Lyme Science Blog

Can Lyme Disease Cause Myositis? MUSCLE SWELLING? LYME DISEASE CAN RARELY CAUSE MYOSITIS Yes—Lyme disease can rarely cause myositis, a condition involving inflammation of muscle tissue. In some cases, muscle swelling or eye symptoms may be the first sign of infection. This condition—sometimes referred to as Lyme myositis—is an uncommon but important manifestation of infection. […]

Lyme Carditis Symptoms: When Heart Block Is the Only Clue No rash. No joint pain. Only heart block. Lyme carditis symptoms can be difficult to recognize when patients do not have the classic signs of Lyme disease. In some cases, an abnormal heart rhythm may be the only clue. This case highlights a 70-year-old man

Round Bodies, Blebs and Biofilms in Lyme Disease Lyme disease biofilm research continues to evolve Borrelia round bodies and blebs may affect persistence Morphologic forms could influence future treatment research Researchers continue to study whether Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium responsible for Lyme disease, can shift into forms that may influence survival, dissemination, and persistence. These

Do IV Antibiotics Help PTLDS? What the Research Shows Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS) continues to be one of the most debated topics in Lyme disease medicine. Some patients improve after standard treatment, while others continue to experience fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, pain, or neurologic symptoms for months or years. A recent systematic review and network

Borrelia miyamotoi Symptoms: Mild in Some, Severe in Others Symptoms may be mild or missed Flu-like illness is common Severe neurologic disease can occur Risk is higher if immunocompromised Borrelia miyamotoi symptoms can range from mild flu-like illness to severe neurologic disease, depending on the patient’s immune status. According to Cleveland and colleagues, immunocompetent individuals

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

Can Lyme Carditis Require a Pacemaker? Lyme carditis may cause reversible heart block requiring temporary pacing Most cases improve with antibiotic treatment and careful monitoring Early recognition may help avoid unnecessary permanent pacemaker placement Lyme carditis can directly infiltrate the heart and trigger an exaggerated inflammatory response when Borrelia burgdorferi affects cardiac tissue. Lyme carditis

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,

Can Lyme Disease Cause a Stroke? Lyme neuroborreliosis has been linked to rare stroke cases. Neurologic symptoms may mimic other serious conditions. Stroke-like symptoms may warrant further evaluation. 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