Archive for the ‘Babesia’ Category

Babesia Causes False-Positive HIV Results

https://danielcameronmd.com/babesiosis-false-positive-hiv-test-results/

BABESIOSIS CAUSES FALSE-POSITIVE HIV TEST RESULTS

babesiosis-hiv-test

It is believed that Babesia may cause false-positive HIV test results, possibly due to Babesia and HIV serologies cross-reacting, according to a new study, “Acute Babesiosis Causing a False-Positive HIV Result: An Unexpected Association,” by He and colleagues.

By 

Investigators describe the case of a patient with acute babesiosis who prior to treatment tested positive for HIV.

The 60-year-old man was admitted to the emergency department with intermittent fever, fatigue, anorexia, and worsening jaundice for three weeks. He was referred by his primary care doctor due to abnormal laboratory values and parasites in the blood.

A blood smear showed Babesia microti with 1-2% infected red blood cells. “Given the patient’s severe presentation but relatively low percentage of infected red blood cells, HIV testing was done,” the authors write.

The fourth-generation HIV 1/2 antigen/antibody test was initially positive but after treatment, HIV testing was negative.

“Our case report adds to the small amount of literature showing that false-positive HIV testing in patients with babesiosis is possible.”

The patient was treated for Babesia with atovaquone and azithromycin and doxycycline to cover other possible tick-borne diseases.

“An exchange transfusion was performed due to the patient’s severe presentation,” according to the authors.

The patient’s symptoms resolved following treatment. And repeat testing for HIV was negative.

“False-positive fourth-generation HIV tests are rare,” the authors point out. However, a few case reports “have described false-positive HIV tests associated with acute babesiosis.”

The authors conclude:

  • “While the reasons for false-positive HIV tests in acute babesiosis remain unclear, physicians who see patients with a positive HIV test in the setting of acute babesiosis should pursue further workup.”
References:
  1. He JZ, Rezwan M, Arif A, Baroud S, Elhaj M, Khan A. Acute Babesiosis Causing a False-Positive HIV Result: An Unexpected Association. Case Rep Infect Dis. 2023 Jul 24;2023:6271710. doi: 10.1155/2023/6271710. PMID: 37528903; PMCID: PMC10390267.

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**Comment**

Well now, isn’t that something?  

Please consider the following:

He states:

  • SARS-CoV-2 appears to be a benign bat coronavirus modified to integrate spike proteins that allows the virus to enter human cells by attaching to ACE-2 receptors
  • The virus also appears to have been modified to integrate an envelope protein from HIV called GP141, which tends to impair the immune system. A third modification appears to involve nanotechnology, which allows the virus to remain airborne longer

Category:

Babesia, research, Treatment

Paralyzed by Lyme, They Were Helped With Combo Treatments

https://www.lymedisease.org/remission-from-lyme-paralysis/

Paralyzed by Lyme, they were helped with combo treatments

By Lonnie Marcum

July 19, 2023

A new study from France looks at the use of combination antibiotics and anti-parasitic treatments in patients with limb paralysis as a result of tick-borne infections, including Lyme disease.

Approximately 70% of the patients in this study showed complete remission of symptoms after long-term treatment—a statistic that lines up with the MyLymeData treatment study.

The paper entitled, Complete Remission in Paralytic Late Tick-Borne Neurological Disease Comprising Mixed Involvement of Borrelia, Babesia, Anaplasma, and Bartonella: Use of Long-Term Treatments with Antibiotics and Antiparasitics in a Series of 10 Cases was published in Antibiotics.

The inclusion criteria for this study required a score of 4 or more on the Kurtzke EDSS disability scale; positive blood tests for one or more tick-borne pathogen (including Borrelia burgdorferi, Babesia, Anaplasma or Bartonella); and chronic general symptoms including fatigue, pain, and cognitive deficits lasting six or more months.

The Extended Disability Status Scale (EDSS) is a tool commonly used to quantify the level of disability in patients with multiple sclerosis. The EDSS grades six bodily functions, including visual, brain, bowel/bladder and sensory functions, as well as the patients’ ability to walk and take care of themselves.

