Lyme Science Blog

Is Lyme Disease Spreading in Europe? Climate Change, Diagnosis, and Risk Lyme disease where it wasn’t expected? Cases appearing outside known regions? The spread of Lyme disease may be changing. Is Lyme disease increasing in Europe? Research suggests that Lyme disease may be expanding into new regions, including areas where it has historically been considered […]

Can Anaplasmosis Cause Dangerous Heart Problems? IRREGULAR HEARTBEAT? WHEN ANAPLASMOSIS AFFECTS THE HEART Anaplasmosis heart problems can include myopericarditis, atrial fibrillation, and conduction abnormalities—even without co-infection with Lyme disease. In their article, “Case report: human granulocytic anaplasmosis causes acute myopericarditis with atrial fibrillation,” Levy and colleagues describe the case of a 65-year-old man who presented

Can Lyme Disease Cause Speech Problems or Slurred Speech? Speech problems in Lyme disease may reflect neurologic dysfunction Patients may struggle with word finding, fluency, or slurred speech Cognitive slowing and neuroinflammation may contribute to symptoms Speech problems in Lyme disease may include slurred speech, word-finding difficulty, slowed verbal processing, stuttering, or trouble expressing thoughts

Black Children More Likely to Be Diagnosed Later With Lyme Disease Studies suggest that Black children may be more likely to receive a later diagnosis of Lyme disease compared with white children. Delayed recognition of early Lyme disease may contribute to higher rates of disseminated infection at the time of diagnosis. One study found that

What Does an Erythema Migrans (EM) Rash Look Like? Not Always a Bull’s-Eye DOES A LYME RASH HAVE TO BE A BULL’S-EYE? MOST DON’T. THAT’S WHY THEY’RE MISSED. An erythema migrans (EM) rash is the most common early sign of Lyme disease—but it does not always look like a bull’s-eye. An erythema migrans rash is

Lyme Disease and Pregnancy: Risks, Symptoms, and What to Do Lyme disease during pregnancy raises questions. Symptoms can be subtle or missed. And the risks are still being studied. Lyme disease pregnancy is an area of ongoing research, with important questions about risks to both mother and child. In one large international survey, participants with

How common is Lyme carditis in patients referred for pacemaker implantation? In the study “Prevalence of Lyme Carditis in Patients with Atrioventricular Blocks,” Kaczmarek and colleagues aim to identify patients in whom Lyme carditis (LC) should be considered as the underlying cause of AV conduction disturbances.¹ Investigators examined 130 patients with AVB who had been

Chronic Babesia: Why Some Infections Relapse Despite Treatment Chronic Babesia may persist despite treatment Immunocompromised patients face higher relapse risk Persistent parasitemia may require prolonged therapy Chronic Babesia can be difficult to eradicate in some patients, particularly those who are immunocompromised or have underlying hematologic disorders. While many individuals improve with standard therapy, others experience

Top Lyme Disease Blogs of 2022 These top Lyme disease blogs of 2022 were the most popular articles for readers during the year. The list highlights important clinical insights about Lyme disease, Babesia, Borrelia miyamotoi, anaplasmosis, and other tick-borne illnesses. Click on the headline to read the full blog. Top Lyme Disease Blogs of 2022

Can Lyme Disease Affect the Thyroid? What to Know About Thyroiditis Can Lyme disease affect the thyroid? In rare cases, infection with Borrelia burgdorferi has been associated with autoimmune thyroiditis—raising important questions about how infection may influence immune function. Lyme disease thyroiditis may occasionally occur when infection triggers inflammation affecting multiple systems. In the article