Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How different Lyme vaccines affect dog antibody test results
By Stillman, Brett A et al.·Published in Topics in companion animal medicine·2019·Infectious Diseases R&D, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Borrelia burgdorferi Antibody Test Results in Dogs Administered 4 Different Vaccines.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs was tested for Lyme disease after receiving one of four different vaccines designed to protect against the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. The tests showed that while all vaccinated dogs developed antibodies, the specific tests used in clinics did not indicate a positive result for vaccination. This means that if your dog tests positive for Lyme disease antibodies, it likely indicates actual exposure to the bacteria rather than just the vaccine. It's important to discuss any positive test results with your veterinarian to determine the best course of action for your pet.
People also search for: dog Lyme disease vaccine · dog positive Lyme test · what does a positive Lyme test mean for dogs
Abstract
Vaccines against Borrelia burgdorferi are administered frequently to dogs in areas endemic for the infection. These vaccines produce an antibody response to spirochetal proteins that cross-react in many antibody tests, including immunofluorescence assay, Western blot, and whole cell ELISA used to document exposure to B. burgdorferi. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the in-clinic C6 ELISA assay (SNAP® 4Dx® Plus; IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., Westbrook, Maine) and the quantitative format C6 ELISA (Lyme Quant C6® Antibody Test, IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., Westbrook, ME) react to sera from dogs that have been vaccinated with 1 of 4 different commercially available B. burgdorferi vaccines. Four groups of 3 dogs each were each administered one of the 4 vaccines and sera evaluated over time by indirect fluorescent antibody assay, western blot immunoassay, the in-clinic C6 ELISA assay, and the quantitative format C6 ELISA. While all dogs developed B. burgdorferi antibodies detectable by indirect fluorescent antibody assay and western blot immunoassay after vaccination, none of the samples were positive in either of the Cpeptide-based assays. Based on these results, positive anti-Cantibody results in client-owned dogs are likely to reflect exposure to B. burgdorferi rather than vaccination.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31837754/