Tick-borne disease tests
Blood take service 5.00€
Tests
After a tick bite, the question often arises whether it is worth immediately conducting blood tests for Lyme disease or tick-borne encephalitis. The benefit of the test depends on how much time has passed since the potential infection, whether symptoms have appeared, and which infection you want to identify.
The timing of Lyme disease tests is important
The serological tests for Lyme disease generally look for antibodies against Borrelia bacteria. In the first weeks after infection, there might still be too few antibodies, so a test conducted too early might be negative. Therefore, testing prophylactically the day after a tick bite is usually not informative.
In the case of tick-borne encephalitis, IgM and IgG antibodies can also be detected in the blood. The timing of symptom onset and prior vaccination is important for their interpretation, as IgG antibodies may be detected after vaccination.
If after a tick bite, a growing red spot appears, sometimes taking on a ring shape, fever, severe headache, neurological or other prominent symptoms, one should not wait for just a laboratory test – a doctor's evaluation is necessary. Tests are chosen based on symptoms and the time since the tick bite, not just the fact of the bite itself.