All 10 of the patients that qualified for this study were severely disabled with partial or complete paralysis in at least one limb. Five of the 10 required a wheelchair for mobility, and four required assistive devices like walking sticks to get around.

Complete remission for 7 out of 10

Following extended treatment, seven out of 10 patients (70%) showed complete remission of symptoms. Among the nine patients with positive Borrelia serology (along with co-infections), 77% obtained complete remission.

The treatment administered varied according to the patient’s infection profile. The majority of the patients received repeated oral regimens of azithromycin-doxycycline and azithromycin-doxycycline-rifampin plus a minimum of three 35-day cycles of IV ceftriaxone. The eight patients co-infected with Babesia (a parasite) were also administered anti-parasitic cycles of atovaquone–azithromycin. The mean duration of treatment was 20 months +/- 6 months. (Trouillas 2023)

Historically, patients with late-stage Lyme disease have poor outcomes to single regimens of 10-day IV ceftriaxone. (I’ve previously written about brain inflammation, and small fiber neuropathy found in patients with continuing symptoms after short-term treatment for Lyme disease.)

And we have decades of strong evidence that under-treatment with single antibiotics is consistent with persistent infection in animal studies. (Embers 2012)

Two weeks isn’t enough

As far back as 1990, Dr. Allen Steere co-authored a paper on patients with persistent late-stage neurological Lyme disease.

In this paper Dr. Steere and his co-authors state:

Months to years after the initial infection with B. burgdorferi, patients with Lyme disease may have chronic encephalopathy, polyneuropathy, or less commonly, leukoencephalitis. These chronic neurologic abnormalities usually improve with antibiotic therapy.
…
Six months after a two-week course of intravenous ceftriaxone (2 g daily), 17 patients (63 percent) had improvement, 6 (22 percent) had improvement but then relapsed, and 4 (15 percent) had no change in their condition.
…
Six months after treatment, more than one third of the patients either had relapsed or were no better. In addition, more than half had previously received antibiotic therapy thought to be appropriate for their stage of disease and still had progression of the illness. The likely reason for relapse is failure to eradicate the spirochete completely with a two-week course of intravenous ceftriaxone therapy. (Logigian 1990)

MyLymeData

In fact, the MyLymeData study validates that longer antibiotic treatment durations are associated with moderate to a very great deal of improvement. (Johnson 2020)

MyLymeData is currently the largest observational study of patients using real-world data to analyze the response to treatment of chronic Lyme disease patients. The majority of patients (57%) reported treatment durations of four or more months,

The results of this new French study demonstrate the importance of clinicians being able to continue treatment until a patient’s symptoms have resolved. It is clear, at least in this study, that the presence of co-infections greatly compounds one’s disease progress and treatment options.

LymeSci is written by Lonnie Marcum, a Licensed Physical Therapist and mother of a daughter with Lyme. She served two terms on a subcommittee of the federal Tick-Borne Disease Working Group. Follow her on Twitter: @LonnieRhea  Email her at: lmarcum@lymedisease.org.

References

Embers ME, Barthold SW, Borda JT, Bowers L, Doyle L, Hodzic E, et al. Persistence of Borrelia burgdorferi in Rhesus Macaques following Antibiotic Treatment of Disseminated Infection. PLoS ONE. 2012;7(1):e29914. Available at: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0029914.

 Johnson, L.; Shapiro, M.; Stricker, R.B.; Vendrow, J.; Haddock, J.; Needell, D. Antibiotic Treatment Response in Chronic Lyme Disease: Why Do Some Patients Improve While Others Do Not? Healthcare 2020, 8, 383. https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/8/4/383

Logigian EL, Kaplan RF, Steere AC. Chronic neurologic manifestations of Lyme disease. N Engl J Med. 1990 Nov 22;323(21):1438-44. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199011223232102. PMID: 2172819.

