Lyme Science Blog

Italy. Google Search Trends on Lyme disease. 2011 – 2015. In 2015, Lyme disease stole the spotlight. Quite possibly, like never before. The disease made international headlines throughout the year, grabbing the attention of individuals around the world, as big-name celebrities and high-profile executives went public and opened up about their struggles with a disease that has been stuck […]

by Daniel J. Cameron, MD, MPH The risk of becoming infected with Babesia is rising. It’s common to find ticks and enzootic hosts carrying both Borrelia burgdorferi (the causative agent of Lyme disease) and Babesia microti. In fact, between 12% and 42% of rodents are co-infected with both agents. Up to 40% of patients with

by Daniel J. Cameron, MD, MPH The survey’s data should not come as a surprise. Twelve years ago, in 2004, while testifying before the Connecticut Public Health Department, the state’s chief epidemiologist Dr. James Hadler warned officials that “… roughly 1% of the entire population, or probably 34,000 people, are getting a diagnosis of Lyme disease

by Daniel J. Cameron, MD, MPH It has been 25 years since chronic neurologic Lyme disease (CNL) was first described in a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine. [1] The study’s investigators included Dr. Alan Steere, the physician credited with discovering Lyme disease in 1977. In describing chronic neurologic Lyme disease (LD),

by Daniel J. Cameron, MD, MPH As the year comes to a close, we look back at some of the top news stories for 2015. 1. Steven A. Cohen’s Foundation Donates $6.5M to Lyme Disease “I was shocked to learn how many people suffer from Lyme disease in silence, and how much we still need

Scientists are increasingly focusing their attention on identifying tick-borne pathogens present in the Southeastern United States. In 2015, Lantos and colleagues released a paper which reviewed the geographic expansion of Lyme disease in the Southeast over the past 14 years. They found “a marked increase in Lyme disease cases in Virginia, particularly from 2007 onwards

by Daniel J. Cameron, MD, MPH “We need more national and international debates on Lyme disease, complemented by a solid research agenda and a focus on cutting edge biological technologies,” writes Borgermans and colleagues. “The medical community has been collectively forced out of its comfort zone on Lyme disease by increasing evidence of the complexity

by Daniel J. Cameron, MD MPH In an article entitled “New-onset Panic, Depression with Suicidal Thoughts and Somatic Symptoms in a Patient with a History of Lyme Disease,” researchers highlight the complexity of evaluating and treating a patient with a history of suspected Lyme disease who presented with neuropsychiatric symptoms. [1] The authors, Amir Garakani

Although much attention has been focused on the dangers blacklegged ticks pose in the Northeast in transmitting Lyme disease, there are multiple tick species in the South that carry a host of diseases travelers should be aware of. The number of tick-borne cases has been steadily rising in the South and tick populations have been