LYMErix was withdrawn from the market in 2002 after concerns over its safety. Since then, there has been growing speculation as to whether researchers will ever be able to develop an effective and safe Lyme disease vaccine for humans. The stakes are high in the race for a new Lyme disease vaccine of humans. “There […]
New research indicates, however, there may no longer be a division of babesial strains between the East Coast and the West Coast. In their article “Babesia microti – Borrelia burgdorferi Co-infection,” Parveen reports that B. duncani has now been identified in eastern USA and Canada.¹ “Since B. duncani is widespread in Canada, its southern spread […]
As part of a TickNET collaboration, researchers examined the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to tick-borne disease prevention among persons living in endemic areas of Connecticut and Maryland.¹ They found that out of the nearly 2,000 people surveyed, performing tick checks for humans and applying tick control to pets were the two most common tick […]
The authors found that nearly 50% of patients did not recall a tick bite and had a delay in diagnosis due to the broad range of symptoms. The average age was 63. None of the patients died. Malaise was the most common symptom (84%) reported, followed by fever (71%), chills (52%) and joint pain (32%). […]
Researchers at the Azzolino Clinic in San Francisco, California “identified an alarming number of individuals suffering from post-concussion syndrome (PCS), that are refractory to care and that have serologically tested positive for Lyme disease.” [1] “Furthermore, we have witnessed a dramatic improvement in function and reduction in disability following treatment of these patients,” writes Azzolino […]
Scientists have documented a number of climate changes occurring in Canada, such as rising temperatures, changes in rainfall patterns and extreme weather events (i.e. extreme heat and rainfall). They believe, however, that the greatest environmental threat impacting TBDs has been global warming and the increase in temperatures. Canada has already witnessed a growing number of […]
Lyme disease is known to be endemic to Japan, but is rarely diagnosed. Between 2006 and 2010, only 41 cases of Lyme disease were reported, according to the authors. “Forty-one cases were domestic cases with 19 suspected to have been acquired in Hokkaido, 5 cases in Nagano, and 2 cases each in Kanagawa, Niigata, Gifu, […]
The results of a survey by Levy et al. offer some possible answers. The authors looked at patients who had suffered at least 1 of 4 imminent threats including depression, suicidality, abuse, and sexual assault. They found “that many people withhold information from their clinicians about imminent health threats that they face,” writes Levy. [1] The […]
A 6-year-old child presented to her pediatrician with a circular rash on the left side of her face. The pediatrician initially assumed the rash was allergic dermatitis and prescribed topical steroids. But the rash did not improve, explains Banadyha and colleagues in their case report. Over the next 1½ months the rash spread to the […]
The PG(Bb) fragments likely “contribute to inflammation during infection and in cases of post-infectious Lyme arthritis.” In a mouse study, the authors found “that PG(Bb) alone was sufficient to induce acute arthritis.” Furthermore, Jutras and colleagues suggest that “immune responses to PG(Bb) and autoantigens may contribute to pathology, even after the infection itself has been cleared.” […]
While there are many differences between these vectors and the diseases they transmit, the authors seek to answer the question: Why did malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases elicit effective interventions while Lyme and the other tick-borne diseases have not? Lyme disease is “one of the most challenging contemporary public health problems,” writes Rochlin. And while […]
“Besides the rise in the number of cases of Lyme disease, caused by genospecies of the Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. complex, important tick-borne diseases also include anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Powassan virus, and babesiosis,” writes Benelli. [1] Ticks can also be frustrating if your child, livestock, or pet becomes infected. Have you found ticks […]
Peri and colleagues reviewed the medical records of children admitted to a hospital in Italy between January 2016 and December 2018. They identified 26 children who had a diagnosis of Lyme disease. Seven fit the criteria for chronic Lyme disease. But the authors disputed these findings, suspecting instead that the patients suffered from a somatic […]
Dr. Miller often treats empirically. “Because early treatment of Lyme disease decreases the chance of chronic symptoms, we often treat empirically with doxycycline while awaiting results of antibody testing. Travelers to high-risk areas may return home and develop symptoms weeks later.” Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31259503 Related Articles: Will steroid injections help children with Lyme arthritis of the knee? […]
The cause of POTS is not well understood but researchers believe it is due to multiple factors. According to Wells and colleagues, “moderate autonomic dysfunction, increased sympathetic tone, severe deconditioning, inadequate venous return or excessive blood venous pooling may contribute to POTS symptoms.” In addition, “Autoimmunity and mast cell activation syndromes have been postulated as […]
