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Scientists Want Better Lyme Disease Test

As the number of lyme disease cases continue to rise, scientists are calling for a test that can identify when the bacteria is active in the body. Current tests identify infection-fighting antibodies rather than spotting when a person has active Lyme disease. A test that could detect the early stages of Lyme disease could possibly offer patients better treatment options in the future.

New tools being investigated include an antibody test that could track treatment response and brain imaging that could tell when Lyme penetrates the nervous system. The CDC estimates that 20,000 new cases of Lyme disease are reported each year. It's possible that the figure is actually five times higher due to the amount of cases that go unreported.

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