Nashua, NH, October 10, 2024 – Consumer testing startup AcuDart Health has launched an at-home Lyme disease test with a sensitivity greater than 83%, which is considerably higher than the 57% sensitivity of the two-tier testing protocol recommended by the CDC.
Accuracy of Lyme disease tests from commercial laboratories has been an issue for decades. Many patients are routinely misdiagnosed and end up suffering for years. AcuDart tests are able to achieve higher accuracy because they look for more species of a disease. Whereas most tests look for only one or two species, the AcuDart Lyme disease test detects antibodies to nine Lyme-causing species.
Inconvenience is another key concern that AcuDart looks to address. Most Lyme tests require a doctor visit and a blood draw from a licensed phlebotomist. This is not only expensive, but can take weeks or months. By removing these steps, AcuDart aims to bring Lyme disease testing to the masses and significantly improve preventive care.
Lyme disease, the most common tick-borne disease (TBD), is one of the fastest-growing infectious diseases in the United States. Around 476,000 people are diagnosed with Lyme annually in the US. It is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a type of bacteria carried by deer ticks. Lyme disease symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, chills, joint and muscle pain.
Diagnosis of any TBD based on clinical grounds is very challenging because symptoms can mimic many other diseases. These diseases can also affect any organ of the body, including the brain and nervous system, muscles and joints, and the heart. Only with accurate and reliable testing can patients determine if they have a TBD.
In addition to Lyme, AcuDart Health has also launched tests for other common diseases including Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever (TBRF), Bartonellosis, and Babesiosis.
Key features of the AcuDart tests
- Available for Lyme disease, TBRF, Bartonellosis, and Babesiosis
- Detects antibodies to more species than competing tests
- Sensitivity greater than 80%
- Processed in independent, CLIA-certified labs
- Online platform to access results
For more information on AcuDart Health and its tests, please visit https://acudarthealth.com.
###
