Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted in the northeastern and midwestern United States by the deer tick (Ixodes scapularis). Direct detection of this organism is nearly impossible, and many antibodies develop to this bacteria and are often indistinguishable from other antibodies, in addition to antibodies developed to the Borrelia vaccine. The C6 test is a snap test readily available that checks for a very specific antibody to diagnose Lyme disease.
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Borrelia burgdorferi
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Ticks thrive in forested areas. This bacteria cannot live out in the open and depends on mammals and ticks for survival. It thrives in connective tissue and is transmitted to deer ticks from other mammals, such as mice or deer. Typically, the bacteria is transmitted to deer tick larvae when they feed on a white-footed mouse. If Borrelia is not transmitted at this life stage, it has the potential to be transmitted at the following nymph stage from other animals. Dogs then get this bacteria from infected nymph or adult deer ticks after the tick has latched on to the dog for at least 48 hours.
Lyme Disease
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In dogs, the symptoms of Lyme disease do not appear until two to five months after a bite from an infected tick. The most common symptom is swollen, painful joints. Other symptoms are fever, lameness, lethargy, swollen lymph nodes and loss of appetite. Common antibiotics used to treat infection are doxycycline and amoxicillin. Even with treatment, Borrelia burgdorferi can live in dogs for the remainder of their life without causing any problems, but this can lead to severe kidney disease (glomerular disease) from deposits of antibody complexes deposited in the kidneys over time.
Detection Difficulty
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Borrelia burgdorferi excels at disguising itself by altering its surface proteins, making it nearly impossible for the immune system or even antibiotics to fully eradicate it. This also makes it nearly impossible for anyone to detect the bacteria or the different antibodies that are created against the different surface proteins. When dogs are vaccinated against Borrerlia burgdorferi, the immune system creates antibodies. So it has been difficult to detect whether or not the antibodies found in a dog were made against the bacteria or the vaccine.
C6 Test
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Even though Borrelia burgdorferi changes its surface proteins continuously, one protein never changes: the C6 protein. A test has been developed to check for antibodies against the C6 peptide. C6 is not present in the vaccine, so positive results are definitive for both exposure and active infection. Dogs will test positive within three to five weeks of exposure and will remain positive for up to a year. Veterinary clinics can purchase snap tests from IDEXX Laboratories, which use whole blood and give results within 10 minutes.
Prevention
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Prevention is simple, particularly because infection is only possible if the tick feeds for at least 48 hours. Tick control products such as Advantix, Frontline Plus and others recommended by veterinarians work well to repel ticks or kill them if they do begin to feed. Vaccination is also generally available in veterinary clinics in endemic areas (midwestern and northeastern United States).
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