Lyme disease toolkit

Information and advice on testing is available via Public Health England, Health Protection Scotland and NICE.

NB: Testing in early disease may not be reliable.

Start treatment whilst awaiting test results if clinically indicated.

A negative test result does not exclude the diagnosis of Lyme disease.

Details of other relevant tick-borne diseases are listed under ‘Ticks’ in the ‘Key Facts’ section.

Information and advice from Public Health England:

• Lyme disease: resources and guidance (Public Health England)
• Lyme disease test request (Public Health England)

Information and advice from Health Protection Scotland:

• Scottish Lyme Disease and Tick-borne infections Reference Laboratory
• Reference Laboratory Inverness - user manual

NICE: Information and recommendations

• Lyme disease guidance from NICE
• Lyme disease: laboratory investigations and diagnosis (NICE)

Lyme serology tests have diagnostic limitations:

• Lyme Disease Action: Tests
• The diagnostic accuracy of serological tests for Lyme borreliosis in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis
• Commercial test kits for detection of Lyme borreliosis: a meta-analysis of test accuracy