696 results for author: Dr. Daniel CameronNot what you're looking for? Search Again


When it looks like a brain tumor, but it is Lyme disease

Pseudotumor cerebri, also referred to as idiopathic intracranial hypertension, is a condition caused by elevated cerebrospinal fluid pressure in the brain. Symptoms can mimic a brain tumor, but in actuality there is no tumor. Instead, there is unexplained intracranial pressure in the head. The condition is rare in prepubertal children.

Five cases of Lyme carditis in Canada: multiple hospital visits to diagnose

A recent article published in The American Journal of Cardiology highlights five cases in Canada involving Lyme carditis which manifest with high-degree atrioventricular block (AVB). The authors reviewed cases which occurred over a 2-year period at Kingston General Hospital in Ontario, Canada.

Re-infection with different B. burgdorferi strain can cause a super-infection in mice

Numerous strains of Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, can exist in hosts living within the same geographic area, writes Bhatia, from Rocky Mountain Laboratories, in the journal PLOS Pathogens. [1] “Many different strains of B. burgdorferi are stably maintained in the same local population of infected wild animals and ticks.”

Netherlands patients pay a high price for having persistent symptoms associated with Lyme disease

In a recent issue of PLOS One, Berende and colleagues describe the high cost to Netherlands patients for having persistent symptoms associated with Lyme disease. Productivity losses were significant. For the three study groups, the productivity losses over a one-year follow-up averaged 7,667, 7,858 and 9,392 euro’s with a range of 4,466 to 12,270 euro’s.

Lyme endocarditis in 68-year-old avid outdoorsman

“Lyme endocarditis can be a challenging diagnosis to make, given the rarity of cases, inability to grow the organism in culture, and serologic testing that does not clearly distinguish between current and prior infection,” according to Paim and colleagues from the Division of Infectious Diseases at Mayo Clinic. [1]

B. burgdorferi, the pathogen that causes Lyme disease is widespread in New York City metro area

The number of humans and dogs in the New York metropolitan area exposed to Borrelia burgdorferi, the pathogen that causes Lyme disease, is staggering. According to Herrin and colleagues, authors of “Canine and human infection with Borrelia burgdorferi in the New York City metropolitan area,” approximately 22 million people live in the region. And one out of every three homes has one or more pet dogs. [1]

Kentucky is swarming with deer ticks: over 50% of counties infested

According to a study by Lockwood and colleagues, from the University of Georgia, the deer tick (Ixodes scapularis) has been identified in 59 of 120 counties in Kentucky. [1] Having such data is critical since the deer tick can transmit not only Borrelia burgdorferi, the pathogen causing Lyme disease, but also B. mayonii, B. miyamotoi, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, Powassan virus, Babesia odocoilei and Babesia microti.

“Hot spots” for blacklegged ticks found in Canada

The blacklegged tick (Ixodes Scapularis), otherwise known as the deer tick, has been expanding throughout Canada. The tick, which harbors Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, the bacteria causing Lyme disease, is finding its way into new regions, thanks to climate change, according to Lieske and colleagues from Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, Canada. [1] Furthermore, milder winters and a rise in annual precipitation are contributing to the increase in the number of black-legged ticks.

Netherlands study finds Lyme disease common in elderly

Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is a treatable condition in the elderly, but little is known about the prevalence of the illness and pervasiveness of depressive symptoms among this age group. Now, a study by Zomer and colleagues takes a more in-depth look, examining the records of patients referred to a Lyme disease center in the Netherlands between 2008 and 2014. [1]

Untreated Lyme disease triggers a stroke in 9-year-old boy

The authors of a retrospective study, published in the European Journal of Pediatric Neurology, examined the records of patients diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke and Lyme neuroborreliosis between 2000 and 2015. Participants were identified from the Swiss NeuroPaediatric Stroke Registry.