The 5 laboratories that market the “Elisa” test, the only test authorized in France to detect Lyme disease transmitted by ticks, have just been sued for civil liability by 130 patients with this disease. They blame the lack of information about the reliability of their tests.
“These civil complaints are intended to obtain compensation for the damage suffered, linked to the delay in diagnosis and the worsening of symptoms”, explained their lawyer, Me Julien Fouray, who asks 500,000 euros per patient to the laboratories concerned. These laboratories are the French BioMérieux, the Italian DiaSorin (both market leaders) as well as the Germans Siemens and Euroimmun and the American Bio-Rad.
“There is a responsibility of these laboratories, which are not able to guarantee the reliability of the tests which they market”, estimated Me Fouray. With “more than one chance in two” an erroneous diagnosis, “it is with your life that we play heads or tails”, he added.
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