Lyme disease is caused by an infection with Borrelia bacteria - spread to humans by tick bites.
Ticks are tiny spider-like creatures often found in UK woodlands, parks and gardens. According to the UK's Health Security Agency, ticks can be active all year round, but they are most active in the months April to July, and sometimes later in the autumn. Not all ticks harbour Borrelia bacteria.
What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?
Comprehensive information on the signs and symptoms of Lyme disease can be found on the NHS website. In summary, for some people, early symptoms may include a circular or oval shape rash around a tick bite. The rash usually appears within 1 to 4 weeks, but can appear up to 3 months after being bitten by an infected tick, and can last for several weeks. Some people also get flu-like symptoms a few days or weeks after an infected tick bite.
More severe symptoms, months or years after being infected, may occur in some people if treatment for Lyme disease is delayed.
How do you test for Lyme disease?
The detection of anti-Borrelia Immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies in the blood is used as a laboratory marker of infection with Borrelia bacteria and Lyme disease. It can take the body two to four weeks to produce detectable levels of IgM antibodies after a tick bite, reaching a maximum at about six weeks and then begin to decline.
IgM antibody tests for Lyme disease alone, whether performed at home or by a hospital laboratory, have significant limitations due to frequent false positives, especially when used indiscriminately without a clinical history. A self-test result for anti-Borrelia IgM antibodies by itself should be viewed with caution until it is followed up with a consultation with a doctor.
The SELFCHECK Lyme Disease self-testing kit is a simple 10 minute, home blood-spot test for preliminary screening to detect anti-Borrelia IgM antibodies.
Whether you have a positive or negative self-test result, you must ask for an urgent GP appointment If you have symptoms of Lyme disease and think you may have been bitten by a tick.