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What are the symptoms of Post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome?
Doctors have known for years that they cannot rely on a physical exam to diagnose early Lyme disease unless they find an erythema migrans rash, Bell’s palsy, or heart block. Now, Rebman and colleagues from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine acknowledge that doctors also cannot count on a physical exam to diagnose Post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS). [1]
Post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome is a serious problem
More than 300,000 people contract Lyme disease in the USA every year with many continuing to suffer from long-term illness. In some cases, those persistent symptoms have been dismissed by physicians as being psychosomatic, or caused by something other than Lyme disease. But now, researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine acknowledge the existence of what is called Post-treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS).
6-year-old girl with a rare cutaneous presentation of Lyme disease
The authors of a case report published in Pediatric Dermatology discuss a rare cutaneous presentation of Lyme disease in a young child. “We report the case of a girl who was clinically diagnosed with Lyme disease based on her history of recent travel and the appearance of an areolar lymphocytoma; this was confirmed by testing,” writes Ogimi from the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital. [1]
Study shows doctors can misdiagnose Lyme disease
Diagnosing Lyme disease can be extremely challenging as the disease mimics many other illnesses and testing is not always accurate. The authors of a new study, Accuracy of Clinician Suspicion of Lyme Disease in the Emergency Department, discovered this firsthand as they examined “the accuracy of clinician suspicion for Lyme disease in children undergoing evaluation for Lyme disease.” [1]
Single dose of doxycycline for Lyme disease led to poor outcome for 61-year-old man
Ever wonder what the outcome might be if a patient were prescribed a single dose of oral doxycycline for Lyme disease? Not so good, according to a case report by Ebner and colleagues from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. [1]
Ticks and Lyme disease bacteria with us since the Ice Age
Until now, scientists have known little about the evolutionary history of Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. This lack of knowledge “limits our ability to track and predict the direction of ongoing spread and implement public health interventions,” state the authors of a new study “Genomic insights into the ancient spread of Lyme disease across North America.” [1]
Lyme patient fails to seek treatment until illness renders him unconscious
“Despite weeks of symptoms, a patient did not seek treatment until his illness rendered him unconscious,” writes Sharma from the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Lahey Hospital Medical Center in Massachusetts.
Tracking ticks in West Virginia using man’s best friend
Dogs can be effective sentinels in assessing the risks of Lyme disease to humans in non-endemic regions. “Domestic pets, such as dogs, are significant risk factors for disease acquisition, and six times more likely to be exposed to infected ticks due to the increased potential exposure time in tick habitat,” explains Hendricks and colleagues in the journal Geospatial Health. [1]
Borrelia spirochete are masters at evading immune system
If the Borrelia spirochete were actively dividing and spreading during infection, it would be easier to detect Lyme disease and possibly diagnose it earlier, says Embers and colleagues. [1] “Bacterial pathogens are well known to cause tissue damage by colonization, induction of intense inflammation, invasion of host cells, and production of toxins.”
Case report: Persistent pain and fatigue after treatment for Lyme disease
“A previously healthy 48-year-old woman living in rural Maryland presented in early June with a 2-week history of neck pain, fatigue, anorexia, nausea, and intermittent fevers and chills,” states Novak from the Division of Rheumatology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
