When muscles or joints start to hurt, we should immediately suspect Lyme borreliosis.
Lyme borreliosis causes just as many problems in neighbouring countries as it does here. We asked Slovakian expert Judita Ďurovská, a specialist neurologist, about the situation in Slovakia.
What is the biggest problem in Slovakia when it comes to recognition and diagnosis?
Previously, the lack of appropriate diagnostics was a significant problem. In our country, ELISA and Western Blot diagnostics are typically available, but if a patient comes to us who has been ill for several months, these are not always effective due to the patient’s weakened immune system. That is why I started working with my German colleagues on a diagnostic method called the lymphocyte transformation test, which diagnoses lymphocytes activated by borreliosis.
What is your experience with indirect and direct diagnostic methods?
We have only recently started using the latest direct diagnostic method, DualDur, initially only in research, but later we also actively participated in the European approval process. We achieved very good results, and both we and our patients were very happy that we finally had such an accurate diagnostic method for detecting Lyme borreliosis. In the future, we would like to work with this team to make the diagnostics even more accurate.
Based on your experience as a doctor, when should we suspect Lyme borreliosis?
When muscles or joints start to hurt, we should immediately suspect Lyme borreliosis. Many people come to us from rheumatology, for whom rheumatism medications do not help at all. The third stage of the disease is neuroborreliosis. If the patient starts searching for words, forgets why they went into the other room, or forgets how to count, then Lyme borreliosis should be suspected. But even if someone is very tired, because a long-standing bacterial infection weakens the immune system, and this may be the primary cause of fatigue.
What advice would you give to your colleagues? How should they approach Lyme borreliosis?
Feedback from patients is the most important thing. That is the main reason why I do this work, and I recommend that my colleagues also focus on this. Unfortunately, many people are simply afraid to help patients with Lyme borreliosis, as a large number of colleagues are afraid to make the diagnosis. Of course, we still have a lot to learn about this disease, as this bacterium has special properties, as if it were another life, another micro-world. Thanks to my experience, I could talk to you for hours about the bacterium, but to my fellow doctors, I would simply advise: if a patient complains of pain of unknown origin, if they have visible neurological problems, always suspect Lyme borreliosis.
Source: weborvos.hu
