Lyme Science Blog

Lyme carditis atrial fibrillation represents an unusual initial presentation that can mislead clinicians. A 23-year-old man’s case demonstrates why atrial fibrillation in young patients from endemic areas deserves immediate Lyme disease consideration — even though classic Lyme carditis typically presents with heart block, not supraventricular arrhythmias. By Dr. Daniel Cameron Initial Presentation: Atrial Fibrillation in […]

The Asian longhorned tick has officially arrived in New York — discovered only after biting a human for the first time in the United States. The tick species continues to spread in the U.S. It was first identified on sheep in New Jersey in 2017. Since then, it has spread to 11 states, according to

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

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 not be visible on conventional imaging. Garkowski and

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

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

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 and colleagues describe such a scenario in their

(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

After 37 years treating Lyme disease, I’ve been asked countless times what it takes to be a Lyme literate doctor. The term is often used—sometimes dismissively—yet rarely defined with clinical precision. Baker argues in the American Journal of Medicine that “Lyme disease conforms to the same fundamental rules and principles applicable to other infectious diseases.”