Lyme Science Blog

Bell’s Palsy Due to Lyme Disease Misdiagnosed, Patient Bedridden Misdiagnosing Lyme disease as Bell’s palsy can lead to severe neurologic complications if the infection is not treated promptly. This case illustrates how delayed recognition of Lyme neuroborreliosis left a young woman bedridden for months before appropriate treatment was started. Until recently, India has been considered […]

Can Lyme Disease Cause Bone Loss? Researchers have begun exploring whether Lyme disease can affect bone health. Evidence from both case reports and laboratory studies suggests that infection with Borrelia burgdorferi may be associated with bone abnormalities in certain situations. In a 2003 case report, “Bone marrow manifestation of Lyme disease (Lyme Borreliosis),” Kvasnicka and

Does Lyme carditis differ in children vs. adults? The authors analyzed charts of pediatric and adult patients with heart block and a positive Western Blot test for Lyme disease, who were hospitalized at Maine Medical Center. The study included 10 children and 20 adults who were admitted for Lyme carditis between January 2010 and December

Clinical presentation of Lyme disease in patients living in Germany The authors collected data via an online questionnaire from 252 Lyme disease patients and a control group of 267 healthy individuals living in Germany to examine the clinical presentation, including neuropsychiatric and psychological symptoms. The findings revealed that “Lyme disease can cause diverse psychological and

Autopsy finds Lyme disease spirochetes in patient with Lewy body dementia In a recent study entitled “Detecting Borrelia Spirochetes: A Case Study With Validation Among Autopsy Specimens,” researchers describe a woman with Lyme disease who was later diagnosed with Lewy body dementia.² Lyme disease diagnosed at age 54 At age 54, the woman was diagnosed

What Is Borrelia Miyamotoi? Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment Borrelia miyamotoi (B. miyamotoi) is an emerging tick-borne infection transmitted by the same deer ticks that carry Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium responsible for Lyme disease. Although first widely reported in the United States in 2013, evidence suggests the infection may have been circulating for years. So, what

Untreated Babesia Infection: When Positive Tests Go Unmanaged Babesia infection may sometimes go untreated—even when diagnostic tests are positive. In an article by Wormser, a case is described involving a 61-year-old woman who tested positive for Babesia but did not receive treatment. The patient lived in Westchester County, New York, an area highly endemic for

Babesia odocoilei Infection in Humans: Symptoms and Treatment Challenges Babesia odocoilei has been identified in two individuals using PCR testing and DNA sequencing of the 18S rRNA gene, according to Scott and colleagues in the study “Detection of Babesia odocoilei in Humans with Babesiosis Symptoms.” This report provides the first evidence that this Babesia species

Lyme Disease Eye Problems and Vision Changes Lyme disease can affect the eyes and visual system in several ways. In their article, “Contrast Sensitivity Loss in Patients With Posttreatment Lyme Disease,” Rebman and colleagues reported that some Lyme disease patients experience impaired contrast sensitivity.1 Contrast sensitivity refers to the ability to distinguish objects from their

Persistent Lyme Infection: Evidence Lyme Disease Can Persist Research suggests that Lyme disease may persist in some patients despite standard treatment. Multiple studies indicate that Lyme disease can result in a persistent infection, leading to ongoing symptoms that may require additional evaluation and treatment. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) conducted several clinical trials evaluating