In the article, “Pathogens Manipulating Tick Behavior—Through a Glass, Darkly,” Benelli reviews the literature on tick behavior triggered by infections with Anaplasma, Borrelia, Babesia, Bartonella, Rickettsia, and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV).¹ You might think a deer tick would be worse off if infected. But, not so. It appears that deer ticks are actually more likely […]

If patients are expecting a Lyme disease rash to look like the typical Bull’s-eye lesion they may miss receiving an accurate diagnosis. “The assumption that all EM [rashes] look like the classic target lesion” can lead to diagnostic errors, warns Burlina and colleagues in their article “AI-based detection of erythema migrans and disambiguation against other […]

Today, ticks harbor multiple infectious pathogens that can be transmitted to humans through a tick bite or tainted blood transfusion. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now reports that “a single tick can transmit multiple pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and parasites.” [1] This can result in patients developing what is referred to as […]

While many people associate Lyme disease with manifestations such as Bell’s palsy, the circular Bull’s-eye rash, and flu-like symptoms, Lyme disease can also cause sensory, cognitive, neurologic, and cardiac complications, even in its earliest stage. But, the signs and symptoms of Lyme disease are all too frequently attributed to another medical condition. Objective signs of […]

Lyme disease is an infection caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), a spiral-shaped organism. The bacterium can be transmitted to a person through the bite of an infected Ixodes scapularis tick (a.k.a., the deer tick or black-legged tick). Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria is a type of spirochete that can penetrate virtually any organ or system […]

LYMErix was reportedly effective at preventing a Lyme disease rash. But the Lyme disease vaccine for humans was only 50% effective at preventing other manifestations of Lyme disease, according to the LYMErix package insert. LYMErix was voluntarily removed from the market due to low demand. In a survey of 1,015 adults in the U.S., author […]

So far, research has focused on questing behavior primarily in the laboratory. “Ticks must balance the need to quest for blood meal hosts with the risk of desiccation, all on a fixed energy budget,” writes Thomas from Washington State University. ¹ But Thomas and his team wanted to investigate questing patterns in a natural habitat. […]

Dr. Robert Bransfield, a New Jersey-based psychiatrist who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of tick-borne illnesses, has seen a broad range of sleep disorders in Lyme disease patients treated at his practice. He describes the various sleep disorders in the article “Neuropsychiatric Lyme Borreliosis: An Overview with a Focus on a Specialty Psychiatrist’s Clinical […]

Could Lyme disease in children lead to parental flooding described in a recent paper?  Parents experiencing flooding “are overwhelmed by the intensity and aversive nature of child negative affect,” writes Del Vecchio and colleagues in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology.1 When this occurs, parents “may be less likely to react effectively and instead may […]

The study by researchers in Slovenia looked at the potential effects of Lyme disease on pregnancy outcome. In their article, “Course and Outcome of Erythema Migrans in Pregnant Women,” Maraspin and colleagues describe pregnancy course and outcome for 304 women who were treated with antibiotics for early Lyme disease. All of the women had been […]

Over a 4-year period, investigators examined ticks that Live in the Alps and their transmitted pathogens, along with the altitudinal limit of Ixodes ricinus ticks (which are similar to Ixodes scapularis ticks in the USA) in the Piedmont region of the Alps.ticks live A total of 6492 I. ricinus ticks were collected from the vegetation. […]

Investigators asked clinicians to review 11 cases of Lyme disease to determine if doctors are reluctant to diagnose Lyme disease. They found that only 5 cases contained Lyme disease on their differential diagnosis list, and only 2 cases were coded as Lyme disease, writes Tulloch. The Lyme disease case presentations varied: Classic erythema migrans (EM) […]

According to Hansen and colleagues, Lyme disease was misdiagnosed as shingles but later correctly diagnosed with Lyme disease.  The patient was admitted to the emergency department complaining of epigastric pain that had been ongoing for 4 to 5 weeks. “He described a constant pain with episodic worsening,” writes Hansen. The pain began with a rash […]

Bannwarth syndrome is characterized by painful radiculopathy, neuropathy, varying degrees of motor weakness and facial nerve palsy, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lymphocytic pleocytosis. Five patients presented with peripheral nervous system involvement (primarily axonal in nature), which is consistent with BWS, writes Shah and colleagues.  Three of the cases of neurological lyme disease are discussed below. 61-year-old […]

In a retrospective study, entitled “Secondary dementia due to Lyme neuroborreliosis,” Kristoferitsch and colleagues describe several case reports of patients diagnosed with dementia-like syndromes due to Lyme neuroborreliosis or Lyme disease that help address the question – can lyme disease cause dementia.2 Rapid improvement with antibiotic treatment The authors’ case report featuring a 76-year-old woman […]