NIH Funds PTLDS Research: More Deception?

August 2, 2023

https://www.change.org/p/the-us-senate-calling-for-a-congressional-investigation-of-the-cdc-idsa-and-aldf/

NIH awards will fund Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome research

Carl Tuttle

Hudson, NH, United States

JUL 31, 2023 — 

We are DONE with the JUNK SCIENCE previously financed by the CDC and NIH. Is this yet another deceptive attempt to avoid chronic Lyme disease and make it look as if our public health officials are listening to the disabled Lyme patient community?

Before we start focusing on persistent symptoms, we need to first rule out ongoing infection/co-infections and understand how Lyme disease disables its victim.  Then we need find a cure for all stages of disease.

It is time we get on the bandwagon here and make sure this is not another big waist of time and taxpayer dollars. Please contact Dr. Hugh Auchincloss, Acting NIAID Director and respectfully demand an answer to my inquiry below:

Contact info:

Dr. Hugh Auchincloss    Hugh.Auchincloss@nih.hhs.gov
Sherri DePollar Staff Assistant  Sherri.Depollar@nih.hhs.gov

Image of Dr. Auchincloss was found here:

https://www.niaid.nih.gov/sites/default/files/styles/image_style_33_width_xs/public/Auchincloss-Hugh.jpg?itok=35FyZGfW

Email to Dr. Auchincloss with Cc: to the five researchers receiving grants:

——— Original Message ———-
From: CARL TUTTLE <runagain@comcast.net>
To: “Hugh.Auchincloss@nih.hhs.gov” <Hugh.Auchincloss@nih.hhs.gov>
Cc: “bjutras@vt.edu” <bjutras@vt.edu>, “mtal@mit.edu” <mtal@mit.edu>, “linden.hu@tufts.edu” <linden.hu@tufts.edu>, “jaucott2@jhmi.edu” <jaucott2@jhmi.edu>, “nwoodbury@asu.edu” <nwoodbury@asu.edu>
Date: 07/30/2023 9:37 AM EDT
Subject: NIH awards will fund Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome research

NIH awards will fund Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome research
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-awards-will-fund-post-treatment-lyme-disease-syndrome-research

“The new NIAID awards for PTLDS, which will total approximately $3.2 million in first-year funding, will support work on possible causes of persistent PTLDS symptoms for five years.”

July 30, 2023

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
5601 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20892
Attn: Hugh Auchincloss, M.D., Acting NIAID Director

Dear Dr. Auchincloss,

In reference to the five grants looking into “Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome,” what diagnostic methods are you recommending to rule out ongoing infection and or coinfection(s) with other tick-borne diseases in the Lyme disease patient population expected to be evaluated in these five studies?

This step is crucial as evidence of persistent infection despite the CDC’s claim that chronic Lyme does not exist has been suppressed for decades.

For example:

I would like to call attention to the following study recently identifying chronic Lyme disease in twelve patients from Canada.

1. Persistent Borrelia Infection in Patients with Ongoing Symptoms of Lyme Disease
http://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/6/2/33

All patients were culture positive for infection (genital secretions, skin and blood) even after multiple years on antibiotics so there was no relief from current antimicrobials. Some of these patients had taken as many as eleven different types of antibiotics.

2. In 1991 B. burgdorferi had been isolated in culture from Vicki Logan’s CSF (CDC’s laboratory in Fort Collins CO.) despite prior treatment with 21 days of IV cefotaxime and 4 months of oral minocycline as identified in the following letter to past CDC Director Barbara Fitzgerald: (culture report included)

Letter to CDC Director Barbara Fitzgerald (personal Dropbox storage area)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/xaul84dqmqgbre0/Brenda%20Fitzgerald%20MD%20Director%20CDC.docx?dl=0

3. Per the following 1995 publication, the patient received thirteen spinal taps, multiple courses of IV and oral meds, and relapsed after each one, proven by CSF antigens and/or PCR. The only way this patient (said to be a physician) remained in remission was to keep her on open ended clarithromycin- was on it for 22 months by the time of publication.

European Neurology 1995

Seronegative Chronic Relapsing Neuroborreliosis
https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/117104

Lawrence C., Lipton R.B., Lowy F.D., Coyle P.K.d

Abstract

We report an unusual patient with evidence of Borrelia burgdorferi infection who experienced repeated neurologic relapses despite aggressive antibiotic therapy. Each course of therapy was associated with a Jarisch-Herxheimer-like reaction. Although the patient never had detectable free antibodies to B. burgdorferi in serum or spinal fluid, the CSF was positive on multiple occasions for complexed anti-B. burgdorferi antibodies, B. burgdorferi nucleic acids and free antigen.

And then there is this recent announcement:

Paralyzed by Lyme, they were helped with combo treatments [long-term antibiotics]
https://www.lymedisease.org/remission-from-lyme-paralysis/

So once again Dr. Auchincloss I ask the question:

What diagnostic methods are you recommending to rule out ongoing infection and or coinfection(s) with other tick-borne diseases in the Lyme disease patient population expected to be evaluated in these five studies? (Or is this step strictly prohibited as a condition of accepting grant money from the NIH?)

Any study that does not rule out active infection is disingenuous.

A response to this serious inquiry is requested.

Respectfully submitted,
Carl Tuttle
Independent Researcher
Hudson, NH

Cc:
Brandon Jutras, Ph.D. Grant: 1 R01 AI178711-01
Michal Tal, Ph.D. Grant: 1 R01 AI178713-01
Linden Hu, M.D. Grant: 1 R01 AI178725-01
John Aucott, M.D. Grant: 1 R01 AI178726-01
Neal Woodbury, Ph.D. Grant: 1 R01 AI178727-01

________________

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Category:

Activism, Lyme, Uncategorized

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