Lyme Science Blog

What Percentage of Ticks Have Lyme Disease? (How Many Ticks Carry Lyme Disease) In highly endemic regions of the northeastern United States, studies have found that roughly 25–60% of deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis) may carry Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Infection rates vary by region, tick species, and life stage. As the […]

Lyme Carditis Guidelines: Which Lyme Disease Guidelines Should Clinicians Follow? In their article Lyme Carditis: A Rare Presentation of Sinus Bradycardia Without Any Conduction Defects, Grella and colleagues present “a unique case of Lyme carditis, without the classical findings of Lyme disease [such as a rash] or common EKG findings of AV conduction abnormalities.”1 The

Conversion Disorder, Guillain-Barré Syndrome, or Neurologic Lyme Disease? Neurologic symptoms that worsen despite psychiatric treatment rarely prompt infectious disease testing—even when a patient presents with progressive paralysis and urinary incontinence. Neurologic Lyme disease can mimic several conditions—including autoimmune disorders, psychiatric illness, and peripheral neuropathies—making diagnosis particularly challenging in atypical cases. Teodoro and colleagues describe a

Two children who contracted Babesia from their mothers. Two Children Who Contracted Babesia From Their Mothers From the Archives (2020) This article reflects clinical discussion of pediatric Babesia cases at a time when maternal–fetal transmission was rarely considered outside of published case reports. Two pediatric cases raised concern for possible maternal–fetal transmission of Babesia. These

Lyme Disease in England: Debate Over Chronic Symptoms Lyme disease is increasingly recognized across the United Kingdom, including England and Wales. However, debate continues among researchers regarding the frequency of persistent symptoms following infection. According to reporting in the BMJ, neurologic Lyme disease in England represents a late complication that occurs in approximately one in

Babesia exchange transfusion is a life-saving procedure reserved for the most severe cases of babesiosis. When parasite levels rise dangerously high, removing infected red blood cells can rapidly reduce the parasite burden and stabilize critically ill patients. In their article, “Repeat exchange transfusion for treatment of severe babesiosis,” Radcliffe and colleagues describe the case of

Long-term antibiotics for Lyme disease remain one of the most debated issues in Lyme disease treatment. While treatment guidelines often recommend relatively short courses of antibiotics, many physicians report extending therapy when patients continue to experience symptoms. A nationwide survey suggests that long-term antibiotics for Lyme disease may be more common in clinical practice than

Post-Infectious Syndromes After Tick-Borne Illness Some patients continue to experience symptoms long after a tick-borne infection has been treated or the acute illness has resolved. These lingering health problems are often described as post-infectious syndromes. Post-infectious illness is recognized after many infections. In the case of tick-borne diseases, similar patterns have been reported following Lyme

Fatal Neuroborreliosis Case: When Lyme Disease Affects the Brain A fatal neuroborreliosis case illustrates how Lyme disease affecting the central nervous system can become life-threatening, particularly when complicated by other serious medical conditions. Lyme neuroborreliosis typically presents with headaches and symptoms of meningitis, encephalopathy, or stroke-like neurological findings. Diagnosis is based on clinical symptoms combined