Lyme Science Blog

by Daniel J. Cameron, MD MPH The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have been charged with identifying counties endemic for Lyme disease (LD). But how accurate is the information provided to the public? As of 2016, 50% of the counties in the USA have been designated as endemic for the disease. [2] “The […]

by Daniel J. Cameron, MD MPH 1. Growing list of eye problems in Lyme disease Ophthalmic manifestations of tick-borne diseases are increasing. And, “although ocular involvement can be self-limited, delays in diagnosis may result in vision impairment and even blindness,” stated Sathiamoorthi from the Mayo Clinic. 2. Study raises concerns for Babesia patients and blood banks Babesiosis, an

Questing black-legged ticks (I. scapularis) associated with Lyme disease (LD) were collected at several locations on the Outer Banks of North Carolina between 1991 and 2009.  The authors found that in October 1991, Borrelia burgdorferi-infected I. scapularis ticks were detected at 50% of the sites (four of the eight). “The spirochetes were consistently detected in

by Daniel J. Cameron, MD MPH “Knowledge of systemic and ophthalmic manifestations combined with an understanding of the epidemiology of disease vectors is crucial for the diagnosis of tick-borne diseases,” she explains. While manifestations may be present with LD and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ocular involvement is rare in other tick-borne diseases such as babesiosis,

A recent study published in Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases examined the seroprevalence of B. microti infection in individuals who tested positive for Lyme disease (LD). The authors found that nearly 30% (28.6%) of serum samples taken from individuals with LD tested positive for Babesia. However, since the study was retrospective, the authors could not be

by Daniel J. Cameron, MD MPH The case of a 79-year-old man whose symptoms were initially attributed to idiopathic Parkinson’s disease but later found to be due to Lyme meningitis was described by Patel and colleagues in “Atypical Lyme Meningitis with Parkinson Disease-Like Manifestations.” [1] The man’s condition was “fully reversible” with intravenous ceftriaxone.  The

by Daniel J. Cameron, MD MPH In a recent issue of the American Journal of Dermatopathology, Lynch and colleagues report on the case of a 21-year-old man who suffered hair loss following a tick bite to the scalp. [2] The man presented with nonscarring alopecia, a pattern of hair loss similar to alopecia-areata, also known

by Daniel J. Cameron, MD MPH The case report describes an uncommon adverse drug reaction which occurred in a 45-year-old woman who was prescribed antibiotics for Lyme disease and Babesia. Following her diagnosis, the patient received three months of treatment which included doxycycline, minocycline, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. According to the authors, the patient’s “clinical presentation was

Studies have found that patients with Lyme disease (LD) experience “exaggerated responses to pain and non-painful stimuli” despite antibiotic treatment. [1, 2] Lopez-Sola and colleagues describe those same responses in patients with fibromyalgia (FM), a condition associated with widespread musculoskeletal pain and tenderness accompanied by fatigue, cognitive, emotional and sleep-related symptoms. [3] “In addition to

by Daniel J. Cameron, MD MPH The authors take an in-depth look at BYS and how it compares to Lyme disease (LD) found in the United States. Although there are slight differences between the diseases, BYS and LD share similarities on many fronts. [1] “Despite the increasing number of suspect cases, this disease [BYS] is