Lyme Science Blog

Can Lyme Disease Mimic Dementia? When Cognitive Decline May Be Reversible Quick Answer: Lyme disease can cause memory loss, confusion, and cognitive decline that may resemble dementia—and in some cases, these symptoms may improve with treatment. Clinical Insight: Unlike Alzheimer’s disease or other neurodegenerative conditions, Lyme-related cognitive symptoms may be driven by inflammation and infection […]

ILADS Lyme Disease Guidelines Rank in Top 5% of Research Articles The ILADS Lyme disease guidelines have ranked in the top 5% of all research articles, based on Altmetric scoring—highlighting their reach and influence beyond traditional citation metrics. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} What Is an Altmetric Score? Altmetrics track how research is discussed and shared across news outlets,

Netherlands Trial: Does It Really Support Short-Term Lyme Disease Therapy? A randomized trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine evaluated whether longer-term antibiotic treatment improves outcomes in patients with persistent symptoms attributed to Lyme disease. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} The authors concluded that longer-term therapy did not provide additional benefit compared to shorter-term treatment. Who Was

JAMA Review Overlooks Chronic Manifestations of Lyme Disease A JAMA review concluded that short courses of antibiotics—such as 10 days of doxycycline for erythema migrans and 14 days for early neurologic Lyme disease—are effective. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} However, the review excluded a substantial body of literature describing persistent symptoms and chronic manifestations of Lyme disease. What Was

Deer Keds and Lyme Disease: No Evidence of Transmission Do deer keds transmit Lyme disease? Despite growing interest and concern, current evidence does not support transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi or Anaplasma phagocytophilum to humans. This retraction clarifies earlier interpretations and highlights an important distinction between deer keds and deer flies. Deer Keds vs. Deer Flies:

Don’t Dismiss the Poor Quality of Life in Lyme Disease Lyme disease quality of life is often underestimated in research. A recent Clinical Infectious Diseases study concluded that both mental and physical health scores improved to average over time, regardless of disease stage or severity at diagnosis. [1] However, the authors excluded participants with pre-existing

Tick-Borne Coinfections Are the Norm, Not the Exception Tick-borne coinfections are common in Lyme disease and may influence both symptoms and treatment. Lyme disease was first identified in 1975 in children and adolescents in Connecticut who presented with recurrent joint swelling and pain, initially diagnosed as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. “The typical patient has had 3

What Does Sudden Cardiac Death from Lyme Disease Look Like? Lyme carditis sudden death is rare but preventable. Fatal Lyme carditis is often not recognized during life, leading to missed opportunities for treatment. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} In reviewing five postmortem cases, Muehlenbachs and colleagues found that Lyme disease was not suspected in one patient with episodic shortness

Lyme Disease Treatment Failure: At Least 1 in 3 Patients Remain Ill Lyme disease treatment failure is more common than often recognized. While guidelines have suggested that persistent symptoms are uncommon, a growing body of evidence shows that many patients remain ill despite standard antibiotic therapy. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has

Probiotics May Help Prevent C. difficile in Lyme Disease Treatment Probiotics may reduce the risk of C. difficile infection in Lyme disease patients receiving antibiotics. With at least 300,000 new cases of Lyme disease each year in the United States, many patients require antibiotic therapy, which can increase the risk of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD).