Author Archive

Graphene Oxide Found in All Three Dental Anesthetics Tested – What Now?

Graphene oxide found in all three dental anesthetics tested for. What now?

DAMS news update on May 6, 2025 By Leo Cashman, DAMS Inc.

Last week we reported on the results of testing of Carbocaine, a local anesthetic widely used in dentistry. The report came from the University of Colorado Micro Raman Spectroscopy testing lab. All five of the samples tested showed the D and G bands indicative of graphene oxide and the results bore great similarity to the results from the earlier testing of Septocaine, another local anesthetic made by the same company, Novocol Pharmaceuticals, of Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. Novocol is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of dental and its products hold a dominant position in the North American market.

The graphene oxide was identified in black particles found within the sample, objects that are not supposed to be found in the clear liquid product. It is not labeled an ingredient in the product the company does not acknowledge that it is in its products.

A different lab, Medical Genomics, tested samples of Carbocaine for other contaminants: bacteria, yeast, and mold and none of those contaminants were found. Further, the SV40 virus and the spike protein were not found and the lab declared “Carbocaine samples are clean of vaccine DNA.”

Why is the presence of graphene oxide a concern?

Independent research report that graphene oxide particles found in human blood is able to self-assemble into “nano-bots,” also called “nano-robots,” that can act like synthetic parasites, that are not alive but that can multiply, impact a person’s health and also act like little antennas that can communicate with antennas that are outside of the body. The presence of such nano-bots is a violation of a person’s individual privacy and tends to undermine personal autonomy and freedom. Such an arrangement is something that we might expect in a totalitarian society and not in a well functioning democracy. Further, in a well functioning democracy, the responsible regulatory agency, the FDA, would be monitoring these products for such contaminants and not allow their sale. Major media would also step in to alert the public about the issue and exert pressure to bring a halt to the problem.

What other sources of graphene oxide (GO) are some people being exposed to?

One of the best known writer-researchers in this area, Dr. Ana Mihalcea, MD, PhD, reports having identified hydrogel and nanobot contaminants in a variety of medications, Dexamethasone, Benadryl, Omnitrope somatropin, a growth hormone given to young adults, Lentus Insulin, widely used by adults with type 2 diabetes, and Pfizer’s Embrel, a product that is used by people with auto immune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. Other pathways of exposure are said to be foods we eat (think: a dark cola drink) and also the air we breathe after aerosol spraying by airplanes in the sky (aka “chemtrails). So even persons who eat natural, organic food, avoid covid shots and other vaccines, and drink only pure, non-fluoridated water, may be hard pressed to remain free and clear of the presence of graphene oxide and other materials that would contribute to the self-assembly of nanobots and hydrogels.

Are there any local anesthetics that we know are safe? What do biological dentists prefer to use?

The reasonable conclusion at this point is that there are no local anesthetics that are free of graphene oxide (GO) and there are two reasons for concluding this. 1) All three of the anesthetics tested so far have been found to have GO, 2) Novocol makes the other ones commonly used in North America, and so there is no assurance that any of there other products would be free of it, and 3) Dr. Mihalcea and other researchers have such problem in the blood after use of Lidocaine, a dental anesthetic that we have not directly tested yet for GO. Her research results are summarized in her book Transhuman, (Volume II) Overcoming the Global Depopulation Agenda.

What alternatives do we have to using a local anesthetic in dentistry?

For routine dental work such as fillings and even for inlays, onlays and crowns, some dentists will try to get through the dental work without using a local anesthetic at all. The dentist will say, for example, “we’ll try to get through this without a local anesthetic; if it becomes too painful, raise your right hand and I’ll stop and administer a local anesthetic.” With that kind of assurance, the patient puts herself in a positive, peaceful frame of mind and often gets through it without need to use an anesthetic. This can even work for children.

