Q:

What may account for false-positive serologic tests?

A:

Sera from individuals with pathogenic spirochetal diseases such as syphilis, yaws, pinta, leptospirosis, relapsing fever and periodontal disease may give false positive results. Individuals with connective tissue autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosis, and individuals with anti-nuclear antibody may also give false positive results, as well as individuals with other bacterial and viral infections such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Epstein-Barr virus, and cytomegalovirus