Trouillas P, Franck M. Complete Remission in Paralytic Late Tick-Borne Neurological Disease Comprising Mixed Involvement of Borrelia, Babesia, Anaplasma, and Bartonella: Use of Long-Term Treatments with Antibiotics and Antiparasitics in a Series of 10 Cases. Antibiotics. 2023; 12(6):1021. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics12061021

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Category:

Anaplasmosis, Babesia, Bartonella, Lyme, research, Treatment

Best Lab Test for Lyme, Bartonella, & Babesia

https://www.treatlyme.net/guide/best-lab-test-for-borrelia-bartonella-babesia  Video Here (Approx. 8 Min)

Immunoblot is Best Test for Lyme, Bartonella, and Babesia—Here is Why

By Dr. Marty Ross

This video article on testing has two parts.

  • First, I review the differences between IGenex Immunoblot and Armin or Infectolab Americas Elispot testing for the big three tick-borne infections of Borrelia (Lyme), Babesia and Bartonella.
  • The last section of the video compares IGenex Immunoblot and Galaxy Labs PCR tests for Bartonella.

There is clarifying information below the video. Here you can find more information about the meaning of sensitivity and specificity. I also identify the different strains IGenex detects versus the more limited strains Armin or Infectolab Americas detects. Finally, I explain why I do not use Vibrant Labs or DNA Connexions testing.

Terms and Definitions for Tests

To help understand when to use a test or the meaning of a result physicians consider the test sensitivity and specificity.

  • Sensitivity is the ability of a test to find an illness in all people with the illness.
  • Specificity is the ability of a test to correctly identify people without an illness from all people who do not have the illness.

IGenex Immunoblots are Best Because They are Most Sensitive and Specific

IGenex Immunoblot testing is more sensitive for Borrelia, Babesia, and Bartonella testing than Armin and Infectolab Elispot testing because it looks for reactions to more strains of each infection.

  • Borrelia. The test detects antibodies against eight strains including B. afzelii, B. garinii, and B. burgdorferi.
  • Bartonella. The test detects antibodies against the family of Bartonella which includes 15 types thought to infect humans. In addition, it detects specific antibodies against four specific strains named B. henselae, B. vinsonii, B. elizabethae, and B. quintana.
  • Babesia. The test detects antibodies against the family of Babesia which includes B. odecoilei. It also detects specific antibodies against two specific strains named B. microti, and B. duncani.

(See link for article and video)

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Category:

Babesia, Bartonella, Lyme, Testing

CDC’s New Online Tool Gives Useful, If Slightly Flawed, Information

https://www.lymedisease.org/cdc-tick-bite-data-tracker/

CDC’s new online tool gives useful, if slightly flawed, information

May 16, 2023

By Lonnie Marcum

The CDC has recently updated its website regarding ticks and their diseases.

The changes include a new online tool called the Tick Bite Data Tracker.  It allows users to track and visualize tick-borne disease data in the United States, advancing our ability to raise awareness.

The new tool provides information on diseases transmitted by ticks such as Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and ehrlichiosis.

The CDC webpage also gives information on the most common North American types of ticks and 16 known diseases transmitted by ticks such as babesiosis, Borrelia miyamotoi, Powassan virus, STARI, Colorado tick fever and more.

In addition, the CDC offers an updated page on Alpha-gal syndrome, an allergy to red meat and products derived from mammals. The condition is triggered by the bite of a tick.

National collaboration

The Tick Bite Data Tracker is part of the National Syndromic Surveillance Program (NSSP) which is a collaboration among the CDC, local health agencies, state health departments and private sector partners. The NSSP allows these partners to collect, share and analyze electronic healthcare data in near real-time as it is processed.

Because there is no medical diagnostic ICD code for “tick bite,” the emergency department visits for tick bites are identified by specific words used in the medical record. For example, “tick” or “tick” and “bite.”

The Tick Bite Data Tracker includes interactive maps, graphs and tables that allow users to explore the data in different ways. Users can view data on a national or state level, as well as by county or even zip code in some areas.

One of the most interesting aspects of this new site is the ability to track emergency department visits for tick bites by week and month. This eliminates the strict reporting criteria that adversely affects statistics in lower incidence states like Florida, Texas and California.