Other steps that can reduce dental pain, generally, are the homeopathic remedy Arnica montana (high potency) and vitamin B1 (thiamine). Acupuncture is also effective, but bringing in an acupuncturist to perform that treatment makes it an uncommon approach. Use of a general anesthetic is not an very desirable alternative because it is very invasive, carries some risk, and the use of fluoride in most of the general anesthetics raises some concern about toxic fluoride residues.

What can a person do to inhibit the self-assembly of GO into nanobots? Or to get rid of them if they have already formed?

In Chapter 4 of Dr. Mihalcea’s book, Treatment Solutions, she suggests a variety of tactics. Eliminate and detoxify from toxic metals such as iron, aluminum, mercury, cadmium by eliminating sources of them and doing a safe, gentle detox program. Dr. Mihalcea suggests use of intravenous EDTA and intravenous vitamin C but, while EDTA good for removal of lead and aluminum, EDTA is not a good chelator of mercury and many of the other toxic metals and there is some research that suggests that EDTA is not a very safe chelator for mercury. However, EDTA may be useful for smashing the nano-bots found in the blood after the self-assembly has occurred. Another agent worthy of mention is Methylene Blue, and it, too, would normally be administered under a doctor’s care.

Maria Crisler, another widely known researcher and writer, working in collaboration with Dr Edward Group, has helped develop detox products that can address the common products. The choice and use of their products is beyond the discussion in this article, but the reader may find more product ideas at Abeytu Naturals, AbeytuNaturals.com which has products developed by Maria Crisler. Another company, somewhat larger, is Global Healing, GlobalHealhing.com headed by Dr Edward Group, DC.

In terms of preventing of self-assembly, the advice is to avoid un-natural EMFs as from cell phones, cordless phones and Wi-Fi, alcohol consumption, and also avoid use of zeolite as a detox product (zeolite contains aluminum, which fuels the self-assembly of the nano-bots).

This subject area will see much continuing research, and we will do out best to share the new information as it comes out. Feel free to share this article with others, including your biological dentist and your holistic health care practitioners.

DAMS INC. is a non-profit organization and does not endorse any particular products or protocols.

_____________________
 
For more:
 

Category:

Activism, Dentistry, Uncategorized

Back Pain Mystery Solved – It Was Lyme Disease

https://danielcameronmd.com/back-pain-lyme-disease/

Back Pain Mystery Solved… It Was Lyme Disease

Posted By: Dr. Daniel Cameron
4/8/25

Back pain is one of the most common complaints in medicine. For most people, it’s caused by something mechanical—disc degeneration, a pinched nerve, or muscle strain. But sometimes, the cause isn’t physical at all. I had a patient whose back pain defied every explanation—until we found an answer where no one had thought to look: Lyme disease.

Surgery and Rehab: A Promising Start

My patient had a long history of lower back pain. After struggling with it for years, he underwent back surgery and engaged in a dedicated course of physical therapy. For the first time in years, he was pain-free. He felt like he had his life back. He returned to daily activities, enjoyed time with his family, and was finally free from the constant burden of discomfort.

The Pain Returns—Worse Than Before

Months later, his pain came back.

But this time, it was different. It was severe, deep, and unrelenting. He hadn’t lifted anything heavy. There was no trauma. His physical therapy routine had remained consistent. Yet the pain—centered in his lower back—grew worse by the week.

He returned to his neurosurgeon. Imaging showed no new issues—no disc herniation, no surgical complications, nothing to explain the pain.

A 9-Month Search for Answers

He was referred to pain management. Tried anti-inflammatories. Tried physical therapy again. Tried trigger point injections. Nothing helped. The pain was taking a toll—physically, emotionally, and socially. He couldn’t sleep well. He avoided movement for fear of worsening his pain.

For nine months, every path led to a dead end.

No Tick Bite. No Rash. But Something Was Off

What made this case even more puzzling was the absence of any red flags we usually look for with infections. There was no tick bite, no erythema migrans rash, and no fevers. Lyme disease wasn’t even on the radar.

But other symptoms began to appear—fatigue, low mood, brain fog, and a growing sensitivity to heat and cold. It no longer seemed like just a spine problem.

