Lyme Science Blog

Lyme Disease Biofilm: Round Bodies, Blebs, and Persistence WHY DOES LYME DISEASE PERSIST? THE BACTERIA CAN CHANGE FORM AND MAY BECOME HARDER TO TARGET Lyme disease biofilm formation may help explain how Borrelia burgdorferi persists in the body despite treatment. Quick Answer: Borrelia burgdorferi can shift into different forms—including round bodies, blebs, and biofilms—which may […]

Do IV Antibiotics Help PTLDS? What the Research Shows Quick Answer: Intravenous antibiotics may improve certain symptoms—particularly fatigue—in some patients with post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS), but results are mixed and not all symptoms improve. Clinical Insight: Some studies suggest benefit from IV ceftriaxone, raising important questions about whether persistent symptoms reflect ongoing infection in

Borrelia Miyamotoi Symptoms: Mild to Severe Borrelia miyamotoi symptoms can range from mild flu-like illness to severe neurologic disease depending on the patient’s immune status. This tick-borne infection, transmitted by the same ticks that spread Lyme disease, often causes fever, fatigue, and relapsing illness that can easily be mistaken for other infections. According to Cleveland

Fatal Heartland Virus Infection in the Mid-Atlantic Region Heartland virus infection is an emerging tick-borne disease that can lead to severe illness and death. Although most cases have historically been reported in the Midwest and southern United States, investigators have now documented a fatal Heartland virus infection acquired in the Mid-Atlantic region. In their article

Borrelia Miyamotoi Ticks: Mother to Offspring Transmission Borrelia miyamotoi ticks can transmit the infection in multiple ways. In their article “Borrelia miyamotoi: A Comprehensive Review. Pathogens,” Cleveland and colleagues discuss Borrelia miyamotoi as an emerging tick-borne pathogen and how it can be transmitted from a mother tick to their offspring. Vertical transmission in Borrelia miyamotoi

Pacemakers for Lyme Carditis PACEMAKER NEEDED—OR LYME CARDITIS? HEART BLOCK FROM LYME DISEASE IS OFTEN REVERSIBLE Pacemakers for Lyme carditis may be required when Lyme disease disrupts the heart’s electrical system—but in many cases, the condition is reversible. A patient presents with dizziness, fatigue, or fainting. An ECG shows heart block. The next step may

Similarities of Long-COVID and Lyme disease in children The authors explored the current Long-COVID literature, and specifically addressed the cardiovascular, thrombotic and cerebrovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and dysautonomia seen in Long-COVID. The authors did not include Lyme disease in their discussion. “One study found that fatigue, headache, dizziness, dyspnoea,

Stroke associated with Lyme disease in a 59-year-old man The study entitled “Ischemic Stroke With Hemorrhagic Conversion in a Case of Lyme Neuroborreliosis” by Sathi and colleagues describes the case of a 59-year-old man who presented to a hospital in Florida with ischemic stroke with aphasia and acute confusion that had been ongoing for two

Increasing spread of Lyme disease in Europe The existence of Lyme disease in Greece remains controversial. In a recent study “Serological evidence of possible Borrelia afzelii lyme disease in Greece,” Karageorgou and colleagues examined patients throughout Greece suspected for Lyme disease by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and by western blotting for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato

Can anaplasmosis cause heart problems? Anaplasmosis heart problems can include myopericarditis and atrial fibrillation. In their article, “Case report: human granulocytic anaplasmosis causes acute myopericarditis with atrial fibrillation,” Levy et al. describe the case of a 65-year-old man who presented to the emergency room with fever and malaise, which had persisted for one week.¹ An