Lyme Science Blog

Babesia odocoilei has been identified in two individuals based on PCR testing and DNA sequencing of the 18S rRNA gene, writes Scott and colleagues in the study “Detection of Babesia odocoilei in Humans with Babesiosis Symptoms.” ¹ According to the authors, “the same two human subjects had the hallmark symptoms of human Babesiosis, including night […]

In their article, “Contrast Sensitivity Loss in Patients With Posttreatment Lyme Disease,” Rebman and colleagues report that Lyme disease can cause eye problems, specifically a loss in contrast sensitivity.¹ Contrast sensitivity (CS) is most important when the contrast between objects and their background often is reduced such as low light, fog or glare. For example,

There are multiple studies indicating that Lyme disease can result in a persistent infection, causing chronic symptoms that may require treatment with extended courses of antibiotics. The National Institute of Health (NIH) conducted three Lyme disease trials, which validated the existence and severity of chronic manifestations of Lyme disease.2-4  The study’s patients were ill for

Babesia symptoms can be wide-ranging and difficult to recognize by clinicians and a missed or delayed diagnosis can be deadly. In hopes of raising awareness, one family shares their story of a Babesia diagnosis that came just a little too late. Jeff, a 51-year-old husband and father, was hospitalized with symptoms of jaundice, agitation and

A 42-year-old man from New York City received a Lyme carditis diagnosis after quarantining in upstate New York during the COVID-19 pandemic. The case is discussed in the article “A curious case of Lyme carditis in an urban hospital,” by Brissett et al. 1 “Lyme carditis was a surprise diagnosis in our hospital due to the

In their article “Underrecognized Tickborne Illnesses: Borrelia Miyamotoi and Powassan Virus,”  Della-Giustina et al. explain what is the Powassan virus and why it’s raising concerns.  “We chose to review the Powassan virus because it only requires 15 min. of tick attachment for transmission, and the sequelae of the neurologic disease are devastating, in addition to

Adult-onset Still’s disease (AOSD) is often thought to be an autoimmune disease, but is, in fact, a systemic auto-inflammatory condition, believed to be caused by an over-reactive immune response to an infection, such as Lyme disease. As Cimmino points out, both diseases share several clinical characteristics.¹ Still’s disease can cause “a triad of high fever,

According to the American Lung Association, an “infection or exposure to something in the environment can trigger the immune system to overreact,” resulting in sarcoidosis.¹ In a 2018 study, van Dee and colleagues suggest that Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease bacterium, may be one of those infectious pathogens capable of triggering sarcoidosis. ² Their study

A study published in April 2021 looked at the frequency of emergency room visits due to tick bites. The authors examined “ED tick bite visits during January 2017-December 2019 by sex, age group, U.S. region, and seasonality,” writes Marx et al. [2] Their findings revealed that tick bites on a child under the age of

The Powassan virus (POWV) can be transmitted in as little as 15 minutes and is spread primarily through the bite of an infected deer tick. There is no treatment for the Powassan virus, yet it can cause devastating neurologic damage including encephalitis, meningitis or even death. “About 15% of patients who are infected and have