A Broader Workup—and a Surprising Diagnosis

Because his symptoms were no longer isolated to his back, we broadened the differential diagnosis. We tested for autoimmune conditions, neurologic disorders, and chronic infections.

That’s when a Lyme disease test came back positive—specifically, multiple IgG Western blot bands consistent with a late-stage infection.

The pieces started to fall into place.

How Lyme Disease Can Cause Back Pain

Lyme disease is caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. While many associate Lyme with joint pain or flu-like symptoms, it can also cause inflammation of nerve roots—a condition known as radiculitis—which can feel exactly like sciatica or disc-related back pain.

In some patients, Lyme disease affects the central nervous system and causes neuropathic pain that does not respond to typical treatments like surgery or anti-inflammatories. And in late-stage Lyme, patients often do not recall any early signs of infection. Studies estimate that 30% or more of patients with Lyme disease never see the tick or develop a rash.

Treatment—and Recovery

Once diagnosed, my patient began antibiotic treatment tailored to neurological Lyme disease. Within a few weeks, his pain began to improve. Slowly but surely, the deep, burning back pain that had plagued him for nearly a year began to fade. So did the fatigue, brain fog, and other symptoms.

Within a few months, he was functioning well again—and back to enjoying his life.

What This Case Teaches Us

This case highlights something crucial: Lyme disease doesn’t always follow the rules.

  • You don’t need to have joint swelling or fever.
  • You don’t need a textbook presentation for it to be real.
  • When conventional explanations fall short, it’s time to think more broadly.

Five key takeaways:

  1. Chronic back pain may have non-mechanical causes.
    Not all back pain stems from disc problems or muscle strain. Sometimes the root cause is something unexpected—like a persistent infection such as Lyme disease.
  2. A normal MRI doesn’t rule out a serious problem.
    Imaging can appear normal even when significant symptoms are present. Lyme-related nerve inflammation may not be visible on routine scans.
  3. Failed back surgery syndrome may not always be surgical failure.
    When pain returns after a successful procedure, it may not be the spine at fault. An undiagnosed infection or inflammatory process could be the real culprit.
  4. Pain that doesn’t respond to standard treatment deserves further    investigation.
    If physical therapy, injections, and medications fail, it’s time to look beyond conventional explanations and consider underlying systemic causes.
  5. Lyme disease can cause neuropathic and radicular pain.
    Lyme disease can inflame nerve roots, creating symptoms that mimic sciatica or spinal disorders—without any visible structural damage.

When to Suspect Lyme Disease in Back Pain

Consider Lyme disease in patients with unexplained back pain when:

  • Imaging doesn’t match the severity of the symptoms
  • Pain worsens despite appropriate treatment
  • There are neurologic symptoms (numbness, tingling, burning pain)
  • Fatigue, brain fog, or mood changes are also present
  • The patient lives in or has visited a tick-endemic area (Northeast, Midwest, or Pacific Northwest)

Final Thoughts: Look Deeper When Pain Persists

Lyme disease can mimic many conditions. This patient’s story reminds us that when the usual explanations fall short, we must keep asking questions and consider less obvious diagnoses.

Back pain is common. But if it’s unresponsive to treatment and comes with a set of symptoms that don’t quite add up, look deeper.

Because sometimes, it’s not the spine—it’s the infection you didn’t know was there.

________________

For more:

Category:

Lyme, Pain Management

Data & Intel’s Here: Time to Cancel mRNA

https://www.thefocalpoints.com/p/we-have-the-dataits-time-to-cancel?

