A small study examined the risk of developing disseminated Lyme disease for people with weakened immune systems. Researchers enrolled 7 patients with an EM (erythema migrans) rash who were diagnosed with Lyme disease. In these 7 patients, signs of disseminated LB (43%) and the isolation rates of borreliae from blood before antibiotic treatment (40%) were […]

Study findings suggest that current Lyme disease treatment may not eliminate the Borrelia burgdorferi infection or the immune system may fail to clear the infection or bacterial debris, resulting in ongoing symptoms. In the past few years, several new treatments for Lyme disease have been investigated in the laboratory or made available to patients in […]

Central sensitization syndrome (CSS) involves changes in the central nervous system, particularly the brain and spinal cord. This syndrome “is thought to involve hyperactivation of central neurons, leading to various synaptic and neurotransmitter/neuromodulator changes,” writes Batheja. There are several potential causes of central sensitization, which include: • Genetic factors • Increase in neurotransmitters that facilitate […]

Although researchers have gained a better understanding of atrial fibrillation, also called AFib or AF, many of the causes and risk factors are still unknown. Now, for the first time, a study examines the prevalence of atrial fibrillation in Lyme disease patients. “It is hypothesized that in some cases the AF [atrial fibrillation] might be […]

Researchers identified azlocillin after screening nearly 8,000 drug compounds. They found that in the test tube and in mice, azlocillin was effective against drug-tolerant Borrelia burgdorferi s.s., the pathogen causing Lyme disease. But will late stage Lyme disease treatment soon include azlocillin, an FDA-approved drug that is often used to treat infections such as Pseudomonas […]

Previous studies in Florida revealed two distinct groups of Babesia microti which were dependent on host species (i.e. cotton rats and raccoons). Investigators in the current study looked for the presence of Babesia species in small and medium-sized mammals in East Texas. A total of 480 wild mammals were trapped, sampled, and screened. Using molecular analysis, they identified […]

The Tortoise and the Hare fable tells the story of a race between a tortoise (a creature that moves very slowly) and a hare (a creature that can run very fast). The hare is very confident of winning, so it stops during the race and falls asleep. The tortoise continues to move very slowly but […]

“Recently, sporadic cases of human babesiosis caused by several species of Babesia have been reported in other countries,” write the authors of “Imported Human Babesiosis, Singapore, 2018.” [1] These imported Babesia microti cases include: Babesia microti (Germany, Australia, South Korea) Babesia microti-like (Japan, Taiwan, China) Babesia duncani (United States, Canada) Babesia divergens (Europe) Babesia venatorum […]

In their article, the authors summarized discussions from a public workshop, organized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The workshop, addressing babesia and tick-borne infections entitled “Emerging Tick-Borne Diseases and Blood Safety,” included experts on tick-borne diseases, representatives from blood centers, academia, government agencies, and manufacturers of diagnostic kits. The workshop’s goal was to […]

Click here to watch a 13 second video of a Lyme patient with a service dog Service dogs, the authors explain, can assist people with functional physical disabilities, such as the visually impaired or individuals who require diabetic or epileptic monitoring. “Mobility service dogs can assist those with physical disabilities by performing tasks such as […]

Typically, there is a delay in diagnosing dogs with Lyme disease. Based on their review of the literature, the authors summarized several reasons for this: “The first signs of clinical disease in dogs are non-specific, including fever, general malaise, lameness, and swelling of local lymph nodes. These symptoms are likely to be overlooked by dog […]

“We estimate that migratory birds disperse 50 million to 175 million I. scapularis [deer] ticks across Canada each spring, implicating migratory birds as possibly significant in I. scapularis range expansion in Canada,” wrote Ogen and colleagues¹ in their discussion of birds and Lyme disease. A study by Scott et al., however, finds that migratory songbirds, […]

Can Bell’s palsy lead to nonflaccid facial palsy in Lyme disease?. “Nonflaccid facial paralysis is a spectrum of hypokinetic and hyperkinetic movement,” wrote Markey and colleagues in the journal Otolaryngology.¹ Hypokinetic movement involves less movement, while hyperkinetic movement involves more movement. “Clinically, this manifests as contraction of the orbicularis oris muscle simultaneous with eye closure […]

The study, “Patient-reported outcome after treatment for definite Lyme neuroborreliosis” by Eikeland and colleagues, describes 258 patients treated for definite Neurologic Lyme disease. Many of them with chronic neurological lyme disease remained symptomatic an average of 5 years after their initial treatment. According to the authors, a higher proportion of their chronic neurological Lyme disease […]

The authors highlight the case of a 23-year-old woman who presented to their hospital “with a chief complaint of dyspnea and chest pain and was found to have a third degree AV-block on the electrocardiogram (ECG)” in their discussion of Lyme carditis symptoms. A temporary pacemaker was implanted. And after an exhaustive work-up for other […]