Lyme Science Blog

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Diagnosis: Why It’s Often Missed Symptoms that don’t follow the rules Early tests that may not confirm it A diagnosis that depends on suspicion Rocky Mountain spotted fever diagnosis is often delayed when symptoms do not follow the expected pattern—creating a risk that serious infection may be missed early. Patients may […]

Treating Tick-Borne Infections: Why Combination Therapy May Be Needed Some patients don’t have just one infection. Symptoms may overlap. Treatment may need to be broader. Tick-borne infections treatment can be complex because many patients are infected with more than one organism at the same time. Quick Answer: Patients with tick-borne infections may require combination antibiotic

Anaplasmosis and Lyme Disease: Cardiac Complications 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

Can Lyme Disease Cause Complete Heart Block in Just 2 Weeks? COMPLETE HEART BLOCK IN JUST 2 WEEKS? ACUTE LYME CARDITIS CAN PROGRESS RAPIDLY Complete heart block from Lyme disease can develop far earlier than most clinicians expect. A 21-year-old man was found unresponsive with complete heart block just 14 days after visiting a Lyme-endemic

Can Lyme Disease Mimic Guillain-Barré Syndrome? A Missed Diagnosis Can Lyme disease look like Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS)? Yes. In some cases, Lyme neuroborreliosis can cause progressive weakness, numbness, and even paralysis—closely resembling GBS. When treatment for GBS fails, an underlying infection such as Lyme disease may be the missing diagnosis. Key Insight: Lyme disease can

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