For a significant number of patients with Lyme disease, standard antibiotic treatment does not work. In fact, recent studies [1-3] have shown that treatment failure rates may range between 10% and 20%, writes DeLong and colleagues. [4] These patients can continue to suffer for years with debilitating symptoms, including pain, fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and other […]

A case study published in the British Medical Journal features a 23-year-old man with a history of degenerative joint disease who presented with a sudden onset of palpitations. [2] His echocardiogram (ECG) revealed atrial fibrillation (AF) with a mildly dilated left Atrium. The patient did not recall a tick bite or a rash. And, “Although […]

The tick species continues to spread, however, in the U.S. It was first identified on sheep in New Jersey in 2017. Since then, it has spread to 11 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These include Arkansas, Connecticut, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia and […]

The authors examined the incidence of tick bites among military personnel specifically occurring during field training and the rate of complications resulting from the bite. They found that “One out of 17.5 recruits suffered a tick bite during basic training.” [1] “It turns out that there is a rather low but relevant risk of being […]

The authors conducted a study to determine whether a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) could identify neurologic damage in early Lyme disease patients when an MRI failed to do so. Garkowski and colleagues hypothesized that an MRS could assess neurologic changes in Lyme disease patients by measuring alterations in cerebral metabolism. [1] The study included […]

In their article “First case report of inducible heart block in Lyme disease and an update of Lyme carditis” by Kannangara and colleagues. This is the first case report of an inducible heart block in Lyme disease. The young man initially presented to the emergency department with syncope. “ECG showed sinus bradycardia with first degree […]

There has been an “unprecedented increase in locally acquired cases in New York City,” writes VanAcker in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. [2] In response, VanAcker and colleagues launched a study to determine tick densities and B. burgdorferi infection prevalence in nymphal deer ticks (I. scapularis) in New York City’s public parks. They also examined […]

Conversely, anchor bias might also occur if a doctor considers only the initial information and incorrectly diagnoses Lyme disease and misses the true diagnosis. Aguirre and colleagues describe this scenario in their paper Anchoring Bias, Lyme Disease, and the Diagnosis Conundrum. [1] A 29-year-old man living in Florida presented with severe headaches, fever, myalgia, and […]

The New York Times article, written by Apoorva Mandavilli, the mother of a 9-year-old boy who developed Lyme disease, portrays it as a relatively insignificant disease. It is, as she states, “An easily treated infection with no long-term consequences for children, or even the vast majority of adults.” However, she goes on to cite several […]

(Updated: 6/24/19) In the Prevention article, doctors describe how Lyme disease can impact a person’s vocal cords. “Lyme can affect the nerves that are responsible for controlling the muscles in the vocal cords,” says Amesh A. Adalja, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “As a result, someone could technically lose their […]

So, what does it take to be “Lyme literate”? Baker argues that “Lyme disease conforms to the same fundamental rules and principles applicable to other infectious diseases.” But he fails to define what it would take for a board certified infectious disease specialist to be “Lyme literate.” I would assume a “Lyme literate” doctor would be able to […]

In 2017, a 58-year-old woman from Missouri, who initially presented with generalized weakness, myalgia, nausea, and a rash, was diagnosed with the virus. She had been exposed to ticks one week earlier. She died after 23 days in the hospital. The virus is so new that relatively little is known about it. Symptoms typically include […]

While the Powassan virus is considered rare, it can be dangerous and is fatal in 10% of the cases. In 2013, a Maine woman died from the disease and as of 2017, 10 residents had been infected. An increase in cases of Powassan is particularly alarming, given that there is no medication to treat this […]

In the summer of 2013, a young man from Poughkeepsie, NY, died suddenly after suffering from flu-like symptoms for nearly 3 weeks. Initial reports suggested he had died from complications due to the Powassan virus, a rare illness, transmitted by ticks that can be fatal. However, a paper published in the March issue of Cardiovascular Pathologist, 3. […]

While vacationing in rural Newfoundland, the man developed nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, double vision (diplopia) and impaired coordination (ataxia). He was admitted to a hospital where his symptoms worsened. The man became febrile and experienced slurred and slow speech (dysarthria), weakness, and respiratory distress. “Cerebrospinal fluid analysis showed pleocytosis (159 × 106 total nucleated cells: […]