Which Ticks Are Most Likely to Transmit Disease to Humans? Not all ticks pose the same risk to humans. Researchers have identified specific biological traits that make certain tick species more likely to transmit infections, offering insight into how Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses spread. “Our model predicted vector status with over 91% accuracy,” […]
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Can Lyme Disease Trigger Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms? Obsessive compulsive symptoms have been reported in some patients with Lyme disease, raising questions about whether infection or immune activation could contribute to psychiatric symptoms. Obsessive compulsive symptoms in Lyme disease may reflect neurologic involvement, immune activation, or the psychological burden of chronic illness. The CDC notes that
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More Than 50% of Mice in Kentucky Infected with Lyme Bacteria Lyme disease risk may be higher in some regions than previously recognized. A study in Kentucky found that a substantial proportion of small mammals carry the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease. In their study, Buchholz and colleagues from Western Kentucky University found that more
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Lyme Myocarditis: Another Cardiac Manifestation of Lyme Disease Lyme disease can affect the heart in ways that are sometimes unexpected. In one reported case, a patient presented with conduction abnormalities and reduced cardiac function consistent with Lyme myocarditis. A 30-year-old man presented to the emergency department with “a pulse of 53/min and annular macular rash
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When Lyme Disease Mimics a Heart Attack: Lyme Myocarditis Chest pain from Lyme disease can closely resemble a heart attack. In some cases, patients present with elevated cardiac biomarkers and EKG changes indistinguishable from acute coronary syndrome—until further evaluation reveals a different cause. By Dr. Daniel Cameron Presentation Mimicking Myocardial Infarction According to the authors,
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What Are the Symptoms of Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome? Patients with post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS) often have normal lab tests and physical exams—yet their symptoms are real, measurable, and clinically significant. A Johns Hopkins study identified 19 symptoms that help define this often-dismissed condition. Why Standard Tests Often Miss PTLDS In their article published
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How Long Do PTLDS Symptoms Last? Some patients recover quickly after Lyme disease treatment. Others continue to experience fatigue, cognitive slowing, joint pain, dizziness, or sleep disruption long after antibiotics are completed. Persistent Lyme disease symptoms describe this ongoing clinical phase following infection. In medical research, this pattern is often categorized as Post-Treatment Lyme Disease
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Rare Skin Manifestation of Lyme Disease in a Child A 6-year-old girl developed an unusual skin presentation of Lyme disease—highlighting how early infection can be missed when symptoms fall outside typical patterns. The child initially presented with an erythema migrans (EM) rash, followed weeks later by an areolar lymphocytoma involving her breast. She had recently
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Study Shows Doctors Can Misdiagnose Lyme Disease in Children Pediatric Lyme misdiagnosis remains a challenge, particularly in emergency departments where clinicians must make decisions before classic signs or positive tests appear. The CDC notes that Lyme disease can present with a wide range of symptoms, which can make early diagnosis difficult—especially in children. Emergency Department
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Single Dose Doxycycline for Lyme Disease: A Case With Poor Outcome A 61-year-old man developed severe neurologic Lyme disease after receiving only a single dose of doxycycline—highlighting the risks of undertreatment in early infection. In the January 2018 issue of the British Medical Journal, Ebner and colleagues describe a patient who presented with severe shooting
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