in the Northeast and upper Midwest, but cases of the disease are now spreading across the Mid-Atlantic. Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vector-borne illness in the United States and in 2013 it was the fifth most common nationally notifiable disease, with roughly 30,000 confirmed cases reported to the CDC annually. While CDC data shows the number of reported cases is steadily increasing, the agency […]