We Have the Data—It’s Time to Cancel mRNA

http://

Epidemiologist Nicolas Hulscher reveals alarming new data on mRNA-driven mass harm and death on Ask Dr. Drew
Nicolas Hulscher, MPH
Apr 30, 2025

In my interview with Dr. Drew, I walk through the latest data linking COVID-19 mRNA shots to global surges in death and serious harm:

Among 184 Million Test Subjects, The Verdict Is Clear

The two largest COVID-19 vaccine safety studies ever conducted, involving 99 million (Faksova et al) and 85 million people (Raheleh et al), found that mRNA injections are not safe for human use. The shots significantly increase risks of the following serious adverse events:

  1. Myocarditis (+510% after second dose)
  2. Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (+278% after first dose)
  3. Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis (+223% after first dose)
  4. Guillain-Barré Syndrome (+149% after first dose)
  5. Heart Attack (+286% after second dose)
  6. Stroke (+240% after first dose)
  7. Coronary Artery Disease (+244% after second dose)
  8. Cardiac Arrhythmia (+199% after first dose)

Emergency Room Visits Surge 20% Among mRNA Vaccinated Teens, Study Finds

Higher rates of emergency room and doctor visits were observed among 105,726 Pfizer mRNA vaccinated 12–18-year-olds compared to unvaccinated controls — lasting for at least 6 months after injection. If we are serious about reversing the chronic disease epidemic—now affecting over 60% of Americans—the most obvious and urgent step is to remove chronic disease-inducing injections from the market. These products are still being administered to millions of children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly every year.

COVID-19 mRNA Injection Spike Protein Expressed in Cerebral Arteries of Stroke Patients for Up to 17 Months

Vaccine mRNA and Spike protein found in hemorrhagic stroke patients’ brains — confirming human biodistribution to vital organs.

WHO Data Reveals Global COVID-19 Deaths Skyrocketed After Mass Vaccination

New study finds that mass COVID-19 vaccination not only failed, but made things worse — with the highest death surges in the most heavily vaccinated populations.

Catastrophic Neurological and Psychiatric Damage from COVID-19 Vaccines

Based on multiple studies, COVID-19 vaccines seriously damage the neurological system and devastate mental health. They increase your risk of:

  1. Alzheimer’s (+22.5%)
  2. Cognitive impairment (+137.7%)
  3. Ischemic stroke (+44%)
  4. Hemorrhagic stroke (+50%)
  5. Transient ischemic attack (+67%)
  6. Myelitis (+165%)
  7. Myasthenia gravis (+71%)
  8. Depression (+68.3%)
  9. Anxiety disorders (+43.9%)
  10. Sleep disorders (+93.4%)

(See link for article, studies, and video)

_______________

https://usawatchdog.com/government-admits-it-knew-covid-vax-shots-were-fraud-president-trump-pull-them-off-the-market-karen-kingston/

Government Admits it Knew Covid Shots Were Fraud

By  On May 7, 2025 
Article Excerpts:

Karen Kingston is a biotech analyst and former Pfizer employee who is back with some grotesque news about what the US government knew about the CV19 bioweapon vax.  They knew it was not safe at all, and the FDA also knew Pfizer committed fraud to get the CV19 injections approved.  Kingston says, “This is the government’s words exactly:  ‘The FDA was aware of the protocol violations.’  So, the FDA was aware of the fraud that was reported . . . before it granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for its vaccine.  They were aware of the fraud.  Second, the government said it ‘had continued access’ to the Pfizer vaccine clinical data, and ‘in the FDA’s view, Pfizer’s vaccine is effective.’  Notice they dropped the word ‘safe.’  The minimum bar is safe before effective, but they intentionally dropped the word safe. . . . They ignored safety.

Kingston says, “In 2020, they met and listed out Myocarditis. Pericarditis, neurological malfunctions, respiratory failure, multiple system inflammatory disease, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and they listed everything out except for cancer.  So, they knew the CV19 vax would cause all those debilitating injuries, infertility and death.

Kingston points out they want to put so-called mRNA in everything to fight cancer, but all the studies for the past several decades on mRNA say it causes cancer.  Kingston says:

“Pfizer is telling us we are putting in faulty genes.  We are debilitating you.  We are disabling you.  We are sterilizing you, and we are killing you.  We are directing the evolution of human beings to become more weak and more dependent on us. . . . To survive, you will need us.  It’s on their website.  It’s called ‘directed evolution.’  They are directing the extinction of our species.  That is what this is.  They are playing God. . . .You can call it eugenics.  You can call it depopulation, but the new word is ‘directed evolution.’  It’s mRNA technology or personalized medicine, it’s all the same thing.”

