Lyme Science Blog

Case: A Rare Cardiac Complication Involving Lyme and Anaplasmosis While these complications are well recognized, they do not always present in typical ways. The following case illustrates how Lyme disease complications can involve the heart and become life-threatening—especially when coinfections are present. Over the last several years, there has been a three-fold increase in anaplasmosis […]

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 Lyme neuroborreliosis can resemble Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). Weakness, numbness, facial palsy, and paralysis may overlap clinically. When standard GBS treatment fails, Lyme disease should be reconsidered. Can Lyme disease look like Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS)? Yes. In some cases, Lyme neuroborreliosis can cause progressive weakness, numbness, facial

Lyme Disease and Prosthetic Joint Infection After Knee Replacement A WOMAN DEVELOPED PAIN AND SWELLING YEARS AFTER KNEE REPLACEMENT TESTING EVENTUALLY IDENTIFIED BORRELIA BURGDORFERI AS THE CAUSE OF A CULTURE-NEGATIVE JOINT INFECTION Lyme disease prosthetic joint infection is rare but increasingly recognized in endemic regions. This case highlights how Borrelia burgdorferi may present as a

Can a Tick Bite Cause Confusion? Anaplasmosis and Encephalitis Explained Can a tick bite cause sudden confusion or altered mental status? Yes. Anaplasma encephalitis can present with fever and confusion — even when brain imaging is normal — making diagnosis easy to miss without high clinical suspicion. As cases of anaplasmosis become more frequent, it

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 Symptoms: Confusion After a Tick Bite Fever after a tick bite is common. Confusion is not. It may signal severe infection. Severe anaplasmosis symptoms can develop quickly—and may be missed if early signs are subtle. Confusion after a tick bite is a warning sign that requires urgent evaluation. Many patients expect a rash—but

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,

Can Babesiosis Cause a False-Positive HIV Test? Positive HIV test—but no HIV? Babesiosis may be the reason. Here’s what one case revealed. A babesiosis false positive HIV test is rare—but documented. Investigators described a patient with acute babesiosis who initially tested positive for HIV, only to have repeat testing turn negative after treatment. This case