To explore the possible association, Žákovská and colleagues from Masaryk University in the Czech Republic conducted a pilot study using an in vitro method. Blood from volunteers was placed on the perimeter of filter paper placed on a Petri dish. Researchers collected 100 nymphal Ixodes ricinus ticks in Ruda, near the Brno Reservoir. These are […]

The working group, led by Dr. John Aucott of Johns Hopkins Lyme Disease Clinical Research Center, released its first report in 2018. The report included multiple suggestions to address the “serious and growing threat of tick-borne diseases.” Authors of the report called on the government to invest more funds in research, prevention and treatment of […]

In a 2014 interview, Dr. Eugene Shapiro, dismissed patients’ concerns over chronic symptoms associated with Lyme disease And recommended the medical community “figure out ways to reduce healthcare-seeking behaviors” by patients who are ill and told they do not have Lyme disease. Shapiro expressed his concerns after reviewing Yale Medical Center’s patient database and finding […]

According to Haddad, more than 1,000 individuals consulted 1 of 3 centers in France about presumed Lyme borreliosis. However, the majority (90%) were not diagnosed with Lyme disease. “The most striking result is that approximately 10% of such patients have a final diagnosis of LB [Lyme borreliosis],” writes Haddad. Yet, in one of the studies […]

Out of the 52 patients, 4 (7.7%) “had convincing evidence of Babesia microti co-infection,” writes Wormser. These patients, along with 2 additional cases of suspected Babesia, were highlighted in the article. Patient 1: 69-year-old with fever on day 4 of amoxicillin therapy. Positive for B. microti by blood smear and DNA by PCR. Patient 2: […]

“The exact prevalence of NB [neuroborreliosis] in France is unknown because reporting is not required,” explains Guet-Revillet. “Nevertheless, the prevalence seems rare.” The outcome for the 9 children “was favorable” after a 2- to 3-week course of third-generation cephalosporin. However, the outcomes have not been so positive for other pediatric cases. According to the authors’ […]

The pain had been ongoing for one week. “He described the pain as throbbing, worse with movement, and improved with rest,” writes Sandelich and colleagues.  Three days earlier, the boy had visited a different emergency department and was diagnosed with a muscle sprain following results from an X-ray. The boy’s pain, however, continued, and an ultrasound […]

“It is common knowledge among veterinarians who practice in LD endemic areas that a significant percentage of dogs will develop repeated LD infections,” writes Khatchikian in the journal Infection and Immunity. [2] “This phenomenon is well-documented in humans,” as well, explains Khatchikian. “In one study, 15% of patients with LD living in a Lyme endemic […]

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease affecting humans and dogs. According to the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC), 319,000 canines tested positive for Lyme disease in 2018. This is up from 160,000 in 2012. In reality, the council says, these numbers are much higher, because data is collected for only 30% of the […]

Updated: April 22, 2019 In a study by Shannon and colleagues, 160 ticks and blood samples were collected from 70 healthy cats brought to the Mid Atlantic Cat Hospital in Queenstown, Maryland. [1] The authors found that the cats were carrying 3 species of ticks including 83 Lone Star ticks (Amblyomma americanum), 7 American dog ticks (Dermacentor […]

In the United States, as many as 15.4% of the blacklegged ticks were found to be infected with B. miyamotoi, compared with up to 4% in Europe and Japan, according to Koetsveld from the Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. [1] Meanwhile, “Seroprevalence studies in New England suggest that […]

The study looked at 325 children with Lyme disease who were evaluated at six different emergency medicine departments located in Lyme endemic regions. The patients all had an available tick bite history. “Our goal was to report the frequency of a known tick bite in children with Lyme disease overall and by stage,” the authors […]

The study, by Roaldsnes and colleagues, describes 110 patients with muscular and joint pain, fatigue, memory and concentration impairments, who were assessed for possible Lyme neuroborreliosis. These patients had non-specific neurological symptoms. “Only one patient was diagnosed with possible Lyme neuroborreliosis. Altogether 27% had high levels of Borrelia-IgG serum antibodies,” the authors write. Many of […]

In the case report “Latent Lyme Disease Resulting in Chronic Arthritis and Early Career Termination in a United States Army Officer,” Weiss et al. describe a 24-year-old Second Lieutenant, trained at the U.S. Military Academy, whose career was terminated due to Lyme disease. [1] The young man had unexplained knee swelling after successfully completing hip […]

A 43-year-old woman initially presented to an oncology clinic with symptoms of lymphadenopathy, a disease of the lymph nodes. She complained of low-grade fever, generalized swelling of lymph nodes, migrating aches in joints of arms and legs, dryness in mouth and eyes, weight loss, and fatigue for the past 6 months, writes Smiyan and colleagues. […]