Tik’Alert®

In presence of Borrelia bacterium transmitted by a tick, specific IgMantibodies are produced first by the immune system. The antibodiescirculate in the blood and bind on the encountered bacteria. The Borreliaantigens coated on the TIK’ALERT® strip specifically detect those antibodiesby producing a coloured line under the T mark of the cassette.A control line capturing the reagent excess appears as a coloured lineunder the C mark of the cassette. In case both lines appear, the presence ofBorrelia bacterium can be suspected.

TIK’ALERT® test should be performed between 2 and 6 weeks after beingbitten by a tick or as soon as a round inflammation (erythema) appears on apart of the body likely which was exposed to a tick bite. It correspondsto the phase 1 of the disease for which the TIK’ALERT® is well suitable andfor which the test sensitivity is 53.8%. Contamination happens only in 1 to2% of the cases, but the presence of IgM antibodies, detected thanks to apositive result, indicates an infection that should be rapidly treated.

The results are accurate as long as the nstructions are carefully respected.Nevertheless, the result can be incorrect if TIK’ALERT® test gets wet beforetest performing or if the quantity of blood dispensed in the sample well isnot correct. The plastic pipette provided in the box makes sure the collectedblood volume is correct.

The colour and intensity of the lines have no importance for resultinterpretation. The lines should only be homogeneous and complete. Thetest should be considered as positive regardless of the colour intensity ofthe test line is (T) even weak.

When this line appears, it only means that the test has been performed well.

No. The result should be read within 10 minutes after adding the diluent.The result is reliable up to 15 minutes.

If the result is negative, it means that no IgM antibodies directed againstBorrelia bacterium are detectable in blood. Caution: Falsely negative resultscan be observed during phase I (antibodies appearing in 40 to 60% of thecases) or during phase II (antibodies rising in 70 to 90% of the cases) of thedisease development. In case of negative result, it is strongly recommendedto perform a new test 2 to 6 weeks later in order to check the increase ofantibodies level. If you have been preventively treated by antibiotics, theantibodies are not detectable or cannot be detected. If the tick’s bite istoo recent (less than 2 weeks), your organism has not had enough time toproduce detectable antibodies. It is recommended to repeat the test with anew TIK’ALERT® 2 to 6 weeks after the presumed bite. However, if a rash,accompanied or not by feverishness, persists, it is recommended to consultyour doctor.

The TIK’ALERT® test is accurate and is used by professionals in the field (hospitals, laboratories…). Evaluation reports show an overall agreement higher than 88.04% [81.88 – 92.5**] with reference methods. Despite the reliability of the test, falsely positive or false negative results are possible. This is especially true for patients being sero positive for cytomegalo-viruses (CMV) which may show false positive results when using the TIK’ALERT® test.

** CI 95%: 95% Confidence Interval