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Lyme Science Blog

Mouse with tick embedded on shrub branch.

Tick control methods not effective in residential neighborhoods

In their study, “Impacts Over Time of Neighborhood-Scale Interventions to Control Ticks and Tick-Borne Disease Incidence,” Ostfeld and colleagues examined the effectiveness of tick control methods in 24 residential neighborhoods endemic for Lyme disease in New York.¹ The study, conducted over several years, assessed the impact of tick control system (TCS) bait boxes and Met52 […]

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Man with Lyme carditis symptoms getting EEG test.

Lyme carditis patients may require temporary permanent pacemaker

However, the authors of a new case report suggest that for some Lyme carditis patients, placement of a temporary permanent pacemaker (TPPM) may be an effective and safe alternative. In their article, “A Practical Ambulatory Approach to Atrioventricular Block Secondary to Lyme Carditis,” Aromin and colleagues describe the case of a 31-year-old man who presented

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skin-color-lyme-disease

Can skin color affect medical students’ ability to diagnose Lyme disease?

So, how prepared are medical students to properly diagnose patients of all races and ethnicities? Do they have the diagnostic ability and confidence in making a diagnosis, such as Lyme disease, for individuals with non-white skin color? In the study, “The impact of patient skin colour on diagnostic ability and confidence of medical students,” Dodd

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alpha-gal-syndrome

Alpha-gal syndrome: Foods to Avoid

Alpha-gal syndrome typically presents with abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting. But it can also lead to swelling of the face or throat, voice changes, difficulty breathing, hives, or fainting, according to recent article “AGA Clinical Practice Update on Alpha-Gal Syndrome for the GI Clinician: Commentary,” by McGill and colleagues.¹ According to the authors, the

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lyme-disease-spinal-cord

Case report: Lyme disease causes inflammation of the spinal cord

In their article “Case report: Subacute transverse myelitis with gait preservation secondary to Lyme disease and a review of the literature,” Colot and colleagues describe a 10-year-old boy who suffered from neck pain with irradiation in the upper limbs for 13 days. Transverse myelitis (TM) is an inflammation of both sides of one section of

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myositis-lyme-disease

Case reports: Orbital myositis due to Lyme disease

Orbital myositis is typically caused by systemic disease, such as Grave’s disease, or haematological disorders like lymphomas, the authors explain. In these cases, myositis is often bilateral. It has been reported, as well, as a rare manifestation of Lyme disease. In these two cases, myositis was confirmed by MRI findings. Patient #1: 68-year-old female “The

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lyme-carditis

Lyme carditis presents without typical Lyme disease symptoms

The authors describe a 70-year-old male who presented to the hospital without any typical Lyme disease symptoms, but exhibited generalized symptoms of progressive orthopnea and dyspnea on exertion. The man had a medical history of hypertension and calcific aortic stenosis. His lab results were “significant for an increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate of 136, white blood

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biofilm-lyme-disease

Round bodies, blebs and biofilms in Lyme disease

In an effort to better understand their significance, Corak and colleagues “grew B. burgdorferi spirochete, round body, bleb, and biofilm-dominated cultures and recovered their transcriptomes by RNAseq profiling.” Their non-spirochete morphotypes were induced by simple changes in growth conditions. The authors described three pleomorphic forms as follows: “Spherical B. burgdorferi cells with intact and flexible

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antibiotics-ptlds

Intravenous antibiotics helpful for PTLDS

In their study “Efficacy and safety of antibiotic therapy for post-Lyme disease? A systematic review and network meta-analysis,” Zhang and colleagues described a meta-analysis review of four Randomized Clinical Trials (RCT) addressing Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome.¹ The four randomized controlled trials included 485 subjects who met the following inclusion criteria: Randomized controlled trials Patients with

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