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Powassan virus can cause polio-like illness, as this case report demonstrates. While vacationing in rural Newfoundland, the man developed nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, double vision (diplopia) and impaired coordination (ataxia). He was admitted to a hospital where his symptoms worsened. The man became febrile and experienced slurred and slow speech (dysarthria), weakness, and respiratory distress. […]

Babesia early lyme co-infection is more common than many clinicians realize. In a study of 52 patients with early Lyme disease, 4 (7.7%) “had convincing evidence of Babesia microti co-infection,” writes Wormser. These patients, along with 2 additional suspected cases, highlight why Babesia should be on every clinician’s radar. Babesia Early Lyme: Six Cases Patient

“The exact prevalence of Lyme neuroborreliosis in France is unknown because reporting is not required,” Guet-Revillet explains. “Nevertheless, the condition appears to be rare.” The outcome for the nine children described in this case series was favorable following a two- to three-week course of third-generation cephalosporin therapy. However, outcomes have not been uniformly positive in

What is the best Borrelia miyamotoi treatment? In the United States, as many as 15.4% of the blacklegged ticks were found to be infected with B. miyamotoi, compared with up to 4% in Europe and Japan, according to Koetsveld from the Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. [1] Meanwhile,

Unlike Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, female ticks infected with Borrelia miyamotoi can pass the bacteria to their offspring. “Therefore, in addition to nymphs and adults, larvae can vector B. miyamotoi to wildlife and human hosts,” write the authors of a new study, “Vertical transmission rates of Borrelia miyamotoi in Ixodes scapularis

Lyme Myelopathy: Acute Transverse Myelitis as a Rare but Treatable Complication Clinical signs and symptoms of acute transverse myelitis (ATM) depend on the region of the spinal cord involved, explain Kaiser and colleagues in a recent case report, “Lyme myelopathy: Case report and literature review of a rare but treatable disorder.” The causes of acute

Diagnosing Borrelia miyamotoi can be challenging. Some doctors have suggested that a blood smear should be used to confirm the diagnosis of BMD. But as Telford and colleagues demonstrate, a blood smear may not be so reliable for diagnosing Borrelia miyamotoi. [1] In an effort to determine whether blood smears can detect B. miyamotoi in

Opsoclonus is typically due to an infectious disease or a form of cancer, known as neuroblastoma. In some cases, the cause is unknown. But the condition is rarely seen in Lyme disease patients, explains Gibaud and colleagues in the case report “Opsoclonus in a child with neuroborreliosis.” [1] In fact, only 2 cases have been

Depression Scores in Lyme Disease May Reflect Physical Symptoms, Not Mood Disorder A one-year prospective study followed 52 adult Lyme disease patients who presented with erythema migrans (EM) rashes. Participants reported a range of somatic symptoms, including fatigue, headaches, joint pain, muscle pain, and cognitive complaints. Patients with more severe physical symptoms also had higher

Lyme Endocarditis Causing Mitral Valve Disease in a 68-Year-Old Man In March 2017, a 68-year-old man was admitted to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, with symptoms suggestive of advanced heart failure. “He had a chronic cough and progressive dyspnea, which were consistent with New York Heart Association class IV symptoms of heart failure,” writes