Three B.C. residents say they have been forced to pay thousands of dollars to fly to California to be treated for Lyme Disease because B.C. health officials won't recognize they have the disease.

But provincial health officials say it is the U.S. diagnosis and treatments that are questionable and not the way the disease is handled in B.C.

On Monday, 24-year-old Marie McQuhae and two other B.C. resident who say they have Lyme disease paid $60,000 of their own money to charter a private plane to fly them and their medical caregivers to California for treatment.

Before the flight took off, McQuhae told CBC news she contracted Lyme disease years ago, but her tests have all come back negative, so she did not qualify for treatment in B.C.

Canadian doctors can't agree on what she has, although they doubt she has Lyme disease and they won't give her antibiotic treatment that could save her life, she said.

Sue Aldous, the founder of Victoria's Lyme Awareness Support Group, says McQuhae's story isn't unusual because B.C. uses a different standard for testing than clinics in the U.S., where the disease is more prevalent.

"Unfortunately, the science for the lab testing [used in B.C.] is faulty. The tests have [a] 34-per-cent accuracy rating, so now, most of the people I know go to the States for treatment," said Aldous.

Shannon Gertzen, 34, who was also on this flight, was diagnosed with Lyme disease one year after showing the symptoms.

"At the time I was diagnosed, I was completely bedridden. I was no longer able to function as a mother, as a wife. I lost my job and there were times when we thought that the end was on its way," Gertzen.

Gertzen received some treatment, but she says she's having trouble finding a doctor who will provide ongoing treatment and that's why she and one other passenger will have a consultation with the California specialist who will be treating McQuhae.

Health officials question U.S. diagnosis and treatment

On Monday, Health Minister George Abbott questioned both the diagnoses and the treatment the B.C. patients will be getting in California, saying the U.S. standards are not rigorous and that getting treatment there is dangerous.

"We're not going to start flying people down to American private testing facilities that produce a host of false positives. That is not good policy," said Abbot.

Officials at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control shared the minister's concerns, and cautioned against "invalidated tests" for Lyme disease that give inaccurate results that in turn lead to inappropriate treatment.

But New Democrat MLA David Cubberly says this is all part of a campaign of denial in B.C.

"There isn't a doctor I know of that will issue a clinical diagnosis anywhere in the province for Lyme disease. They're not taught to and the infectious disease specialists are carrying out a campaign to ensure it stays that way," said Cubberly.

Disease is 'the master mimicker'

Lyme disease is caused by a tick bite, which people can get while hiking, hunting, or even gardening. Scientists call it the "master mimicker" because it seems like other diseases, like multiple sclerosis, meningitis, chronic fatigue.

Previously, McQuhae told CBC News she believes she may have contracted Lyme disease when she was bitten by a tick while hiking the West Coast Trail a few years ago. She remembers a rash on her lower leg, which she didn't think too much about at the time. Over the last three years, McQuhae said she's had all the classic symptoms listed in the B.C. Health Guide.

"I knew I was sick and I knew something was wrong," said Marie. "I started out with just a few simple symptoms and within a year I was completely bedridden."

Lyme disease is triggered by a bite from a bacteria-infected tick, which can cause a ring of redness and tenderness around the bitten area. In B.C., the common carrier is the Western black-legged tick.

According to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), Lyme disease is present in several areas, including Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland, the Sunshine Coast and the Kootenays. Hikers and gardeners can pick up the tick by brushing against vegetation.

The tick introduces bacteria into the bloodstream, which, without antibiotic treatment, can cause a complicated, serious illness.

The BCCDC says early symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pain. Untreated, Lyme disease can affect the joints, the heart and nervous system, with chronic pain and numerous symptoms that are hard to treat.