Some people who get Lyme disease have symptoms long after they’ve received treatment, and scientists are trying to find out why. Their research could also lead doctors to be able to test for Lyme disease more quickly.
James Weger didn’t even notice a tick bite. His knee started swelling, and he couldn’t bend it very well. The pain and swelling got worse.
“Like just ballooned,” Weger said. “My knee was absolutely massive.”
Weger went to a doctor and they gave him a Lyme disease test. Sure enough, he’d contracted the disease, likely from a tick that was very small. He got on antibiotics, and doctors removed some of the fluid from his swollen knee. The pain and swelling mostly disappeared.
Other patients have lingering effects for months, even years.
“They can appear to clear the infection, but they then go on to have symptoms,” said Brandon Jutras, an associate professor of biochemistry at Virginia Tech and the Fralin Life Sciences Institute.
He and his team of researchers have identified a very unusual molecule that lingers in the bodies of some Lyme disease patients.
“We know that there’s a specific molecule from the bacteria that causes Lyme disease that we think is playing a role in arthritis,” said Mecaila McClune, a PhD student on the team.
And testing for that molecule could also give people a quicker way to tell whether people have Lyme disease in the first place.
Jutras’ team is working on a rapid, at-home test that could detect if someone has Lyme disease hours after infection, weeks before doctors can currently identify it.
Montgomery County and other areas in Virginia are hotspots for Lyme disease. Jutras advises that if you go hiking or camping, wear light clothing because ticks will show up easier. If you have pets, check them when they come inside. And wash and dry your clothing after you come inside, because ticks cannot survive dryers.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
