With Lyme Disease on the Rise Nationwide, Quidel Corporation Urges Early Testing With Its Rapid Point-of-Care Test
June 24 2021 - 1:04PM
Business Wire
As America approaches the tail end of the COVID-19 pandemic, a
quiet epidemic has emerged that has the potential to affect as many
as 476,000 citizens before the year is out. The epidemic is Lyme
disease, which is being identified in record numbers throughout the
country.*
Researchers at such institutions as Johns Hopkins, Colorado
State University and SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse
are all reporting an increased spread of Lyme disease. And they are
finding it not only in the woodlands of New England and other
forested regions as typically expected but in frightening and
unexpected numbers on the beaches in Northern California,
throughout the southwest and southeast and other parts of the
country where reported cases are on the rise.
One suspected reason for the uptick is the pandemic itself,
which drove people to spend more time walking outdoors and now,
with restrictions being lifted, are seeing these people hitting the
road for open-air destinations throughout the country. To
complicate matters, this past winter was one of the warmest on
record; and lingering summer heat added weeks of outdoor activity
to animals that carry ticks and which thrive in hot, humid
conditions. Pests.org, which produces an annual 2021 Tick Forecast,
projects that “most states will experience the warmer, wetter
conditions that drive tick populations—and the prospect of
tick-borne diseases—skyward.”
As the prevalence and fear of Lyme disease intensifies, one
thing that all experts agree on is the need for testing immediately
if there are signs that someone may have contracted Lyme disease.
These signs may include fever, headache, fatigue, joint pain,
weakness in the limbs and often a characteristic skin rash with a
bull's-eye pattern.
For accurate and fast testing, more and more clinicians are
turning to the Sofia® 2 Lyme FIA by Quidel. This revolutionary test
provides the patient and physician with indicative results within
15 minutes, as opposed to days, which has historically been the
norm (and during which time organisms can spread and become
systemic). It can be performed in the privacy of a doctor’s office,
local clinic or even by a nurse at a children’s summer camp; and it
is the only test that can get results from a simple finger prick of
blood.
“Not having to wait days for test results allows physicians and
nurse practitioners to treat patients with positive results more
rapidly while more quickly pursuing other diagnosis and treatment
for those who test negative,” said Judi Tilghman, Ph.D., vice
president of technology assessment at Quidel Corporation. “For
patients with a positive finding for Lyme, early treatment is the
key; and excellent outcomes are common thanks to fabulous
antibiotics now available. But if left undiagnosed or untreated,
Lyme disease can lead to unintended consequences including
neurological defects, heart problems (such as an irregular
heartbeat), eye inflammation, liver inflammation, Bell’s palsy,
meningitis and severe fatigue.”
One fear that some researchers have is that some people
experiencing symptoms of Lyme may have been reluctant to seek
medical care over the past year, given their concerns about
exposure to COVID at the doctor’s office or clinic. This could
result in cases going undiagnosed and untreated, which makes Lyme
disease much more serious and harder to treat later on.
“As with all afflictions, the key is catching it early so
effective treatment can begin as soon as possible,” said Dr.
Tilghman. “Lyme disease can affect people of any age or gender.
People should not hesitate to get tested, and physicians should
have their radar up for signs of Lyme disease in their patients.
With the general population’s increased awareness of Lyme disease,
along with increased clinical awareness in the importance of early
testing for tick-borne infections, later stages of Lyme disease and
the life-threatening effects that accompany them should never
happen.”
*Sources on file at Quidel
About Quidel Corporation
Quidel Corporation (Nasdaq: QDEL) is a leading manufacturer of
diagnostic solutions at the point of care, delivering a continuum
of rapid testing technologies that further improve the quality of
health care throughout the globe. An innovator for over 40 years in
the medical device industry, Quidel pioneered the first FDA-cleared
point-of-care test for influenza in 1999 and was the first to
market a rapid SARS-CoV-2 antigen test in the U.S. Under trusted
brand names, Sofia®, Solana®, Lyra®, Triage® and QuickVue®,
Quidel’s comprehensive product portfolio includes tests for a wide
range of infectious diseases, cardiac and autoimmune biomarkers, as
well as a host of products to detect COVID-19. With products made
in America, Quidel’s mission is to provide patients with immediate
and frequent access to highly accurate, affordable testing for the
good of our families, our communities and the world. For more
information about Quidel, visit quidel.com.
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Jim Yeager 818.264.6812 (mobile) jim@breakwhitelight.com
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