Lyme Science Blog

Borrelia mayonii is a recently discovered species that causes Lyme disease with atypical features. Since the species was first identified 7 years ago, there have been only 7 reported cases of Lyme disease caused by Borrelia mayonii. In Open Forum Infectious Diseases Correspondence, McGowan and colleagues describe the recent case of a Borrelia mayonii infection

Bartonella psychiatric symptoms can include agitation, panic disorder, and treatment-resistant depression. In their 2007 article, “Do Bartonella Infections Cause Agitation, Panic Disorder, and Treatment-Resistant Depression?” Schaller and colleagues describe three patients with acute psychiatric symptoms associated with Bartonella-like signs and symptoms. Each patient was exposed to ticks or fleas and manifested symptoms consistent with Bartonella

Rocky Mountain spotted fever diagnosis can be challenging, especially with atypical presentations. Rocky Mountain spotted fever has primarily been reported in 5 states in the United States, according to the CDC. These include Missouri, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and North Carolina. However, RMSF has been documented in other states, as well. The disease can be transmitted

In their article “A Longitudinal Study of a Large Clinical Cohort of Patients with Lyme Disease and Tick-Borne Co-Infections Treated with Combination Antibiotics” Xi and colleagues looked at 140 individuals who tested positive for tick-borne infections (TBI) with 33% of those patients infected with multiple TBIs. The authors found that out of the 140 participants:

Anaplasmosis and Lyme disease co-infection can lead to serious cardiac complications. Over the last several years, there has been a three-fold increase in the number of anaplasmosis cases in the United States. The tick-borne illness can be transmitted through the bite of an infected blacklegged (deer) tick and causes flu-like symptoms, similar to those seen