Lyme Science Blog

Should Lyme Disease Be Added to the Causes of Vocal Cord Paralysis? Lyme disease vocal cord paralysis is an uncommon but clinically important presentation. Neurologic Lyme disease can affect the nerves controlling the vocal cords, leading to hoarseness, voice changes, or even loss of voice in some patients. In the Prevention article, doctors describe how

Lyme Literate Doctor: What Does It Really Take? What is a Lyme literate doctor? After 37 years treating Lyme disease, I’ve been asked this question countless times. 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 principles as

Bourbon Virus Treatment: Potential Therapy Discovered Bourbon virus treatment has long been unavailable, as this rare tick-borne illness has no approved therapies. However, new research suggests that an existing antiviral drug may offer a potential path forward. In 2017, a 58-year-old woman from Missouri presented with generalized weakness, myalgia, nausea, and a rash after tick

Powassan Virus in Maine: Prevalence and Tick-Borne Infection Risk Powassan virus in Maine is a growing concern. Although rare, the virus can be severe, with a fatality rate of approximately 10%. In 2013, a Maine woman died from the disease, and by 2017, 10 residents had been infected. An increase in cases of Powassan virus

Fatal Lyme Carditis: When Negative Tests Lead to Missed Diagnosis Fatal Lyme carditis can occur when Lyme disease is missed or diagnosis is delayed. In this case, a 17-year-old from New York died after weeks of flu-like symptoms—despite multiple medical evaluations and negative initial testing. In the summer of 2013, a young man from Poughkeepsie,

Powassan Virus Polio-Like Illness: First Case Report Powassan virus polio-like illness is rare but serious, as this case report demonstrates. While vacationing in rural Newfoundland, a man developed nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, double vision (diplopia), and impaired coordination (ataxia). He was admitted to a hospital where his symptoms worsened. The man became febrile and experienced

What Blood Type Do Ticks Prefer? What blood type do ticks prefer? A pilot study explored whether ticks are more attracted to certain human blood groups—and the findings may surprise you. To investigate this question, Žákovská and colleagues from Masaryk University in the Czech Republic conducted an in vitro study using blood samples placed on

Borrelia Persistence: The “Third Rail” of Lyme Disease Borrelia persistence remains one of the most debated and controversial questions in Lyme disease. A growing number of researchers are now examining whether the bacteria can remain active after standard antibiotic treatment in patients who continue to experience symptoms. The working group, led by Dr. John Aucott

When Children Are Told They Don’t Have Lyme Disease: Medically Unexplained Symptoms When children are told they don’t have Lyme disease, their symptoms are often labeled as medically unexplained. This can leave families without clear answers while symptoms persist. From the Archives (2019) This article reflects clinical observations from a period when families of children