Risk of tick bites at outdoor events
A research group in the UK described a novel way to determine the risk of tick bites at an outside event. Researchers asked ≈500 participants in a 2-day mountain marathon in Scotland to check for ticks. [1] Their findings are reported in an Emerging Infectious Diseases article, “Use of Mass-Participation Outdoor Events to Assess Human Exposure to Tickborne Pathogens.”
“Fake news” charges do not give credit to the Lyme disease community
Thousands of professionals have been working earnestly to understand Lyme disease. The Lyme disease professional community should take credit for the following findings.
Don’t count on a relapsing fever to diagnose Borrelia miyamotoi
You might assume a patient infected with Borrelia miyamotoi, a relapsing fever spirochete, to present with a relapsing fever. However, your assumption would be wrong 48 out of 50 times, according to a case series published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. [1] The authors found that only 2 out of 50 patients infected with the relapsing spirochete B. miyamotoi actually presented with a relapsing fever. [1]
American traveler with Lyme disease
Travelers typically prepare to possibly incur infections when visiting other countries. A case study in Travel Medicine Infectious Diseases entitled “American woman with early Lyme borreliosis diagnosed in a Colombian hospital” reminds travelers that they should not overlook an infection they may have contracted from their country of origin. [1]
Borrelia miyamotoi disease can be added to list of traveler’s concerns
B. miyamotoi was first identified in Japan in 1995. Since then Borrelia miyamotoi disease (BMD) has been described in Russia, United States, Europe, and Japan. Now, we can add BMD to their list of travel-associated medical concerns. [1]
Questions linger on the efficacy of the Lyme disease vaccine
A new study examines the efficacy of the Borrelia burgdorferi outer surface protein A (OspA) Lyme disease vaccine in a meta-analysis. [1]
Ever wonder what is happening in the brain of neurologic Lyme disease patients who remain ill after treatment?
A new study, published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation, examined 23 of 77 patients with Lyme
neuroborreliosis who suffered from ongoing illness despite treatment.
Another Lyme Carditis Case
In their case review, Patel et al. demonstrate the involvement of mitral valve involvement and widespread conduction disease in a patient with Lyme carditis. The authors describe a 59-year-old man with 1) severe mitral regurgitation, 2) a dilated left atrium, 3) suspected ischemic disease, and 4) the presence of a combination of first-degree AV block, atrial flutter, and atrial fibrillation. Endocarditis was ruled out with culture. Ischemic disease was ruled out with right and left cardiac catheterization.
Borrelia burgdorferi activates human astrocytes cells in culture
A study by Casselli and colleagues Borrelia burgdorferi activates human astrocytes cells in culture. Astrocytes are cells found in abundance in the central nervous system (CNS) that have been described as “key responders to CNS infection and important components of the blood-brain barrier,” according to Casselli in the Journal PLoS One.
Questions to ask patients about Lyme disease
A growing number of patients are diagnosed with one condition only to find out that Lyme disease played a role. A recent case report on a patient with carditis did not consider Lyme disease in the discussion. An infectious disease specialist summarized the questions that should be asked when evaluating carditis patients for possible Lyme disease involvement.
