As tick-borne diseases such as Lyme, Babesia, and Anaplasma increase across the US, accurate early detection remains a critical challenge. Jason Barker, ND, clinical lab educator at Vibrant Wellness, explains how innovative multiplex testing is transforming diagnostics and improving outcomes for patients and providers alike.
Tick
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The growing threat of tick-borne diseases is placing immense pressure on patients, providers, and public health systems nationwide. With traditional diagnostic methods often falling short, particularly in detecting early-stage or coinfections, timely and accurate testing is more important than ever.
In this exclusive interview with Infection Control Today® (ICT®), Jason Barker, ND, clinical lab educator at Vibrant Wellness, discusses the diagnostic challenges that surround Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses, the limitations of current testing protocols, and how next-generation multiplex testing platforms are advancing the way we identify, monitor, and manage these complex infections.
Drawing on decades of experience in naturopathic medicine, clinical research, and integrative diagnostics, Barker offers a timely perspective on how innovation can better equip health care professionals to detect infections early, tailor treatment strategies, and prevent long-term complications.
ICT: Why is early and accurate testing for tick-borne diseases so critical, and what challenges do current diagnostic methods present for patients and providers?
Jason Barker, ND: Early and accurate testing for tick-borne diseases, especially Lyme disease, is critical because a delayed diagnosis can lead to more severe symptoms, long-term complications, and harder-to-treat infections.
Lyme disease, caused primarily by Borrelia burgdorferi, for example, can progress from flu-like symptoms and skin rashes early on to much more serious neurological, cardiac, joint, and possibly autoimmune manifestations if not detected and treated promptly.
These diagnostic challenges not only delay care but also contribute to patient frustration and disease progression. That’s why more advanced, multiplex testing platforms, like Vibrant’s, are designed to improve clinical outcomes.
ICT: Can you explain the benefits and limitations of existing testing protocols, especially for diseases like Lyme, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis?
JB: Existing testing protocols for tickborne illnesses like Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis are based on different diagnostic technologies, each with its own strengths and limitations.
Some benefits of current testing protocols include:
Some common limitations include:
In short, while existing protocols have provided a diagnostic foundation, they lack the speed, sensitivity, and breadth necessary to reliably detect early infections or co-infections. That’s why newer, multiplex, high-throughput platforms—such as Vibrant’s Tickborne 2.0—are redefining how we detect these complex and often overlapping infections.
ICT: What role could multiplex testing play in improving detection rates for co-infections, and how might this change the clinical management of tick-borne illnesses?
JB: Multiplex testing plays a transformative role in improving the detection of tick-borne coinfections—conditions where multiple pathogens (such as Anaplasma spp, Babesia spp, and Ehrlichia spp) are transmitted by a single tick bite. Traditional tests typically screen for just one pathogen at a time, meaning co-infections are often underdiagnosed or completely missed.
Vibrant’s ultra-high-density microarray platform, as described in the Scientific Reports paper, allows simultaneous detection of antibodies against dozens of specific antigens across multiple pathogens using just a small blood sample. This kind of multiplex testing offers several clinical advantages:
In short, multiplex testing modernizes the diagnostic approach to tick-borne illness. It aligns testing with the complex, real-world ecology of tick-borne disease and supports faster, more accurate, and more individualized care, ultimately improving patient outcomes.
ICT: How effective are current treatment approaches, and how does delayed or inaccurate diagnosis impact patient outcomes?
JB: Current treatment approaches for tick-borne diseases, such as Lyme, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis, can be highly effective when diagnosis is timely and accurate. Early Lyme disease, for example, typically responds well to a standard course of doxycycline or amoxicillin, with most patients recovering fully.
However, delayed or inaccurate diagnosis significantly worsens patient outcomes:
Ultimately, accurate and early testing is not just a diagnostic concern—it’s a therapeutic one. The more precise and timely the diagnosis, the more effectively clinicians can intervene, tailor treatments, and prevent long-term consequences.
ICT: What are the most urgent gaps in tick-borne disease research today, and how could new findings help advance both testing and therapeutic solutions?
Despite growing public health concerns, tick-borne diseases remain under-researched relative to their impact. There are several critical gaps in current research that, if addressed, could dramatically improve both diagnostic and therapeutic approaches:
Ultimately, translational research—like that behind Vibrant’s ultra-high-density microarray—will be key to closing these gaps. By accelerating biomarker discovery and integrating them into high-throughput platforms, we can develop faster, more accurate, and more personalized testing solutions that enable earlier treatment and improved outcomes.
ICT: From a public health standpoint, how can innovation in diagnostics help curb the rising incidence of tick-borne diseases in the US?
JB: Innovation in diagnostics is a critical lever for addressing the rising tide of tick-borne diseases in the United States, which now affects hundreds of thousands of people annually and continues to expand geographically due to climate change, land-use shifts, and increased human-tick interactions.
From a public health perspective, advanced diagnostics can serve as an early warning system, an intervention tool, and a strategic planning resource:
In short, innovation in diagnostics not only benefits individual patients but also strengthens the entire public health infrastructure. By making testing faster, broader, and more precise, we can shift from reactive to proactive management of tickborne disease in the US.
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