What we see on the Tick Bite Data Tracker is simply the number of persons per 100,000 with reported tick bites who sought care in an emergency room. The new data can indicate when tick bites are most common in a region, and unlike other CDC surveillance data, it is updated weekly, rather than annually.

Tick bites peak in Spring

You can clearly see in the graph below how tick bites peak in the spring in almost all regions of the United States.

Unfortunately, the CDC lumps every state west of Nebraska as the “West.” Therefore, areas with higher incidence of tick bites, like California, are averaged with areas of lower incidence like Wyoming—giving an inaccurate picture.

In my opinion, at the very least, the CDC should have divided this huge region into the southwest and northwest to offer better representation of what is happening in those zones—but that’s another topic.

The site also points out several limitations of the tracker tool: “Results might not be generalizable to emergency departments that are not contributing data to the BioSense Platform. The keywords used to identify tick bite visits may under- or overestimate emergency department visits related to tick bites because of differences in coding, reporting, and availability of chief complaint text data between jurisdictions or over time. Finally, aggregated data by region might be less useful than state or local data.”

So essentially, you have to take this data for what it is: a slightly flawed tool that gives us a glimpse into what is happening in the tick-borne disease world.

Lyme Awareness Month is an opportunity to educate the public about the risks of Lyme disease and promote strategies for prevention and early detection. I hope you’ll use the Tick Bite Data Tracker, as well as additional information spread throughout the pages of our website to spread awareness.

LymeSci is written by Lonnie Marcum, a Licensed Physical Therapist and mother of a daughter with Lyme. She served two terms on a subcommittee of the federal Tick-Borne Disease Working Group. Follow her on Twitter: @LonnieRhea  Email her at: lmarcum@lymedisease.org.

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**Comment**

A flawed tool that will  continued to be used against patients like the Iron Curtain.

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Category:

Activism, Alpha Gal Meat Allergy, Anaplasmosis, Babesia, Borrelia Miyamotoi (Relapsing Fever Group), Ehrlichiosis, Lyme, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ticks, Viruses

Natural Treatment for Lyme Disease

https://www.globallymealliance.org/blog/natural-treatment-for-lyme-disease

Natural Treatment for Lyme Disease

by Admin at Global Lyme Alliance on April 20, 2023

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Did you know that natural remedies like herbal medicine can help patients to heal from Lyme disease?

Lyme disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. Once only associated with woodsy areas like Northeastern United States and the upper Midwest, Lyme is now in every state except Hawaii and in many places throughout the world. Lyme is transmitted through a tick bite (specifically, by black-legged ticks), and is commonly known for its tell-tale symptom of erythema migrans rash. In addition to or in lieu of rash, this tick-borne infection, also known as Lyme borreliosis, can cause flu-like symptoms, joint pain, fever, fatigue, chills, and swollen lymph nodes in its early stage. If not treated, Lyme can spread to other parts of the body such as the nervous system, heart, and joints, causing neurological symptoms such as brain fog and Bell’s palsy, cardiac symptoms like heart palpitations and POTS, and rheumatic symptoms like Lyme arthritis (not to be confused with rheumatoid arthritis). For some, this infectious disease causes chronic illness, with persistent symptoms like chronic fatigue.

Whether dealing with early or chronic Lyme, you need to know how to best treat the infection and relieve your symptoms, and may be wondering if naturopathic medicine or herbal remedies might help.

Can Natural Treatments Help with Lyme Disease?

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that should be treated with antibiotic therapy by a healthcare provider, but natural treatments like herbal medicine can potentially help remedy symptoms. Natural remedies may also help support your immune system, which is impacted by Lyme disease, and may help with cellular repair, sleep, detoxification, and inflammation.

What Are the Best Herbs for Lyme Disease?

The best herbal remedies for Lyme disease include:

  • Cryptolepis sanguinolenta
  • Black walnut (Juglans nigra)
  • Sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua)
  • Cat’s claw (Uncaria tomentosa)
  • Japanese knotwood (Polygonum cuspidatum)
  • Chinese skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis)
  • Cistus incanus

This does not mean, though, that you should just take all of these remedies if you have Lyme disease. Natural doesn’t always mean better, or safer; each of these products can have side effects and can interact with antibiotic treatment or other medication.

