Lyme Science Blog

Lyme Disease Eye Symptoms: Vision Problems and Light Sensitivity Lyme disease can affect your vision. Symptoms include light sensitivity and blurred vision. These changes may signal neurologic involvement. Can Lyme disease affect your eyes? Yes. Lyme disease can cause a range of eye symptoms, including light sensitivity, blurred vision, double vision, and difficulty seeing in […]

Persistent Lyme Infection: What the Evidence Shows Symptoms may persist after treatment NIH trials confirmed ongoing illness Antibiotics may not fully resolve symptoms Mechanisms for persistence are documented Persistent Lyme infection remains a central question in patients with chronic symptoms. Multiple studies, including NIH-funded trials, document ongoing illness despite standard antibiotic treatment. These studies validate

Can Babesia Be Fatal? When Delayed Diagnosis Becomes Deadly Can Babesia be fatal if it is not recognized early? Yes. Although many Babesia infections are treatable, delayed diagnosis can allow the parasite to continue multiplying inside red blood cells and lead to life-threatening complications. In severe cases, delayed recognition may contribute to respiratory failure, organ

Lyme carditis diagnosis during a COVID-19 quarantine A 42-year-old man from New York City received a Lyme carditis diagnosis after quarantining in upstate New York during the COVID-19 pandemic. The case is discussed in the article “A curious case of Lyme carditis in an urban hospital,” by Brissett et al. 1 “Lyme carditis was a surprise

Powassan Virus: Symptoms, Transmission, and Neurologic Risks Powassan virus can be transmitted within minutes of tick attachment The infection may cause encephalitis and long-term neurologic complications Powassan virus shares the same deer tick vector as Lyme disease In their article Underrecognized Tickborne Illnesses: Borrelia Miyamotoi and Powassan Virus, Della-Giustina et al. explain what Powassan virus

Can Lyme Disease Trigger an Autoimmune Disease? Can Lyme disease trigger an autoimmune disease? Many patients are given an autoimmune diagnosis after months of unexplained symptoms—but the underlying cause may not be autoimmune at all. Some patients are treated for lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or unexplained inflammatory illness for years before Lyme disease is ever considered.

Can Lyme Disease Trigger Sarcoidosis? Lyme disease may mimic inflammatory disorders. Researchers have explored a possible sarcoidosis connection. Neurologic symptoms may complicate diagnosis. Can Lyme disease trigger sarcoidosis? Researchers have explored whether infections such as Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium associated with Lyme disease, may contribute to inflammatory immune reactions resembling sarcoidosis in selected patients. Although

Tick Bites in Children: Why Risk Is Higher Than You Think Young children account for the most tick bites Many ticks carry multiple infections Prevention strategies are often not enough A study published in April 2021 examined emergency department visits for tick bites across the United States. Investigators analyzed 149,364 visits over a 3-year period,

Powassan Virus Encephalitis: Does It Affect Everyone? Can Powassan virus encephalitis or other neurologic damage affect everyone who becomes infected? The Powassan virus (POWV) can be transmitted in as little as 15 minutes and is spread primarily through the bite of an infected deer tick. There is currently no specific treatment for Powassan virus infection,

How Long Does It Take to Get Lyme Disease After a Tick Bite? A study by Eisen and colleagues addressed a frequently asked question: How long does it take to get Lyme disease after a tick bite? According to their findings, the probability of becoming infected with Borrelia burgdorferi — the bacterium that causes Lyme