Posted 10/4/2013 9:33 PM (GMT 0)
Let's take the easier question first - The IgG and the IgM bands. The IgM bands show up first, indicating a recent infection. At some point in time (no one knows for sure yet), the bands will quit reacting on the IgM side, but will react on the IgG- indicating that the infection has gone into a "chronic" state. This happens at different rates for everyone since it's due to a number of factors like having other tick-borne infections, or other conditions, how well the immune system is functioning, the stress levels in that person's life and more. At this point in time, there is no blood test that can tell if a person still has the infection or not. As you can see, much, much more research needs to be done.
As for who gave what to who - well, we need a lot more research on that as well! Since these infections can be passed by sooo many more insects than just ticks (spiders, mosquitoes, biting flies, fleas, bed bugs and more), no one has to live in a specific area in order to pick up one of these infections, and due to birds carrying ticks & other bugs on them, those bugs that are infected and hitching a ride from the birds can land most anywhere. So it's not a matter of your husband having lived on a farm, it's a matter of who was exposed to what. And we've all had our fair share of mosquito bites most likely!
Many Lyme patients, especially those with chronic infections, or more than one infection (which is quite common, so be sure to get that checked out as well!) almost always have compromised immune function. That's all most of these blood tests look at is the immune response to the bacteria. So many can't test positive! I didn't test positive for Lyme disease until I had been on very strong abx for a full 12 months.
At this point, the research shows that the Lyme bacteria has been found in breast milk, placenta, semen as well as blood and organs. So although your husband has had the potential to infect you, if your children got it from one of you, then it would have to have been you. BUT... you have all been in mostly the same environment too, right? So you could have all been infected by that same swarm of mosquitoes, or the same cat's fleas, or the same spiders, or whatever you were all exposed to. That's not to mention that a nymphal tick can be as small as the period at the end of this sentence. So it would be easy to miss - and they are just as easy to pick up - believe me!!
Keep asking questions!! Combined with doing a bunch of reading on your own about these infections, that is the best way to learn all that you can!