Better Test for Lyme Disease in Pets

Get Inside the Science:

• Bettina Wagner, DVM, Cornell University
• Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine
• New Lyme disease test for horses and dogs will help improve treatment

Inside Science Buzzwords:

1. Lyme Disease - An infectious disease caused by three species of bacteria. Lyme disease is commonly carried and spread by a specific species of tick. An infected tick spreads the bacteria by biting a host (human, dog, horse, or other animal) which allows the bacteria to enter the blood stream. Symptoms early on may include fever, headache, fatigue, skin rash and depression. Left untreated, it can cause problems with the joints and the nervous system. It is typically eliminated with antibiotics.
2. Deer Tick - In the tick family, a specific eight-legged insect that feeds off the blood of host organisms including humans and animals but relies on the white-tailed deer for reproduction.
3. Immunology - A branch of biological and medicinal science that studies the immune system in all organisms.
4. Antibody - Proteins that used by the immune system to identify and render harmless foreign bodies such as bacteria and viruses.