(Go to link for article and interview)

_______________

**Comment**

Kingston came out early that the COVD clot shots are bioweapons.  She hasn’t changed her tune but has in fact been continuously outspoken. The attorney for another whistleblower, Brook Jackson, revealed that Pfizer argued the court should dismiss her lawsuit alleging fraud in Pfizer’s COVID clinical trials because the government knew about the fraud but continued to do business with them.  

None of this matters to the hopelessly irredeemable CDC (and government) which is set to recommend MORE mRNA shots this year despite  a minimum 35% increase in 1-year all-cause mortality (at least for the Pfizer shot), and FIVE recent papers showing the COVID shot harms outweigh any supposed benefits.

Oh AND……

Covid mRNA ‘Vaccines’ Caused ‘Alarming’ Surge in Violent Behavior, Homicidal    Ideation

https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202504.1099/v1

Association between COVID-19 Vaccination and Neuropsychiatric Conditions

This version is not peer-reviewed.

James Thorp ,Claire Rogers*,Kirstin Cosgrove,Steven Hatfill,Peter Breggin,Drew Pinsky ,Peter McCullough

Submitted:  11 April 2025

Posted: 14 April 2025

Abstract
Introduction: COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are known to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and could potentially cause a myriad of unintended adverse effects. The purpose of this study is to explore potential associations between vaccination and neuropsychiatric conditions. Methods: Data were collected from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The CDC/FDA Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) was queried from January 1, 1990, to December 27, 2024, for adverse events (AEs) involving neuropsychiatric complications following COVID-19 vaccination. The timeframe included 420 months for all vaccines except COVID-19 vaccines which have been available to the public for only 48 of the 420 months (from January 1, 2021, to December 27, 2024). Proportional reporting ratios (PRRs) were calculated by time comparing AEs after COVID-19 vaccination to those after influenza vaccination and to those after all other vaccines. The CDC/FDA stipulates a safety concern if a PRR is ≥ 2. Results: Comparing COVID-19 vaccination to influenza vaccinations, the CDC/FDA’s safety signals (PRR, 95% confidence interval, p-value, Z-score) were breached for the following combinations: 47 AEs associated with cognitive impairment (PRR: 118, 95% CI: 87.2-160, p < 0.0001, Z-score: 30.9); 28 AEs associated with general psychiatric illness (PRR: 115, 95% CI: 85.1-156, p < 0.0001, Z-score: 30.8); and 11 AEs associated with suicide/homicide (PRR: 80.1, 95% CI: 57.3-112, p < 0.0001, Z-score: 25.7). Likewise, when comparing COVID-19 vaccination to all other vaccines except COVID-19, the safety signals were also breached for the following: 47 AEs associated with cognitive impairment (PRR: 26.8, 95% CI: 19.8-36.1, p < 0.0001, Z-score: 21.5); 28 AEs associated with general psychiatric illness (PRR: 28.6, 95% CI: 21.2-38.6, p < 0.0001, Z-score: 21.9); and 11 AEs associated with suicide/homicide (PRR: 14.0, 95% CI: 10.3-19.0, p < 0.0001, Z-score: 16.8). Conclusions: There are alarming safety signals regarding neuropsychiatric conditions following COVID-19 vaccination, compared to the influenza vaccinations alone and to all other vaccinations combined. These data raise concerns about long-term consequences, including continued cognitive decline, dementia, and neuropsychiatric morbidity and mortality. An immediate global moratorium on COVID-19 vaccination is warranted.
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Big Pharma Throws Fit

May 6, 20205

Dr. Dhand reports that Big Pharma and researchers obtaining government grants are panicking due to fears of HHS daring to collect information about funding for research into mRNA technology.

