Lyme Science Blog

A new study looks at the risk of severe COVID-19 in patients with a history of exposure to Lyme disease. In their study “Correlation between COVID-19 severity and previous exposure of patients to Borrelia spp.,” Szewczyk‑Dąbrowska et al.² examined 3 groups of patients: those with severe COVID-19 (hospitalized), asymptomatic to mild COVID-19 (home treated or […]

In their study “Trust the Process: Prolonged Babesia Parasitemia in an Elderly Man with Asplenia from the American Midwest,” Ivancich and colleagues describe an 89-year-old man with multiple comorbidities and splenectomy, who required 8 weeks of treatment for his Babesia infection to clear.¹ The man was evaluated after a fall at home. Prior to the

Carson and colleagues surveyed clinicians between August 2020 and February 2022 and reported their findings in the article “Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Illinois medical professionals related to ticks and tick-borne disease.” ¹ The respondents included RNs (61.3%), physicians (21.4%), and APNs/PAs (17.3%). The authors found that clinicians were best at identifying Lyme disease. Out

In their article “Powassan Encephalitis: A Case Report from New York, USA,”  Bazer and colleagues describe a male patient who was admitted to the hospital in December due to altered mental status, dysarthria, and a left facial droop.¹ The man also had a history of multiple medical problems including of a right putamen infarct, hepatitis

The study, entitled “The Impact of Telemedicine in the Diagnosis of Erythema Migrans during the COVID Pandemic: A Comparison with In-Person Diagnosis in the Pre-COVID Era,” compares clinical data of 439 patients with an erythema migrans (EM) rash before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.¹ Participants in the study were being treated at

In their article “Lyme neuroborreliosis as a cause of sudden sensorineural hearing loss and facial palsy,” Nitro and colleagues present a case involving a woman in her 40’s who developed a sudden loss of hearing in both ears, along with facial palsy and was later diagnosed with Lyme meningitis.¹ “Bilateral hearing loss is rare,” the

Disulfiram was initially marketed in the U.S. as Antabuse as an alcohol sobriety aid which deters alcohol consumption by eliciting physical discomforts (e.g., headache, nausea, hypotension). It’s use as a possible treatment for Lyme disease has been described in several recent studies. Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease, possesses survival strategies in humans.

Individuals with babesiosis can experience fevers, chills, myalgias, anorexia, headache, nausea, and vomiting. According to the authors, “The least common are shortness of breath, sore throat, neck stiffness, emotional lability, photophobia, and dark urine.” In their study entitled “Atypical Presentation of Babesiosis With Neurological Manifestations as Well as Hematological Manifestations,”  the authors summarize two cases

Dr. Meredith Niess discussed the case in more detail in an NPR story.[1] A man was scheduled for hernia surgery. A preoperative X-ray was ordered despite the paucity of evidence of whether the X-ray was needed. The X-ray suggested a mass. The patient was worried about cancer. Cancer was ruled out. “In fact, a follow-up

In her article “Lyme Disease and Anesthesia Considerations,” Smit discusses three approaches: Disease awareness Some patients may have Lyme disease that has not been diagnosed. “Infected patients in whom the diagnosis has not yet been made or has been missed may present for invasive investigations such as biopsies or arthroscopies or for larger surgical interventions