Lyme Science Blog

Do Birds Carry Ticks? What Mice and Chipmunks Reveal Birds can carry ticks. Mice can spread infection. Chipmunks may play a bigger role than expected. Birds, mice, and chipmunks can all carry ticks—but they play different roles in spreading Lyme disease. Do Birds Carry Ticks? Yes, birds can carry ticks. In one study, ticks were […]

Can Lyme Disease Cause Brain Inflammation? A Rare Case With MRI Changes Lyme can affect the brain. Inflammation may appear on MRI. Even without a rash or tick bite. Lyme disease can affect the brain and, in rare cases, cause inflammation in the central nervous system. This may lead to symptoms such as brain fog,

Lyme Myocarditis Without Typical Lyme Disease Signs NO RASH OR TICK BITE? CAN LYME MYOCARDITIS BE MISSED? A 37-year-old man developed Lyme myocarditis without a rash, tick bite, or other typical signs of Lyme disease. The patient resided in Germany and had been receiving immunosuppressive treatment for microscopic polyangiitis (MPA). He presented to the emergency

Severity of Lyme disease even without contracting COVID-19 Cases The burden of illness for individuals with a history of Lyme disease can be high Case 1: A 68-year-old woman with a history of a deer tick bite, but no rash or a swollen knee. She is not sure which tests were positive. She had been

Concerns individuals with a history of Lyme disease have with the COVID-19 vaccine. Cases of Lyme Disease and COVID-19 Case 1: A 45-year-old white woman with a partial college education was working as a groundskeeper. She had a history of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, irritable bowel syndrome, and viral meningitis. She had been ill for 37 years.

Clinical presentation of individuals with a history of Lyme-disease-and-covid-19/ Cases of Lyme Disease and COVID-19 Case 1: A 45-year-old white woman with a partial college education was working as a groundskeeper. She had a history of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, irritable bowel syndrome, and viral meningitis. She had been ill for 37 years. There was not a

Are Military Family Members at Risk for Lyme Disease? Lyme disease risk for military families may be higher than previously recognized. A study by Schubert and Melanson examined exposure to the black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis), the primary vector for Lyme disease, among military personnel and their families at West Point, New York. The study, entitled

Diagnosing Lyme arthritis of the hip in children “The clinical presentation of Lyme arthritis (LA) of the hip can be similar to both acute bacterial septic arthritis (SA) and transient synovitis (TS),” explains Cruz and colleagues. ¹ “Differentiating between SA, LA, and TS of the hip can be challenging, even for the most discerning clinician.”

Lyme Disease Mistaken for Dementia: When Confusion Is Reversible Confusion may not be dementia Symptoms can mimic Alzheimer’s Testing may reveal infection Treatment can reverse symptoms Can Lyme disease mimic dementia? Yes. In some cases, confusion, memory loss, and behavioral changes may be due to Lyme neuroborreliosis—not a primary neurodegenerative condition. This case highlights how