Are lone star ticks in your neighborhood?
Have you ever wondered what types of ticks are in your neighborhood? Researchers asked the public to submit ticks they encountered over an 11-year period. Surprisingly, they discovered that the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) actually outnumbered the black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis), which is known for transmitting Lyme disease.
Autonomic dysfunction, small fiber neuropathy and Lyme disease
A new study published in PLoS ONE by Novak and colleagues suggests that small fiber neuropathy (SFN) may be a viable biomarker of post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS), particularly for patients whose main symptoms involve sensory issues.
Northern ‘immigrant’ ticks causing concern in the South
Researchers have suggested that in the United States, northern I. scapularis ticks behave differently from their southern counterparts. In a 2015 pilot study, Arsnoe and colleagues reported that Wisconsin nymphal ticks were 12 times more likely to quest above leaf litter than nymphal ticks from North and South Carolina. [1]
Failure rates still too high for treatment of Lyme disease
In a recent study, Wormser and colleagues reviewed the cases of 24 adult patients with erythema migrans, who received a 14-day course of amoxicillin, 500 mg 3 times daily to determine the treatment efficacy and safety. The authors concluded that this single course of antibiotics was “highly effective” for treating early Lyme disease. Unfortunately, the failure rates are still too high.
Lyme-like syndrome in Brazil is still a problem
Researchers in Brazil have identified that the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi s.s. is the pathogen responsible for causing what has been termed the Brazilian Lyme-like syndrome or Baggio Yoshinari Syndrome (BYS). Symptoms of the illness are similar to those seen in Lyme disease.
Acute transverse myelitis in a 25-year-old man with Lyme disease
Many patients with Lyme disease suffer from motor, sensory and autonomic issues. There have been numerous reports in the literature. [1-4] But only seldom is acute transverse myelitis (ATM), a serious neurological syndrome, associated with Lyme disease.
USA veterans suffer from tick-borne illnesses
Researchers describe 181 veterans with Lyme disease from Long Island, New York in an article published in the journal Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases. [1] The authors reviewed the electronic records of veterans treated between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2016 at the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Tourists visiting the United States contract Babesia, leaving one dead
Two South Korean women contracted the tick-borne disease Babesia microti (B. microti) while traveling to the United States. One of them had visited New Jersey, while the other had traveled to Boston. Both women were diagnosed upon their return to South Korea.
Lyme disease manifesting as acute transverse myelitis
Acute transverse myelitis (ATM) is a neurologic disorder caused by inflammation of the spinal cord. This inflammation can damage or destroy the fatty substance (myelin) protecting the nerve cell fibers along the spine and disrupt the communication between the nerves in the spinal cord and the rest of the body.
Blood smear not reliable in diagnosing Borrelia miyamotoi disease
Borrelia miyamotoi disease (BMD) is another tick-borne pathogen that can be difficult to diagnose with serologic tests. BMD is a spiral-shaped bacteria that is closely related to the bacteria that causes tick-borne relapsing fever.
