AcuDart tests are among the most accurate tests available for the major tick-borne illnesses. Their sensitivity of just above 90% is considerably higher than other methods such as PCR and the ELISA/Western blot two-tier testing protocol that is recommended by the CDC and followed by many commercial laboratories. AcuDart is also superior to specialty labs that focus on tick-borne illnesses.
The only tests that have a higher sensitivity than AcuDart are the ImmunoBlots from IGeneX. However, IGeneX tests are more expensive and cannot be purchased without physician authorization.
That's right! A few drops of blood is all we need to test for nine species of Lyme causing Borrelia. Our sample collection card is an alternative collection method, similar to an SST tube. Red blood cells are separated without a centrifuge, enabling the laboratory to perform tests on dry blood.
Is this methodology accurate? Yes! The test results have been cross-validated against standard finger prick and venous draws.
Collecting Your Blood
All we need are a few drops.
A few drops of blood is all we need to test for eight species of Lyme causing borrelia. Red blood cells are separated without a centrifuge, enabling the laboratory to perform tests on dry blood. The test results have been cross-validated against standard finger prick and venous draws.
AcuDart tests detect antibodies to multiple species of Lyme Borrelia.
B. burgdorferi B31
The B31 strain is the most well-known and extensively researched strain of B. burgdorferi.
B. afzelii
Borrelia afzelii is common in Europe. It is transmitted primarily by Ixodes ricinus ticks.
B. garinii
Borrelia garinii is common in Europe and Asia. Ixodes ricinus ticks are the primary vectors.
B. californiensis
Borrelia californiensis is a species of bacteria that was discovered in 2007.
B. spielmanii
Borrelia spielmanii was first isolated in 1993 in the Netherlands.
B. valaisiana
Borrelia valaisiana is common in Central Europe and can cause neuroborreliosis.
B. burgdorferi 297
Borrelia burgdorferi 297 is a human cerebrospinal fluid isolate and is a commonly used strain for studying ospC expression.
B. mayonii
Borrelia mayonii was first identified in a Minnesota resident in 2013. It can cause nausea, vomiting, and large, widespread rashes.
B. bissettii
Borrelia bissettii has been reported in patients in Europe. It can also be found in woodrats that are infected with B. burgdorferi s.s.
AcuDart tests detect antibodies to multiple species of TBRF Borrelia.
B. hermsii
The most common cause of TBRF is B. hermsii. It is spread by the soft-bodied tick Ornithodoros hermsi.
B. miyamotoi
B. miyamotoi can infect humans through the bite of several species of hard-shell Ixodes ticks, the same kind of ticks that spread B. burgdorferi, the causative bacterium of Lyme disease.
B. parkeri
B. parkeri is a relapsing fever agent that causes human infection. B. parkeri strain HR1 was isolated from Ornithodoros parkeri ticks.
B. turicatae
B. turicatae is a spirochete that causes TBRF in the tropics and subtropics of the United States. It is the primary cause of TBRF in the southwestern United States and is transmitted by the vector, Ornithodoros turicata.
AcuDart tests detect antibodies to multiple species of Babesia.
B. microti
B. microti is the main cause of babesiosis, a malaria-like disease which also causes fever and hemolysis.
B. duncani
Human babesiosis caused by B. duncani has been associated with high parasite burden, severe pathology and death in multiple cases.
AcuDart tests detect antibodies to multiple species of Bartonella.
B. henselae
B. henselae is a bacterium that causes cat scratch disease (CSD), also known as cat scratch fever.
B. quintana
B. quintana infection is most commonly associated with body louse infestations in areas of high population density and poor sanitation.
B. elizabethae
B. elizabethae causes disease in both humans and animals. Most commonly, it causes endocarditis, or inflammation of the inner layer of the heart tissue.
B. vinsonii
B. vinsonii is a gram-negative bacteria that can infect mammals, including dogs and cats. It can cause a variety of diseases in dogs.
It took about a week to receive the test, and only 4 days after they received my sample.
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Anonymous
Worth getting tested if suspected early lyme
Make sure to drop off your package at the USPS counter to be scanned by a clerk so that the tracking on your return can be updated real time.
I'm glad that it includes TBRF since it can be more endemic in certain parts of the states but can be overlooked / not tested for despite being present.
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Sandra Carslick
Easy testing
The testing process was easy and can be done at home vs. going a lab. I received my results in a timely manner.
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Julie Barter
User-friendly, same results as full Igenex blood test.
I took this test myself to understand the patient experience. It was easy to order, easy to register, easy to collect, and results were posted within 1 week. Furthermore, I had a complete Igenex panel within a similar timeframe that gave exactly the same results. Very reassuring. I plan to recommend to people who need a good screening test for Lyme, but may not have a physician to order good testing for them. Thanks Igenex for sharing this technology to make it widely publicly available, with FDA approval to boot.
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Ashley Ondrick
Fast, easy and accurate!
What a wonderful test! I have used the traditional Igenix testing for many years but it requires going through a provider and was quite expensive. I am so grateful for this simple finger prick that I could order and do at home and still trust the results are processed with the same accuracy and care of the high Igenix standard.