Any research utilizing public funds should have oversight about funding information!

But, true to form Big Pharma and these deluded researchers are making this political by stating that Trump-appointed officials are being driven by misinformation and conspiracy theories.

Demonstrating the complete lunacy, these researchers completely ignore the body of mRNA research which was originally abandoned by its creator (Robert Malone) due to being a dead end as well as for health concerns, which now include:  infertility, fetal loss, maternal death rates, excess deaths, organ damage, autoimmunity, myocarditis, and cancer.  

Please remember that the CDC changed the definition of a ‘vaccine’ so mRNA would fit in the category.  It is asinine to expect an mRNA platform to work like a traditional vaccine, and it’s purposely called a platform for drug delivery because new drugs are needed for variants, creating a endless market.

Dr. Dhand states that one of the best things he ever did for his health was to refuse the clot shots.  He states he will continue refuse any mRNA product.  He’s not alone:

 “I Have Absolute Faith That mRNA Vaccines Will Kill You” ~ Dr. Sucharit Bhakdi:

For more:

Category:

Activism, Psychological Aspects, research, vaccines

Idaho Police Investigating Death of 18 Month Old Twins – Vaccines to Blame?

https://x.com/MidwesternDoc/status/1918954101695533299

I know of 7 instances in the literature where twins died on their backs at night following vaccination. Were vaccination not politicized, this would constitute gold standard proof vaccines cause sudden infant deaths. Additionally, no one who knows this family suspects homicide. ~ A Midwestern Doctor

_______________

A study analyzing official VAERS data were combined with peer-reviewed research for a groundbreaking new analysis which alarmingly showed:

78% of Sudden Infant Deaths Occur Within 7 Days of ‘Vaccines’

The findings, which are statistically significant, were confirmed in six separate peer-reviewed studies.

During an interview with CHD.TV, Dr. Paul Thomas, a board-certified fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a diplomat of the American Board of Addiction Medicine, revealed that a staggering 97% of all sudden infant deaths happen within TEN days of the child being vaccinated.  Although the remaining cases of SIDS have not been directly attributed to vaccines, there is still a clear correlation. He notes that the remaining 3% of sudden infant deaths happen between 10 and 20 days after vaccination.  Source

Many would argue that these findings show that vaccines caused 100% of SIDS cases.

“These vaccines are killing infants. You took a healthy baby into the office, and they got a series of vaccines, and then you find them dead. The most deaths happen on the first day [post-vaccination]. Day zero. Then the next most common death day is day two. And then day three.” ~ Dr. Paul Thomas

For more:

Infant deaths due to vaccines are never listed on death certificates, but are listed as SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) due to the lack of an ICD code (International Classification of Diseases),  sanctioned by the CDC and the WHO.  Coroners can’t choose to list a death as due to a vaccine even if they wanted to because no code exists for it.  This problem exists in Lymeland as well.  If a code doesn’t exist, then according to the CDC and mainstream medicine – the disease or symptom doesn’t exist either.  

SIDS remains the leading cause of death among infants in the U.S. claiming 3,700 lives in 2015.

Dr. Viera Scheibner, one of the few scientists who has investigated SIDS and a possible link for vaccines, concludes that the answer to the cause of death is in the name: SIDS –Sudden Immunization Death Syndrome.

The CDC lists 131 causes of childhood deaths but omits vaccines.

How can you state something is “rare” when you aren’t even counting it?

Category:

Activism, vaccines

One Unit of Blood Led to Babesia Infection

https://danielcameronmd.com/blood-transfusion-babesia/

One Unit of Blood Led to a Babesia Infection

April 22, 2025

Posted By: Dr. Daniel Cameron

When we think of tick-borne illnesses like Babesia, we often picture outdoor exposure in wooded, high-risk areas. But what happens when Babesia shows up in someone who hasn’t been outdoors—and hasn’t been bitten by a tick? One recent case reminds us that Babesia can travel silently through the bloodstream, sometimes delivered unintentionally through a blood transfusion.

