As tick season gets underway, a new study finds commonly used Lyme disease tests are missing most early cases.The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, evaluated data from 107 people with early Lyme disease. Researchers compared two FDA-cleared diagnostic methods that rely on detecting antibodies, including one approach that’s been used for decades and a slightly modified version. Across both methods, the tests missed between 64 and 78 percent of early cases, including those with the telltale Lyme rash.Overall, just 39 percent tested positive via any of the approaches.While the newer version performed somewhat better, it still missed many early cases, according to the results.The researchers say accuracy is limited in the first one to two weeks of infection, when antibodies may not yet be detectable.The lead author says, these findings “add to the evidence that improved diagnostics, ideally those that directly detect the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, are urgently needed.”Early diagnosis is critical, because delayed detection can allow the infection to spread, leading to more serious complications affecting the joints, heart, and nervous system.Source: Journal of Clinical MicrobiologyAuthor Affiliations: Bay Area Lyme Foundation, Lyme Disease Biobank.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter