Lyme disease, the most common tick-borne illness in the United States, is a growing concern, with approximately 476,000 Americans seeking treatment annually. A new at-home testing kit, TickCrusher by LymeAlert, aims to alleviate the anxiety associated with potential exposure by providing rapid results.
The standard blood tests for Lyme disease can be unreliable in the early stages of infection, as it may take several weeks for the body to produce detectable antibodies. This delay can lead to prolonged worry for individuals who have been bitten by a tick.
The TickCrusher kit, developed by physician assistant Erin Dawicki, is designed to detect the presence of Lyme-causing bacteria in ticks removed from people or pets within 30 minutes, with some positive results appearing in as little as 15 minutes. This rapid turnaround is a significant departure from current testing methods, which can involve waiting up to six weeks for results.
Dawicki, who is also the CEO of LymeAlert, created the product to help patients and healthcare providers make quicker decisions after a tick bite. "Every day, I get calls from my patients who say, ‘I found a tick on me or my child,’ and they don’t know what to do," Dawicki stated. The kit's development was part of a healthcare entrepreneurship class at MIT.
The TickCrusher kit includes a single-use base with a grinding component to crush the tick's exterior, a processing solution, and a test strip. The user adds the removed tick to the base, along with the solution, and then spins the lid to pulverize the tick's tissues. Notches on the palm-sized tool are designed to make it easier to grip, accommodating users with limited hand strength.
A positive result from the TickCrusher indicates that Lyme-causing bacteria were detected in the tick, but it does not confirm infection in the person or pet. The kit is designed for single use and can test up to five ticks at a time, depending on their size. Dawicki also noted that the test does not diagnose Lyme disease itself, but rather tests the tick for Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium responsible for the illness.
LymeAlert is also developing a companion app that will allow users to track bites, connect with virtual healthcare providers, view a hotspot map of high-risk areas, and securely share test results with their doctors as a PDF report. This report can include logged test results, the date of the bite, and any photos of the tick or rash.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently advises against tick testing, as a negative result might offer false reassurance and does not definitively prove transmission. However, Dawicki hopes that the TickCrusher can provide an additional data point for healthcare providers when evaluating patients, potentially helping to avoid unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions. Factors such as the duration of the tick's attachment and the geographic area of the bite also influence the risk of infection.