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Babesia exchange transfusion is a life-saving procedure reserved for the most severe cases. In their article, “Repeat exchange transfusion for treatment of severe babesiosis,” Radcliffe and colleagues describe the case of a 73-year-old immunocompromised woman with 43% parasitemia who required two exchange transfusions and 12 weeks of treatment to survive this tick-borne infection. The Case: […]

The C6 peptide Borrelia miyamotoi test may help identify this tick-borne infection. Koetsveld and colleagues examined C6 reactivity in sera from both mice infected with Borrelia miyamotoi and from 46 patients with PCR-positive Borrelia miyamotoi disease (BMD). Their results support the use of the C6 peptide test used for Lyme disease as an indication of

Babesia duncani is no longer just a West Coast problem. In their article “Babesia microti – Borrelia burgdorferi Co-infection,” Parveen reports that B. duncani has now been identified in eastern USA and Canada—areas already endemic for Lyme disease and Babesia. Babesia Duncani Spreads East New research indicates there may no longer be a division of

A babesia mayo clinic case series offers valuable insights into how this tick-borne infection presents in the real world. In their review of 38 Babesia cases, Fida and colleagues found that nearly 50% of patients did not recall a tick bite and had a delay in diagnosis due to the broad range of symptoms. The

Empiric Treatment Lyme Disease: Why Early Treatment Matters Empiric treatment of Lyme disease is a clinical strategy used when suspicion for infection is high but laboratory confirmation is still pending or may be unreliable early in the course of illness. This approach is particularly relevant because early treatment of Lyme disease has been shown to

Post-treatment Lyme disease cases are rising — and a 2019 study estimates nearly 2 million Americans may be affected.For a significant number of patients with Lyme disease, standard antibiotic treatment does not work. In fact, recent studies have shown that treatment failure rates may range between 10% and 20%, writes DeLong and colleagues.These patients can

The Asian longhorned tick has officially arrived in New York — discovered only after biting a human for the first time in the United States. The tick species continues to spread in the U.S. It was first identified on sheep in New Jersey in 2017. Since then, it has spread to 11 states, according to

Lyme Literate Doctor: What Does It Really Take? So, what does it take to be a Lyme literate doctor? The term is often used—sometimes dismissively—yet rarely defined with clinical precision. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} argues that “Lyme disease conforms to the same fundamental rules and principles applicable to other infectious diseases.” However, Baker does not define what it

Bourbon virus is a rare but deadly tick-borne illness with no approved treatment—until now. In 2017, a 58-year-old woman from Missouri, who initially presented with generalized weakness, myalgia, nausea, and a rash, was diagnosed with the virus. She had been exposed to ticks one week earlier. She died after 23 days in the hospital. What

Powassan virus in Maine is a growing concern. While the Powassan virus is considered rare, it can be dangerous and is fatal in 10% of the cases. In 2013, a Maine woman died from the disease and as of 2017, 10 residents had been infected. An increase in cases of Powassan virus is particularly alarming,