Lyme Science Blog

Single tick bite leads to 3 diseases in elderly woman The woman was an avid gardener who had a history of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and high blood pressure. She was admitted to the hospital with dyspnea, fatigue, and a cough productive of yellowish mucoid sputum. The patient also had significant altered mental status, […]

Sudden Behavioral Changes in Children? Could It Be Babesia or Bartonella Can tick-borne infections cause sudden psychiatric symptoms in children? In some cases, yes. Children may develop anxiety, rage, speech regression, or even suicidal thoughts—symptoms that are often misdiagnosed as primary psychiatric disorders. Emerging research suggests that Babesia and Bartonella co-infections may play a role

Homicide, two assaults, and suicide in Lyme disease patient The article entitled “A Fatal Case of Late Stage Lyme Borreliosis and Substance Abuse,”1 describes a patient exhibiting aggressiveness, violence, and homicidality. Like many Lyme disease patients, the man experienced a delay in diagnosis and treatment. (One study reports that subjects enrolling in a trial of

Chronic Lyme Disease Remission With Low-Dose Flagyl: Case Report BETTER ON ANTIBIOTICS—THEN RELAPSING? SYMPTOMS KEEP COMING BACK? CAN LOW-DOSE TREATMENT MAINTAIN REMISSION? Low-dose Flagyl (metronidazole) for Lyme disease was associated with sustained remission in a patient with chronic, relapsing symptoms after years of illness. “I improved with treatment—but the symptoms kept coming back.” This case

Facial paralysis due to Lyme disease initially attributed to a virus The patient was admitted to the emergency department for acute back pain that had been progressively worsening over an 8-week period. The pain began 5 weeks after a minor surfing accident. Repeated X-rays and additional tests were normal. “The intensity of the pain is

Can Lyme Disease Affect the Kidneys? Case Reports and Clinical Insights Quick Answer: Lyme disease can affect the kidneys in rare cases, typically through immune-mediated mechanisms rather than direct infection. Clinical Insight: Kidney involvement in Lyme disease is uncommon but may occur as part of a broader inflammatory response affecting multiple systems. Can Lyme disease

Lyme endocarditis diagnosed by PCR testing When Stroke Symptoms Lead to Unexpected Diagnosis A 40-year-old man presented to the emergency department with a headache that had been ongoing for 5 days and intermittent numbness in his left arm. CT scan and MRI of the brain revealed acute subarachnoid hemorrhage and the patient was admitted to

Can ticks fly with the help of static electricity? Scientists from the University of Bristol studied the naturally occurring electrostatic charges in animals. They reported their findings in a study entitled “Static electricity passively attracts ticks onto hosts.”¹ “Mammals, birds, and reptiles are known to carry appreciable net electrostatic charges, equivalent to surface potentials on

Cardiac problems after a 10-day course of treatment for Lyme disease The 49-year old man had been diagnosed one month earlier with Lyme disease after testing positive and treated with a 10-day course of doxycycline. He was an avid hiker who had frequented trails in Pennsylvania, wrote Palmer and colleagues in their article “Atrial Flutter