Lyme Science Blog

Somatic Symptoms vs Depression in Lyme Disease Depression scores in Lyme disease patients may reflect physical symptoms rather than a primary mood disorder. A one-year prospective study followed 52 adult Lyme disease patients presenting with erythema migrans (EM). Participants reported symptoms including fatigue, headaches, joint pain, muscle pain, and cognitive complaints. Patients with more severe […]

Lyme Endocarditis Causing Mitral Valve Disease In March 2017, a 68-year-old man was admitted to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, with symptoms suggestive of advanced heart failure. “He had a chronic cough and progressive dyspnea, which were consistent with New York Heart Association class IV symptoms of heart failure,” writes Fatima. “He also had

Lyme Disease Without Rash: Why Symptoms Are Often Missed Lyme disease without a rash is more common than many patients and clinicians expect. When erythema migrans is absent or unrecognized, early symptoms may be overlooked—leading to missed or delayed diagnosis. Early Lyme disease often presents with nonspecific symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, mild cognitive changes,

Lyme Carditis Causing Complete Heart Block After Travel to Mexico Lyme carditis can cause life-threatening heart block—even without a rash or known tick bite. A previously healthy woman presented with sudden-onset dyspnea and chest pain. Four days earlier, she experienced a syncopal episode. Electrocardiogram (EKG) revealed a third-degree atrioventricular (AV) heart block. The patient, a

Elderly Lyme Disease Patients More Likely to Have Unfavorable Treatment Outcomes Older Lyme disease patients may have slower recovery and a higher risk of incomplete treatment response. The authors reviewed 1,220 patients across age groups, comparing disease course and long-term outcomes. The study included 224 elderly patients treated at the University Medical Center Ljubljana in

Do Lyme Disease Prevention Methods Really Work? What the Evidence Shows Do Lyme disease prevention methods actually work? Tick checks, repellents, and protective clothing are widely recommended—but the evidence supporting them is more limited and inconsistent than many expect. For a broader overview of prevention strategies, see Lyme disease prevention: what works and what doesn’t.

Top 10 Lyme Disease Blogs of 2018 From missed diagnoses to persistent symptoms, these were the most-read Lyme disease blogs of 2018. These posts highlight the clinical challenges, diagnostic pitfalls, and real-world experiences that continue to shape Lyme disease care. Lyme disease misdiagnosed as shingles Case report: A patient initially diagnosed with shingles was ultimately

Lyme Disease Challenges the “One Microbe, One Disease” Model Lyme disease often involves multiple microbes—not just a single infection. The traditional “one microbe, one disease” model does not fully explain the complexity of tick-borne illnesses. With the recognition of tick-borne co-infections, Lyme disease is increasingly understood as a polymicrobial condition. Evidence for Multiple Infections Co-infections

Is Lyme Disease Being Missed in Canada? Are cases being undercounted? Is testing missing diagnoses? Lyme disease in Canada may be under-detected. What if Lyme disease cases are far higher than reported? In Canada, many cases may go unrecognized due to missed diagnoses and limitations in testing. Researchers estimate that under-detection of Lyme disease in

Over 20% of Lyme Disease Patients Remain Ill After Treatment A significant number of Lyme disease patients continue to experience symptoms despite standard antibiotic treatment. Researchers analyzed 9,657 Lyme disease cases using electronic health records from a large health system in Pennsylvania. The goal was to estimate how many patients developed persistent symptoms following treatment.