Lyme Science Blog

Borrelia burgdorferi causes prosthetic joint infection The 68-year-old woman presented to the orthopedic clinic with pain and swelling in her right knee, which had been ongoing for 2 weeks. Eight years earlier, she had a total knee replacement but lived pain free following the surgery. One month prior to her knee pain, the patient had […]

Can a Tick Bite Cause Confusion? Anaplasmosis and Encephalitis Explained Can a tick bite cause sudden confusion or altered mental status? Anaplasma encephalitis can present with fever and confusion—even when brain imaging is normal—making diagnosis easy to miss without high clinical suspicion. Key Insight: Sudden confusion after a tick bite is a medical emergency. Tick-borne

Powassan Virus Encephalitis Cases: 4 Clinical Case Reports These 4 Powassan virus encephalitis cases highlight the varied clinical presentations of this serious tick-borne infection. Powassan virus (POWV) can cause severe disease, including infection of the brain (encephalitis) or infection of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord (meningitis). Symptoms may include confusion, loss of

Lyme Disease During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: What You Need to Know Can Lyme disease affect pregnancy or be passed to a baby? Possibly. While many pregnancies have normal outcomes, some studies suggest that untreated Lyme disease during pregnancy may increase the risk of complications. Early recognition and appropriate treatment are key to reducing risk. For

Severe Anaplasmosis: Multi-Organ Complications Severe anaplasmosis can cause multi-organ complications, especially in immunocompromised patients. In their case report “Severe Anaplasmosis With Multiorgan Involvement in a Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient,” Aydin et al. describe a 66-year-old woman, residing in Connecticut, who was admitted to the emergency department with confusion and lethargy. The patient was disoriented and had

Altered mental status due to Lyme disease An 84-year-old man was admitted to the hospital due to an altered mental status. He had a history of stroke and mild to moderate dementia. According to his wife, he had been having hallucinations 3 to 4 days prior to his hospitalization. And although he suffered from dementia,

False-Positive HIV Test from Babesiosis When Babesia Mimics HIV Infection Investigators describe the case of a patient with acute babesiosis who prior to treatment tested positive for HIV. The 60-year-old man was admitted to the emergency department with intermittent fever, fatigue, anorexia, and worsening jaundice for three weeks. He was referred by his primary care

Military Lyme disease After 37 years treating Lyme disease, I’ve seen few papers address the issues of military Lyme disease for members of the military and their families. This is an area that merits greater exploration and has serious implications for Lyme disease recovery among those who serve. The following selection from my book “An

Can Lyme Disease Cause Seizures? Symptoms, Causes, and What to Know Can Lyme disease cause seizures? Yes—when the infection affects the central nervous system, seizures can occur as a serious neurologic complication. A 55-year-old man presented to the emergency department with sudden tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizures as the first sign of neuroborreliosis. His condition progressed

Celebrities With Lyme Disease: Who They Are and What They Experienced FATIGUE, BRAIN FOG, MISDIAGNOSIS? EVEN CELEBRITIES EXPERIENCE LYME DISEASE WHO HAS SPOKEN OUT ABOUT THEIR STRUGGLE? Celebrities with Lyme disease have helped bring attention to a condition that is often misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and underestimated. From actors and musicians to athletes, many well-known individuals have