Lyme & Co-Infection Panel
The DNA Connexions Lyme Panel tests for four different genes found in Borrelia burgdorferi, the most common cause of Lyme disease in the U.S., plus 8 common tick-borne co-infections: Babesia microti, Babesia divergens, Babesia duncani, Bartonella bacilliformis, Bartonella henselae, Bartonella quintana, Borrelia miyamotoi, Borrelia recurrentis, Ehrlichia chaffensis, and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Testing for co-infectors also indicates likely exposure to the Lyme spirochete itself.
The 12 pathogens this panel direct-tests for.
DNA testing detects active infection. Antibody testing doesn't.
Antibody testing is an indirect method that detects antibodies produced in response to an infection, not the infection itself. This means a positive result could reflect a past exposure, not a current active infection.
For example: if you had chicken pox as a child, your body still carries those antibodies today, meaning an antibody test would show positive even though the infection is long gone. Antibody testing tells you about exposure. DNA testing tells you about active infection.
Antibody testing only tells us your body was exposed at some point. A positive antibody result is like still carrying chicken-pox antibodies decades after the rash cleared. DNA Connexions detects pathogen DNA directly, so a positive means the infection is active, not historical.
Understanding your results.
A positive PCR result indicates the presence of DNA from B. burgdorferi and/or other co-infectors in the sample. This means the infection is active, not historical.
A negative result does not prove the absence of infection. A patient's ability to fight disease, the stage of infection, and the timing of antibiotics are all factors that may affect the detectability of spirochete DNA.
Watch: how to collect
Follow along with this step-by-step video before you begin.
Four steps from inquiry to inbox.
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01Send us an inquiry
Use the inquiry widget on this page. Select the test(s) you want, click "Open the inquiry form", your email app will open with your selections pre-filled. Add your name and shipping address, then hit send.
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02We confirm pricing and place your order
We'll reply within 1–2 business days with pricing and confirm your order. Insurance is not accepted. If ordering for multiple people, please place one order per person.
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03Kit ships to your door
We can only ship to residential addresses, no PO boxes. Collect your sample at home and drop it back at the carrier using the included prepaid return label (U.S. orders).
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04Results emailed back to you
DNA Connexions returns the report in about 10 business days; we forward it to you. A positive PCR result indicates active infection. A negative result does not prove the absence of infection, many factors affect detectability.
Important notes
- A positive PCR result indicates the presence of pathogen DNA, an active infection.
- A negative result does not prove the patient is uninfected; stage of infection, immune status, and recent antibiotic use all affect DNA detectability.
- Detection of any co-infector strongly suggests likely exposure to the Lyme spirochete as well.
- We cannot ship lab kits to PO boxes. Please provide a residential address.
- We do not work with insurance for lab orders.
- Lab kits are non-refundable once shipped due to dispatch fees.
- Interpretation must be done by a qualified Lyme-literate practitioner.
- Total turnaround from order to report is typically 3–4 weeks accounting for shipping and lab queue.