A 30-year-old man with sickle cell disease (SCD) required regular red blood cell exchanges—about 10 units every 3 to 4 weeks since childhood. Two months after a routine blood transfusion, he developed symptoms that initially seemed vague: fever, neck pain, and photophobia.

But within days, his condition worsened. He experienced:

  1. Persistent fever and chills
  2. Headache
  3. Fatigue
  4. Loss of appetite

It was clear something serious was unfolding.

A Surprising Diagnosis – Babesia via a blood transfusion

Lab work confirmed the presence of Babesia parasites in his red blood cells, and serologic testing came back positive. He was also borderline positive for Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Ehrlichia chaffeensis, though not treated for those due to a lack of supportive symptoms.

Babesia is a malaria-like parasite typically spread by ticks, but this patient hadn’t been outdoors or hiking recently. So, where had it come from?

Tracing the Source: A Lookback Investigation

A donor lookback investigation revealed the answer. Over six months, the patient had received blood transfusions including 65 units of blood—58 of which were screened for Babesia. One of the 7 unscreened units came from a donor who tested positive for Babesia microti.

This donor lived in Ohio, a state not considered endemic for Babesia and thus not required to screen blood donors for the parasite. The donor reported no symptoms and had been active outdoors, hiking and camping in Ohio, Tennessee, and North Carolina—states with potential but under-recognized risk for tick exposure.

Why This Matters: A Vulnerable Blood Supply

This case, published by Costa and colleagues,¹ highlights a critical issue: transfusion-transmitted babesiosis (TTB) remains a real and preventable risk—especially in patients with chronic blood transfusion needs, like those with sickle cell disease.

“Prior to laboratory-based blood donor screening for Babesia, TTB was a leading infectious risk to the blood supply in the United States,” the authors note.

In 2019, the FDA implemented Babesia screening requirements for blood donors in 14 high-incidence states, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Minnesota. But states like Ohio—where this case originated—are not yet on that list.

A Simple Treatment, a Critical Delay

Fortunately, this patient was promptly treated with a 10-day course of azithromycin and atovaquone, and his symptoms resolved. But in many cases, particularly in non-endemic states, the delay in diagnosis can lead to more severe disease, especially in vulnerable populations.

Lessons for Clinicians and Policymakers

This case reminds us of a few important lessons:

🩸 1. Babesia Isn’t Just Tick-Borne

Yes, it’s a tick-borne disease—but it’s also transmissible via blood transfusions. That means even patients without outdoor exposure can be at risk.

🌎 2. “Non-Endemic” Doesn’t Mean No Risk

Donors may travel, camp, or hike in high-risk areas—even if their home state isn’t considered endemic. Geographic assumptions can lead to blind spots in our screening systems.

⏳ 3. Delays in Diagnosis Can Be Deadly

In places where clinicians aren’t used to seeing Babesia, diagnosis can be delayed. For immunocompromised or chronically transfused patients, that delay can be critical.

📋 4. Screening Policies May Need Expansion

We must reconsider whether the current state-specific Babesia screening recommendations are sufficient. This case suggests a broader approach may be warranted.

Final Thoughts

For patients like this young man with sickle cell disease, a single unscreened unit of blood changed everything. His case is a powerful reminder that Babesia is no longer just a disease of the woods—it’s also a disease of the blood bank.

As we continue to evolve our understanding of blood transfusion safety, infectious disease spread, and vector-borne illnesses, we must remain open to adjusting our protocols and awareness—even in states not currently labeled “high risk.”

Because in medicine, what we don’t test for can still hurt our patients.

Related Articles:

Podcast: Two mothers transmit Babesia to their babies

Geriatric cases of Babesia are rising and may require longer treatment

Reference:

Costa B, et al. Transfusion-transmitted babesiosis in a patient with sickle cell disease undergoing chronic red cell exchange. International Medical Case Reports Journal, 2020.

Category:

Babesia, Uncategorized