Lyme Science Blog

Can Anaplasmosis Cause Heart Problems and Cardiac Complications? Heart complications from anaplasmosis are uncommon but possible Tick-borne infections may overlap and complicate diagnosis Early recognition may reduce serious outcomes Over the last several years, there has been a three-fold increase in anaplasmosis cases in the United States. Although most people develop flu-like symptoms, anaplasmosis complications […]

Lyme Carditis: Can Acute Lyme Disease Cause Complete Heart Block? Lyme carditis may cause complete heart block and severe bradycardia. Cardiac complications can occasionally appear early in acute Lyme disease. Prompt recognition and antibiotic treatment may reverse conduction abnormalities. “A suspected case of Lyme disease causing complete heart block” by Isha and colleagues described a

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 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 important for reducing risk. For a broader

Severe Anaplasmosis Complications: Multi-Organ Failure Risk Severe anaplasmosis can affect multiple organs Neurologic symptoms may delay diagnosis Early treatment may reduce complications Severe anaplasmosis complications are uncommon but can become life-threatening when diagnosis and treatment are delayed. Although many patients recover quickly with doxycycline, some develop respiratory failure, neurologic symptoms, liver injury, and other serious

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,

Babesiosis Causes False-Positive HIV Test Results Babesiosis may rarely trigger false-positive HIV test results Acute Babesia infection may complicate laboratory interpretation and diagnosis Repeat testing after treatment may help clarify confusing results Investigators describe the case of a patient with acute babesiosis who tested positive for HIV prior to treatment. The 60-year-old man was admitted