Many patients with chronic Lyme disease suffer for years without a correct diagnosis. Symptoms are vague, laboratory tests are unreliable, and the disease can imitate conditions like multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, or depression. At St. George Hospital, we understand that effective treatment begins with proper identification. Our diagnostic process is one of the most comprehensive in the world and is based on decades of clinical experience, molecular biology, and immune system profiling.
Conventional Lyme diagnostics rely on ELISA and Western Blot tests, which are antibody-based and often miss chronic or late-stage infections. This is because antibody production declines over time, and Borrelia bacteria can hide in biofilms or intracellular spaces, escaping immune detection. In chronic patients, negative lab results do not mean the absence of infection — they mean the immune system has stopped reacting.(Citing: Stricker & Johnson, 2009; Horowitz, 2015)
We combine multiple diagnostic tools to uncover chronic Lyme and co-infections:
Microbiome mapping – analyzes gut-immune connection.
Patients with chronic Lyme often suffer from hidden co-infections such as Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichia, and Mycoplasma. These pathogens exacerbate immune dysfunction and worsen symptoms. At St. George Hospital, we routinely screen for these agents and monitor immune parameters such as natural killer (NK) cell activity, TH1/TH2 cytokine balance, and mitochondrial markers. This allows us to create individualized treatment strategies based on biological reality.
Heavy metals, mycotoxins, and gastrointestinal dysbiosis often act as co-factors that suppress the immune system and allow infections to persist. As part of our diagnostic model, we analyze heavy metal burden (via EDTA provocation), mycotoxin exposure, intestinal permeability, and cellular oxidative stress to uncover chronic contributors that are frequently missed in traditional settings.
