Borreliosis/Lyme disease is spread by infected ticks, which are commonly found on deer.

Borreliosis (also known as Lyme Disease) is an illness that occurs as a result of an infection with a stealth pathogen  (a cell-wall-deficient organism) called Borrelia burgdorferi.

For over two decades Breakspear physicians have been actively looking for infectious agents such as borreliosis, Epstein-Barr virus, Parvovirus B19 and bacterial, rickettsial and parasitic organisms to find the cause of many illnesses. 

After a person becomes infected with borreliosis by a tick or other blood-feeding insect, the person may develop a resulting skin rash. Sometimes later a chronic rash can occur, with fever, headache and pain in the muscles and joints. Some infected people may not experience any noticeable symptoms at the time of infection.

Without treatment, the symptoms can last for weeks or even longer. Sometimes serious complications may occur several years later including arthritis, heart problems, nervous system problems and/or neurological abnormalities.

Diagnosis as a result of exhaustive blood tests at Breakspear Hospital
	The Daily Mail reported on a case of ME, which was brought on because Sarah Warren was suffering from Lyme disease, which is spread by bloodsucking ticks carrying the borrelia bacteria. Her diagnosis was a result of exhaustive blood tests at Breakspear Hospital.

Unfortunately the many common symptoms lead to many cases of borreliosis being undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Many undiagnosed sufferers have been told that the symptoms are just in their heads.

The standard investigations at Breakspear Hospital for borreliosis are:

• Borrelia antibody evaluation by ELISA technique, which measures antibodies to the organism.
• Polymerase Chain Reaction test for Borrelia burgdorferi, which measures the presence of the DNA – the chromosomes of the organism from the patient.

• Lymphocyte Transformation Test for Borrelia burgdorferi (LTT MELISA), which, if the results are positive, demonstrates current active infection with the organism.
• Borrelia burgdorferi IgG and IgM antibody evaluation by the Immunoblot/Western Blot technique, which detects portions of the Lyme disease organism.
• Bowen test, which provides rapid identification of Borrelia burgdorferi (RIBb) and is a research test being undertaken in a laboratory in the United States.

There are other investigations that may be undertaken.  Tests of specific Lyme related lymphocyte reactions can be performed. The outer surface peptides often camouflage the organisms and reactions to these may be evaluated. We can also measure co-factor infections of Borrelia.

How Breakspear Hospital can help with the treatment of borreliosis

Once it has been determined that a patient has borreliosis, we have been favouring the use of third generation cephalosporins, which are intravenous antibiotics that have proved to be very effective for some patients.

Other patients require a different, adapted antibiotic treatment that targets different conditions with different antibiotics, over varying time periods.

Recently we found a link between chronic fatigue patients and stealth pathogens, including borreliosis. Stealth pathogens are also present in many patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Whether a patient is suffering from fatigue syndrome or rheumatoid arthritis, we usually recommend he/she complete a personalised investigation and treatment programme, which includes investigating the evidence of harmful stealth organisms.