Lyme Science Blog

Orbital Myositis From Lyme Disease: Rare Eye Manifestations Orbital myositis can rarely occur with Lyme disease Eye muscle inflammation may cause pain, swelling, or double vision Recognition may improve diagnosis and treatment Orbital myositis is typically caused by systemic disease, such as Graves’ disease, or hematologic disorders like lymphoma, the authors explain. In these cases, […]

Lyme Carditis Symptoms: Heart Block May Be the Only Clue Lyme carditis may occur without typical Lyme symptoms Heart block or bradycardia may be the first clue Early recognition may reduce serious complications Lyme carditis symptoms can sometimes appear without a rash, fever, or remembered tick bite. In some cases, patients present with unexplained heart

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 range from mild flu-like illness to neurologic disease Immunocompromised individuals may face more severe complications Diagnosis and treatment remain challenging in some cases Borrelia miyamotoi symptoms can vary widely. Some individuals develop a mild flu-like illness while others experience neurologic complications requiring hospitalization. Because

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? Stroke is a rare complication of Lyme neuroborreliosis A case report describes ischemic stroke with confusion and aphasia Neurologic symptoms improved after treatment with IV ceftriaxone Can Lyme disease cause a stroke? Although uncommon, Lyme neuroborreliosis has been associated with ischemic stroke in rare case reports. This case describes