Garth Ehrlich Develops New Lyme Diagnostics and Antibiotics as Patients Often See 7 to 13 Doctors
Updated
Updated · Delaware First Media · Aug 7
Garth Ehrlich Develops New Lyme Diagnostics and Antibiotics as Patients Often See 7 to 13 Doctors
1 articles · Updated · Delaware First Media · Aug 7
Summary
Ehrlich said research is moving toward new tick-borne disease diagnostics, including a biomarker blood panel that uses machine learning to distinguish Lyme patients from people without the infection.
He is also developing a new antibiotic class aimed at stopping Lyme bacteria from entering a quiescent state, which could make standard antibiotics more effective at killing them.
The push reflects Lyme’s diagnostic and treatment hurdles: the bacterium divides about every 12 hours, symptoms can take weeks or months to appear, and patients often see seven to 13 physicians before diagnosis.
Doctors said early action still matters most—preventive medication can be given within 72 hours of a tick bite, Lyme usually requires attachment for more than 24 hours, and only about 10% of ticks may carry the bacteria.