Lyme Science Blog

The woman was admitted to the emergency room with fever, chills, lethargy, fatigue, and marked changes in sensorium. Clinicians initially believed her symptoms were due to sepsis, but she was later diagnosed with concurrent Babesia and anaplasmosis. Her case demonstrates how “patients with babesiosis show a wide range of symptoms and clinical presentations,” writes Paparone. […]

Studies have found Borrelia burgdorferi in the blood of patients with early Lyme disease using culture tests. “Borrelia are likely to be found circulating in the blood sporadically or they may persist for a time period ranging from 2 to 5 weeks and in some cases beyond this time frame,” writes Pavia, citing a 2001

Now, a new study by Connally and colleagues examines the effectiveness of treated clothing after it is worn and washed/dried. [2] Does this impact the contact irritancy and toxicity against Ixodes scapularis nymphs? The investigators forced blacklegged ticks to be in contact with Permethrin-treated clothing for 30 to 120 seconds. They then monitored the ticks’

In their article “Searching for the Immature Stages of Ixodes scapularis in Leaf Litter and Soil in Texas,” Tietjen and colleagues, from Texas A&M University, speculate that nymphal ticks in the south could be in the leaf litter or in different soil layers rather than on the understory vegetation. [1] So, employing a different type

The 83-year-old man, from Pennsylvania, was admitted to the hospital, reporting pain in his knee, erythema and fever for 3 days. Upon examination, physicians noted he had “a moderate effusion and limited range of motion,” explains Collins. The patient had a total knee replacement, involving the same knee, 6 years earlier. Culture tests were negative

Doctors diagnosed and treated a 67-year-old woman for early Lyme disease with a 21-day course of amoxicillin after she presented with an erythema migrans rash. (The woman was allergic to doxycycline.) Near the end of her treatment, the woman developed fevers (102.92°F), myalgias, dizziness, and fatigue. Due to concerns that she may be septic or have an

These conditions are typically thought to occur separately with several published reports describing each illness as mimicking the other. But a new article by Koester and colleagues details the first cases of acute Lyme and EBV infections reportedly occurring concurrently. “We describe the clinical presentation of two children with confirmed early Lyme disease and features

A recent article, “Assessment of the Public Health Threats Posed by Vector-Borne Disease in the United Kingdom,” by Medlock and colleagues explores the growing concern Lyme disease poses to residents in the UK. [1] “There has been an increase in the numbers of reported human cases of Lyme disease,” writes Medlock in the International Journal

Typically, doxycycline is the go-to antibiotic for practitioners. It has become the favorite first-line drug for treating tick-borne illnesses. But, it’s not effective for all tick-related diseases such as Babesia. In these instances, a combination of antibiotics and/or anti-viral medications may be required. In a recent article, published in The Nurse Practitioner, Paparone discusses the

Identifying patients with high-degree AV block caused by Lyme carditis is imperative “to prevent the inherent risks of pacemaker implantation, such as periprocedural infections, lead dislodgement, and erosions,” the author writes. Recognizing these patients is particularly important given that Lyme carditis often impacts younger individuals, who may be at a greater risk of experiencing complications