The authors examined the incidence of tick bites among military personnel specifically occurring during field training and the rate of complications resulting from the bite. They found that “One out of 17.5 recruits suffered a tick bite during basic training.” [1] “It turns out that there is a rather low but relevant risk of being […]
Study explores the risk of tick bites among German military personnel Read More »
1H-MRS Early Lyme Neuroborreliosis Reveals Hidden Brain Injury The authors conducted a study to determine whether 1H-MRS early Lyme neuroborreliosis could identify neurologic damage in patients when a standard MRI failed to do so. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS) was evaluated as a tool to detect subtle brain changes in early Lyme disease that may
Neurological damage/dysfunction found in early Lyme disease patients Read More »
Lyme disease cardiac problems extend far beyond the classic heart block presentation. A comprehensive literature review documents 19 distinct cardiac manifestations — from sinus arrest to ventricular flutter to cardiac arrest. The first reported case of exercise-inducible heart block demonstrates how physical stress can unmask hidden conduction abnormalities in Lyme carditis patients. By Dr. Daniel
Growing list of cardiac problems in Lyme disease Read More »
There has been an “unprecedented increase in locally acquired cases in New York City,” writes VanAcker in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. [2] In response, VanAcker and colleagues launched a study to determine tick densities and B. burgdorferi infection prevalence in nymphal deer ticks (I. scapularis) in New York City’s public parks. They also examined
Infected deer ticks moving into New York City Read More »
Anchoring Bias Lyme Disease: When Diagnosis Goes Wrong Anchoring bias Lyme disease errors can occur when clinicians fixate on an initial diagnosis and fail to adequately adjust their thinking as new information emerges. Conversely, this same cognitive bias may also occur when Lyme disease is incorrectly diagnosed and the true underlying illness is missed. Aguirre
Getting the diagnosis correct and avoiding ‘anchor bias’ Read More »
The New York Times article, written by Apoorva Mandavilli, the mother of a 9-year-old boy who developed Lyme disease, portrays it as a relatively insignificant disease. It is, as she states, “An easily treated infection with no long-term consequences for children, or even the vast majority of adults.” However, she goes on to cite several
Article outrage: Lyme disease easily treated? Read More »
(Updated: 6/24/19) In the Prevention article, doctors describe how Lyme disease can impact a person’s vocal cords. “Lyme can affect the nerves that are responsible for controlling the muscles in the vocal cords,” says Amesh A. Adalja, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “As a result, someone could technically lose their
Should Lyme disease be added to the causes of vocal cord paralysis? Read More »
Lyme Literate Doctor: What Does It Really Take? So, what does it take to be a Lyme literate doctor? The term is often used—sometimes dismissively—yet rarely defined with clinical precision. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} argues that “Lyme disease conforms to the same fundamental rules and principles applicable to other infectious diseases.” However, Baker does not define what it
Lyme Literate Doctor: What Does It Really Take? Read More »
Bourbon virus is a rare but deadly tick-borne illness with no approved treatment—until now. In 2017, a 58-year-old woman from Missouri, who initially presented with generalized weakness, myalgia, nausea, and a rash, was diagnosed with the virus. She had been exposed to ticks one week earlier. She died after 23 days in the hospital. What
Bourbon Virus: Potential Treatment Discovered Read More »
Powassan virus in Maine is a growing concern. While the Powassan virus is considered rare, it can be dangerous and is fatal in 10% of the cases. In 2013, a Maine woman died from the disease and as of 2017, 10 residents had been infected. An increase in cases of Powassan virus is particularly alarming,
Prevalence of Borrelia infections and Powassan virus in Maine Read More »
