Lyme Science Blog

Low Awareness of Lyme Disease in Canada, Survey Finds Awareness of Lyme disease in Canada remains surprisingly low, even among people who spend large amounts of time outdoors. Researchers surveyed 137 participants from 11 professional and recreational organizations across New Brunswick between December 2018 and February 2019 to better understand knowledge of Lyme disease in […]

What Is a Lyme Literate Doctor (LLMD)? What is a Lyme literate doctor (LLMD)—and why do so many patients search for one? Many people turn to this term when symptoms don’t fit a single diagnosis or standard testing hasn’t provided answers. Many patients searching for a Lyme literate doctor (LLMD) are looking for a physician

Do Antibiotics Work for Lyme Disease? They work well early in infection Results vary in persistent symptoms Some patients improve—others do not Do antibiotics work for Lyme disease? Yes—antibiotics work well in early Lyme disease, but results are more variable in patients with persistent or non-specific symptoms. Studies show that some patients improve with treatment,

Flaws in Lyme Disease Clinical Trials: ALDF Article Critiqued Debate continues over whether persistent symptoms after Lyme disease treatment may reflect ongoing infection. An article from the American Lyme Disease Foundation (ALDF) argues that clinical trials show no evidence of persistent infection, but important limitations of those trials are often overlooked. Dr. Phillip Baker, former

Does Suppressing the Immune System Worsen Lyme Disease? On immune-suppressing medication? New or worsening Lyme symptoms? Immune suppression may change outcomes. What happens when Lyme disease develops in someone whose immune system is suppressed? Patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy may face a different clinical course, including a higher risk of complications or treatment failure. A key

Are Lyme Disease Symptoms Misdiagnosed as Psychosomatic? Lyme disease symptoms are sometimes dismissed as psychosomatic when laboratory tests are inconclusive. But according to psychiatrist Robert Bransfield, MD, this labeling reflects deeper problems in how clinicians diagnose complex multisystem illnesses. Lyme disease is sometimes misdiagnosed when symptoms are complex, fluctuate over time, or involve both neurologic

Is Lyme Disease Overlooked in Infectious Disease Consultations? In their article “Functional signs in patients consulting for presumed Lyme borreliosis,” Voitey et al. [1] examined patients referred to infectious disease specialists for suspected Lyme disease. Patients referred for infectious disease consultations often present with complex symptoms. When diagnostic criteria rely heavily on laboratory testing, some

What Percentage of Ticks Have Lyme Disease? “What are the chances this tick carried Lyme disease?” This is one of the most common questions after a tick bite. Quick Answer: In highly endemic regions of the northeastern United States, approximately 25–60% of deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis) may carry Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme

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