Scientists use clean ticks to sniff out hidden lyme infection
NCT ID NCT01143558
First seen Nov 01, 2025 · Last updated Jun 24, 2026 · Updated 31 times
Summary
This study tested whether clean, lab-bred ticks could find leftover Lyme bacteria in people who had been treated with antibiotics. 45 participants, including those with recent or past Lyme disease and healthy volunteers, had ticks placed on their skin for a few days. The goal was to see if this method, called xenodiagnosis, is safe and can detect bacteria that standard tests miss, helping explain why some people continue to have symptoms after treatment.
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the original study
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Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
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Contacts and locations
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Locations
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National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States
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Tufts University
Boston, Massachusetts, 01536, United States
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Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut, 06510-8005, United States
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
Active substance
Xenodiagnosis using clean laboratory-bred ticks
What this could lead to
If successful, this method could help detect lingering Lyme bacteria, guiding better treatment for patients with persistent symptoms.
What could go wrong
This is a very early, small study focused on testing a diagnostic method, not a treatment. It may not prove useful or safe for widespread use.
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.