by Daniel J. Cameron, MD MPH The importance of clinicians considering other tick-borne diseases, such as Babesia, when evaluating patients with Lyme disease has been addressed in the literature. Surprisingly, however, physicians may actually not consider Borrelia burgdorferi (the Lyme pathogen) as a “co-infection” in patients diagnosed with a tick-borne disease. Such was the case for an elderly man […]

by Daniel J. Cameron, MD MPH Persistent infection of Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) has been proven experimentally in Peromyscus mice, laboratory mice, rats, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, dogs and non-human primates. [1-8] Some researchers and clinicians argue, the existence of a persistent Bb infection explains why some Lyme disease patients remain sick even after treatment. According to one study, as many […]

The Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) has long insisted that a maximum antibiotic course of 21 days is sufficient to eradicate the Lyme bacterium, while the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) recommends a longer course of therapy with duration dependent on response to therapy. [1] So, what treatment approach are physicians adopting in their […]

Lyme in the Limelight, published by Hamodia newspaper, features interviews with veterans in the field including researchers, physicians and advocacy leaders. As a representative of the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) and co-author of the practice guidelines for the treatment of Lyme disease, Dr. Eugene Shapiro gives his perspective on an illness he believes is easy […]

Dr. Daniel Cameron & Associates, located in the Hudson Valley New York area, is uniquely positioned in a region where Lyme disease is endemic, enabling the practice to participate in much-needed clinical research projects, including the validation of newly developed Lyme disease tests. Since 1987, Dr. Cameron has been evaluating and treating thousands of individuals with tick-borne […]

Dr. Neil Spector, one of the nation’s top cancer researchers and oncologists, has become a powerful advocate for Lyme disease patients. In his memoir, Gone in a Heartbeat: A Physician’s Search for True Healing, Dr. Spector chronicles his battle with debilitating and at times, life threatening cardiac problems due to undiagnosed Lyme carditis. Despite his standing within the medical community, physicians and […]

The study describes a significant problem with under-reporting (∼196 unreported cases per year) based on data from BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST), and the Center for Environmental and Communicable Diseases. The paper proposed using medically diagnosed cases from a Tennessee-based Managed Care Organization (MCO) to help bridge gaps in the surveillance system. (See table below.) In […]

by Daniel J. Cameron, MD MPH Researchers from Duke University Health System in North Carolina reviewed the medical records of 1,621 patients, who had a clinical history consistent with Lyme disease and sought treatment at the facility between 2005 and 2010. [1] The authors, who were examining the predictive value of Lyme disease tests, discuss their […]

 “The increases in the geographic range and population sizes of several tick species over the previous few decades in the northern hemisphere have resulted in dramatic increases in the incidence of tick-borne diseases such as tick-borne encephalitis, Lyme disease, Babesiosis, Anaplasmosis, and human granulocytic Ehrlichiosis,” says Camilo E. Khatchikian, a postdoctoral researcher in Penn’s Department […]

“Minds are like parachutes. They only function when open.” This particular quote by Thomas Dewar came to mind after reading an article, Chronic Lyme Disease (1) in the June issue of Infectious Disease Clinics of North America. In it, the author writes, “the scientific community has largely rejected chronic, treatment-refractory Borrelia burgdorferi infection.” This is based on “the failure […]

Research studies examining impaired or heightened sense of smell have been focused primarily on patients suffering from neurological disorders, like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Only recently, have researchers begun to investigate the connection between olfactory disorders and autoimmune diseases.  And, while there have been many anecdotal reports from Lyme disease patients complaining about their sensitivity […]

When ticks hatch from eggs, they’re called larva. At this stage, they have only six legs. After taking their first blood meal, the larvae molt into 8-legged nymphal ticks. Most studies have identified blacklegged ticks in the nymph stage as posing the greatest threat to humans. But Dr. Molloy now raises concerns that these newly […]

by Daniel Cameron, MD, MPH Physicians use various terms when referring to chronic manifestations of Lyme disease ─ Lyme encephalopathy, Chronic Lyme disease (CLD), Post-Lyme disease syndrome (PLDS), or Post-treatment Lyme disease (PTLD). The National Institute of Health (NIH) conducted four separate trials, which validated the existence, severity [5,6] and duration [5,6] of chronic manifestations […]

Individuals diagnosed with Lyme neuroborreliosis typically suffer from headaches, fatigue, memory loss, learning disabilities, and depression. Clinical findings have included meningitis, cranial neuritis, radiculoneuritis, encephalopathy, encephalitis, encephalomyelitis, radiculitis, radiculoneuritis, mononeuropathies, plexopathies, and demyelinating neuropathies. Dr. Mario T. Philipp and colleagues at the Tulane National Primate Research Center launched an investigation to examine the role of inflammation […]

As these infographics on Lyme disease demonstrate, patients can suffer from long-lasting symptoms if not diagnosed early on and treated adequately. Diagnostic tests are unreliable. And contrary to popular belief, patients often don’t have the classic bulls-eye rash or recall a tick bite. The data provided in these infographics are supported by peer-reviewed, published studies, as referenced below. (Infographic produced […]