Problems of laboratory examination in Lyme disease

Lyme borreliosis is a multisystem infectious disease most often transmitted by ticks of the genus Ixodes. In the Czech Republic, specifically by ticks Ixodes ricinus. The initiator of this disease is a complex of spirochetal bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. The incidence of the disease is relatively often as several thousand cases are reported in the Czech Republic every year. However the knowledge about Lyme borreliosis is relatively extensive and simultaneously an intensive research is constantly ongoing, the opinions of experts on this issue are still unfolding accordingly. So far, it is still rather difficult to diagnose Lyme disease, especially because of the various and sometimes non-specific clinical symptoms that might often lead to failure in diagnosis. As no effective vaccine has yet been developed, the only way to reduce the risk of infection is prevention and protection against the ticks. This work investigates and summarizes current knowledge about the history, etiology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical course, prevention, therapy, and diagnosis of Lyme disease. Patients suspected of having contracted Lyme disease were tested using a two-level screening, firstly by applying ELISA method in order to select either positive patients or patients with uncertain results so that a confirmation Western blot method could follow subsequently. The outcome of my work confirmed the well-known fact that Lyme disease is seasonal. The higher number of positive samples in the summer months is related to the increased activity of ticks during this period. However, the results of positive patients who are divided into groups by age or gender represent very interesting findings. Particularly the higher incidence of the positive samples can be found among women