Press Releases at EMSL

Cinnaminson, NJ, August 9^th, 2016

As recently as 2010, more than 22,500 confirmed and 7,500 probable cases of Lyme disease were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium known as Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks.

The blacklegged tick spreads the disease in the Northeastern, Mid-Atlantic and North-Central United States. The western blacklegged tick spreads the disease on the Pacific Coast. The CDC reports that most humans are infected through the bites of immature ticks called nymphs. Nymphs are tiny (less than 2 mm) and difficult to see; they feed during the spring and summer months. Adult ticks can also transmit the Lyme disease bacterium, but they are much larger and are more likely to be discovered and removed before they have had time to cause an infection.

Lyme disease can produce a wide range of symptoms depending on the stage of infection. These may include fever, headache, fatigue, facial paralysis, arthritis and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans (EM). If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart and the nervous system.

“Medical professionals encourage people to seek medical attention if they observe Lyme disease symptoms and have had a tick bite,” said Jason Dobranic, Ph.D., Vice President of Microbiology and Life Sciences at EMSL Analytical, Inc. “The ticks themselves can also be quickly tested for the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi utilizing PCR-based DNA analysis. At EMSL, we offer this tick testing service and an easy-to-use Lyme Disease Tick Test Kit.”

EMSL also recently sponsored an educational video about ticks and Lyme disease that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/nzINREQurOg.

For additional information about this or other environmental, health and safety testing services, please visit www.TickTestingLab.com and www.EMSL.com, call (800) 220-3675 or email info@EMSL.com. To obtain a Lyme Disease Tick Test Kit, visit www.EMSLTestKits.com.


About EMSL Analytical, Inc.

EMSL Analytical is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider of environmental, indoor air quality, consumer product and materials testing services and products for professionals and the general public. The company has an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies.