14. Heading to Finland to find ways to accurately diagnose tick-borne diseases

In this episode Sarah talks with Canadian researcher Dr.Leona Gilbert, originally from Thunder Bay, and currently living in Finland. Dr. Gilbert tells us about an interaction with a patient that led her to focus on testing for Lyme disease. She points to research showing that patients who suffer from long term effects of Lyme disease often test positive for multiple microbes. Tickplex is a diagnostic kit that tests for six different forms of borrelia, ten other forms of microbes as well as antibodies which correlate to three different disease stages - all in one test! Dr. Gilbert explains the benefit to this method (also known as polymicrobial theory) over testing for one microbe with one antibody at a time. She points out that many long time sufferers of Lyme disease and co-infections are unable to build an adequate immune response to these microbes, but with treatment their immune system starts to respond and is then able to create antibodies. Research is also showing that outcomes are much better for those patients who are diagnosed early, tested for multiple microbes and then treated. She also talks about how multiplex testing is identifying patients who are “shining up” due to a hyperactive immune system.Read more: show notes