Lyme Science Blog

Five Cases of Lyme Carditis in Canada: Multiple Hospital Visits to Diagnose Lyme carditis diagnosis delay can lead to repeated emergency visits, worsening heart block, and avoidable pacing procedures. Lyme carditis with heart block can present with nonspecific symptoms and be difficult to diagnose. But early recognition matters. “Recognizing this early would curtail the progression […]

Can Different Lyme Strains Cause Reinfection? Reinfection with a different strain of Borrelia burgdorferi may increase infectivity and raise the possibility of superinfection. New research in mice suggests that not all Lyme exposures behave the same—especially when different strains are involved. What Happens With Reinfection? In a study by Bhatia and colleagues, researchers examined how

Persistent Lyme Symptoms: Patients Pay a High Price in Quality of Life Patients with persistent Lyme symptoms experience significantly reduced quality of life—even after standard antibiotic treatment. A Netherlands study highlights the burden faced by these patients and raises important questions about treatment limitations. Quality of Life Was Severely Impaired Before treatment, patients reported poor

Lyme Endocarditis: A Rare but Serious Cardiac Manifestation Lyme disease can affect the heart in ways beyond conduction abnormalities, including rare cases of endocarditis involving heart valves. This case highlights how Lyme infection can mimic more common cardiac conditions—and why it should be considered in the differential diagnosis. A Severe Valve Presentation A 68-year-old man

Lyme Disease Is Widespread in the New York City Metro Area Lyme disease is not confined to rural areas—Borrelia burgdorferi is widespread throughout the New York City metropolitan region. This has important implications for both clinicians and patients who may underestimate risk based on location alone. Evidence of Widespread Infection According to Herrin and colleagues,

Kentucky Deer Ticks Expanding: Over 50% of Counties Affected Deer ticks capable of transmitting Lyme disease are now established in more than half of Kentucky counties, signaling an expanding geographic risk. This shift has important implications for clinicians and patients in regions not traditionally considered high-risk. Widespread Tick Distribution Researchers collected ticks from 794 hunter-harvested

Blacklegged Tick “Hot Spots” Emerging in Northern Canada Blacklegged ticks are appearing in unexpected regions of Canada, creating new “hot spots” of Lyme disease risk—even in areas previously considered unsuitable. This shift highlights the evolving geographic footprint of tick-borne disease. Unexpected Tick Hot Spots Identified Ticks were collected through a surveillance program involving veterinary clinics

Lyme Disease in the Elderly: Often Overlooked Lyme disease may be more common in older adults than previously recognized, yet it is often overlooked or misattributed to aging or other conditions. This has important implications for diagnosis and management in this population. Study Findings in Older Adults In a Netherlands study of 1,454 patients referred

Asymptomatic Babesia: Hidden Infections in Healthy Individuals Asymptomatic Babesia infections may be far more common than realized. The number of individuals in the US who are unaware they are infected with Babesia could be significant. At least 300,000 people are diagnosed with Lyme disease every year in the US. Up to 40% of those with