Research Information About Herbal Medicine and Lyme Disease

The seven herbal medicines listed above have been shown in research to kill the Lyme disease bacteria in test tubes. In a study conducted at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, cryptolepis sanguinolenta completely eradicated the bacteria (whereas the antibiotics doxycycline and cefuroxime did not). Cryptolepis has also been used for the tick-borne illness babesiosis.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have also studied the effect of essential oils on Borrelia burgdorferi. In a study of 35 essential oils, researchers found that oil derived from garlic cloves, myrhh trees, thyme leaves, cinnamon bark, allspice berries, and cumin seeds showed strong activity against “persister” forms of the Lyme disease bacterium.

These studies show good potential and may be exciting news, particularly for chronic Lyme disease patients, but further research is needed to determine the efficacy of herbal remedies.

How to Choose Herbal Supplements

Talk to your Lyme Literate Medical Doctor (LLMD) about the best supplements for you, and where to buy them. They’ll likely want you to consider:

  • Brand—research brands and make sure the one you pick is reputable
  • Ingredients—make sure the supplement doesn’t have extra, unnecessary ingredients
  • Form—there are a variety of ways to take supplements, including tea, capsules, and tinctures
  • Side effects and interactions—make sure you talk with your LLMD about possible side effects of each supplement and how it might interact with your other treatment

Should You Speak to Your Doctor Before Using Natural Remedies?

Yes. You should always consult your LLMD before taking any supplement or doing any kind of alternative treatments. Though natural remedies can often be purchased over the counter, they can interact with prescription medications (or with each other) and can have negative side effects. Your doctor should help you determine which natural remedies are best for you (remembering that every case of Lyme disease is different, and there is no set protocol), and they should also give you dosage instructions.

Lyme Disease Treatment

Though some natural remedies can possibly help with Lyme disease, they are not guaranteed to help and don’t have guaranteed properties. Lyme disease treatment, whether natural, traditional, or a combination thereof, should always be done by a healthcare provider.

Treatment for Lyme disease varies depending on the stage of the infection, severity of symptoms, presence of co-infections, age, and other clinical factors. The most common treatment for early stage Lyme disease is a 14-21 day course of oral antibiotics, whereas late stage Lyme disease should be treated with 3-6 weeks of oral antibiotics (depending on the type of antibiotic used) or 2-4 weeks of intravenous antibiotics. Treatment should be extended or repeated in the event of persistent or recurrent symptoms.

Other treatments for Lyme disease such as Disulfiram (Antabuse) and dapsone are also being studied. Your LLMD will determine the best course of treatment for you. For more information on Lyme Disease treatment, see https://www.globallymealliance.org/about-lyme/treatment/.

Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle

If you’re battling Lyme or other tick-borne disease, it’s important not just to treat the infection but to make lifestyle changes that can help your body best fight the disease. This can be particularly important if you are fighting chronic disease. A healthy lifestyle should include a program of light exercise as tolerated, good nutrition, and good sleep hygiene. While on antibiotics, taking a probiotic containing acidophilus will replenish the “good” bacteria in the GI tract. Organic yogurt and kefir are also good sources of probiotics.

You may also want to try some adjunct therapies such as integrative manual therapy, neurofeedback, physical therapy, and talk therapy, which can complement your Lyme treatment and help you on your overall journey to health. Always consult with your physician first regarding non-prescription treatments, adjunct therapies, nutrition and exercise programs.

The above material is provided for information purposes only. The material (a) is not nor should be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, nor (b) does it necessarily represent endorsement by or an official position of Global Lyme Alliance, Inc. or any of its directors, officers, advisors or volunteers. Advice on the testing, treatment or care of an individual patient should be obtained through consultation with a physician who has examined that patient or is familiar with that patient’s medical history.

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Category:

Babesia, Herbs, Lyme