Lyme Science Blog

Tick Bite Can Trigger Red Meat Allergy (Alpha-Gal Syndrome) A tick bite can trigger a delayed allergic reaction to red meat known as alpha-gal syndrome. In these case reports, patients developed repeated allergic reactions hours after eating beef, pork, or lamb following tick bites. Key Point: Alpha-gal syndrome is a delayed red meat allergy linked […]

COVID-19: When Lyme disease and tick-borne illnesses may not be considered The woman presented with fever, myalgias, diarrhea, and a dry cough. The authors discuss the risk of premature closure in such cases. “Premature closure refers to forming a conclusion and stopping the diagnostic assessment too early in the diagnostic process, in which case alternative

Congenital Babesia Transmission in Twins When Vertical Transmission Affects Only One Twin Congenital babesia is rare—but this case proves it happens. The patient was born at 36 5/7 weeks by C-section. At five-weeks-old the newborn presented to the emergency department with pallor, increased lethargy and difficulty feeding. The newborn was “more difficult to arouse and

Lyme Disease and Pregnancy: Findings from an 11-Patient Case Series Lyme disease and pregnancy remain areas where clinical evidence is limited but important for maternal and fetal care. A case series of pregnant women with Lyme borreliosis (LB) provides insight into possible outcomes and treatment approaches. The first confirmed case of Lyme borreliosis in pregnancy

Tafenoquine for Relapsing Babesia: A Treatment Option When Standard Therapy Fails For a complete overview of Babesia symptoms, testing, and treatment, visit our Babesia and Lyme disease guide. Tafenoquine Babesia treatment may offer hope for patients who relapse after standard therapy. Patients with relapsing Babesia often present with recurring symptoms such as night sweats, air

Facial Nerve Dysfunction After Lyme Disease Treatment Facial nerve dysfunction after Lyme disease treatment can persist for months and may significantly affect quality of life. In their study, Wormser and colleagues found that 6 of 11 Lyme disease patients (54.5%) experienced ongoing facial nerve dysfunction an average of 13.1 months after treatment began with corticosteroids.

Babesia and Anaplasmosis in a Child with Leukemia Babesia immunocompromised patients face elevated risks — and this case shows why clinicians must consider tick-borne infections even in children undergoing cancer treatment. A 5-year-old with leukemia developed both Babesia and Anaplasmosis after a tick bite. “A 5-year-old male with National Cancer Institute (NCI) standard risk B-cell

Anaplasmosis leading to neurological symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia According to the authors, the woman experienced a “sudden onset of severe, lancinating headache in the distribution of the fifth cranial nerve bilaterally.”¹ She had been treated for Lyme disease two months earlier following a tick bite and a rash on her torso. She had since been

Bilateral Facial Palsy in Children: A Rare Lyme Disease Sign Often Mistaken for Bell’s Palsy Bilateral facial palsy in children is rare but may signal serious systemic disease such as Lyme neuroborreliosis. A 10-year-old boy in southeastern Canada developed paralysis affecting both sides of his face after a summer fever and rash. Facial paralysis caused

Lyme Arthritis in Children: Knee Swelling Without Rash Lyme arthritis in children often appears as knee swelling weeks or months after a tick bite. Because the classic rash of early Lyme disease is frequently absent or unnoticed, diagnosis may be delayed. Guardado and Sergent describe a case illustrating a common diagnostic gap: a 10-year-old girl