High prevalence of Babesia microti in Suffolk County, New York
Five tick-borne pathogens were recently identified in New York and Connecticut using a multiplex real-time reverse transcription-PCR assay. The assay was able to simultaneously detect and differentiate Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia miyamotoi, Babesia microti, and the Powassan virus in I. scapularis (black-legged) ticks.
Could ketamine help manage pain in patients with post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome?
Lyme disease patients oftentimes suffer from ongoing illness following treatment. A study by Bechtold and colleagues found that 31% of patients remained in significant pain for months after a three-week course of doxycycline to treat an EM rash. [1] Six percent of their patients developed post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS). Now, a new case report examines the effectiveness of intravenous ketamine on managing pain in a patient with post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome.
Doctors agree Lyme disease patients at-risk for suicide are under-recognized group
There are many documented cases of patients with Lyme disease suffering from suicidal or homicidal tendencies. In the journal Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, psychiatrist Robert Bransfield, MD, expresses his concern for this under-recognized patient population. “Suicidal and homicidal tendencies after Lyme disease are clearly an ignored problem that deserves greater attention.” [1]
Confirmation of Borrelia burgdorferi in South America
Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bb s.l.), the causative agent of Lyme disease, was first reported in 2013 in Ixodes aragaoi ticks in Uruguayan Pampa and has since been found in Argentina and Chile. Now, a new study reports the results of a state surveillance program investigating the presence of Bb in Ixodes spp ticks in Brazilian Pampa.
Chronic Lyme disease: Doctors seek answers
In a 2017 issue of the American Journal of Medicine [1], Dr. Rosalie Greenberg from Overlook Hospital in Summit, New Jersey, responds to an article published by Drs. Shapiro, Baker and Wormser entitled “False and Misleading Information about Lyme Disease.” [2]
Children in the Netherlands remain ill with post-treatment Lyme borreliosis syndrome
Twelve out of 28 children with Lyme disease evaluated at an academic medical center in the Netherlands remained ill with post-treatment Lyme borreliosis syndrome (PTLBS). These 12 children presented with various complaints, including fatigue, general malaise and pain. There were no other medical explanations for their complaints and all were positive for Borrelia burgdorferi sl based on two-tier testing of C6-Lyme enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and IgG/IgM immunoblots. [1]
Transfusion-transmitted babesiosis popping up in more States in USA
Babesia, a severe, potentially life threatening illness, has been identified in as many as 40% of individuals with Lyme disease in the North Eastern USA. The clinical spectrum now includes what has been described as “asymptomatic.” This is particularly concerning given that the infection can be acquired not only through a tick bite but through blood transfusions.
Could autonomic dysfunction lead to pain in Lyme disease?
In his review of autonomic dysfunction due to infectious diseases, Artal from the Neurology Department at Raigmore Hospital in the UK, writes, “Complex regional pain syndromes [CRPS] and reflex sympathetic dystrophy with regional sympathetic hyperactivity have also been reported in some patients with Lyme disease.” [1] CRPS is characterized by considerable pain (allodynia, hyperalgesia), edema, trophic changes of the skin and muscles and sudomotor disorders.
Suicidal behaviors in patients with Lyme and associated diseases
Doctors have for many years recognized neuropsychiatric complications of Lyme disease with more than 340 journal articles addressing an association between psychiatric symptoms and Lyme and associated diseases. This study is, however, the first comprehensive assessment of suicidality, specifically, in patients with tick-borne illnesses.
Study looks at uveitis due to Lyme disease
Uveitis, or inflammatory eye disease that produces swelling and destroys tissue, remains an uncommon but serious complication of Lyme disease. In the British Medical Journal, Bernard and colleagues from Croix Rousse University Hospital, Lyon, France, describe seven cases of Lyme-associated uveitis. [1]
