Anchoring Bias Lyme Disease: When Diagnosis Goes Wrong Anchoring bias in Lyme disease can occur when clinicians fixate on an initial diagnosis and fail to adjust their thinking as new information emerges. Conversely, this same cognitive bias may also occur when Lyme disease is incorrectly diagnosed and the true underlying illness is missed. Aguirre and […]

Lyme Disease Vocal Cord Paralysis: A Rare but Treatable Cause HOARSENESS THAT WON’T GO AWAY? VOICE CHANGES WITHOUT A CLEAR CAUSE? COULD LYME DISEASE AFFECT THE VOCAL CORDS? Lyme disease vocal cord paralysis is an uncommon but clinically important presentation caused by neurologic involvement of the nerves controlling the vocal cords. “My voice changed—and no

Lyme Literate Doctor: What Does It Really Take? WHY DO DOCTORS DISAGREE ABOUT LYME DISEASE? THE ANSWER IS MORE COMPLEX THAN MOST PEOPLE REALIZE Why do doctors disagree about Lyme disease? For many patients, the confusion begins when symptoms persist—but answers don’t. Some clinicians see a straightforward infection. Others recognize a more complex, evolving illness.

Bourbon Virus Treatment: Can a Flu Drug Help? Bourbon virus can be deadly. There are no approved treatments. But a flu drug may offer hope. Bourbon virus treatment remains a major unmet need in tick-borne disease. In 2017, a 58-year-old woman from Missouri presented with weakness, muscle aches, nausea, and a rash after tick exposure.

Powassan Virus in Maine: Prevalence and Tick-Borne Infection Risk Powassan virus in Maine is a growing concern. Although rare, the virus can be severe, with a fatality rate of approximately 10%. In 2013, a Maine woman died from the disease, and by 2017, 10 residents had been infected. An increase in cases of Powassan virus

Fatal Lyme Carditis: When Negative Tests Delay Diagnosis Fatal Lyme carditis can occur when early symptoms are missed and testing is negative. In this case, a 17-year-old from New York died after weeks of flu-like illness despite multiple medical evaluations. This case highlights a broader issue in Lyme disease: testing may be negative even when

Is It Polio—or a Tick-Borne Infection Like Powassan Virus? Polio-like symptoms? But tests are negative? A tick-borne virus may be missed. What if it’s not polio? Severe weakness, paralysis, and neurologic symptoms may resemble polio—but can reflect a tick-borne infection such as Powassan virus. While vacationing in rural Newfoundland, a man developed nausea, vomiting, abdominal

What Blood Type Do Ticks Prefer? What blood type do ticks prefer? A pilot study explored whether ticks are more attracted to certain human blood groups—and the findings may surprise you. To investigate this question, Žákovská and colleagues from Masaryk University in the Czech Republic conducted an in vitro study using blood samples placed on

Borrelia Persistence: The “Third Rail” of Lyme Disease Borrelia persistence remains one of the most debated and controversial questions in Lyme disease. A growing number of researchers are now examining whether the bacteria can remain active after standard antibiotic treatment in patients who continue to experience symptoms. The working group, led by Dr. John Aucott