Archive for the ‘Babesia’ Category

How Microbes Like Lyme May Trigger Alzheimer’s & Cognitive Decline

http://  Approx. 15 Min

How Microbes Like Lyme May Trigger Alzheimer’s and Cognitive Decline 

Dr. Brian Balin (PCOM)
Tick Boot Camp
Nov. 18, 2025
 
Dr. Brian J. Balin, Professor of Neuroscience and Neuropathology and Director of the Center for Chronic Disorders of Aging at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), shares how decades of research have revealed a possible infectious origin to Alzheimer’s disease.
 
His pioneering discovery that the respiratory bacterium Chlamydia pneumoniae infects brain tissue helped establish the Pathogen Hypothesis of Alzheimer’s disease.
 
His continuing work explores how tick-borne microbes—including Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease), Bartonella, and Babesia—interact with other pathogens to drive neuroinflammation and cognitive decline.
 
Dr. Balin discusses how pathogens such as Chlamydia pneumoniae, Borrelia burgdorferi, Bartonella, and Babesia have been detected in Alzheimer’s brain tissue; evidence that microbes may enter the brain through the olfactory system or blood-brain barrier, initiating inflammation, amyloid buildup, and tau pathology; and findings from his collaboration with Galaxy Diagnostics and Nicole Bell, identifying polymicrobial infections—including Babesia otocoli, a species previously thought to affect only deer—in human brain tissue.
 
He explains how 3D brain organoids and animal models reveal infection-driven neurodegeneration, why infection must be viewed as part of the exposome—the lifetime accumulation of environmental exposures—and how future treatments such as immune-modulating drugs, antimicrobials, and phage therapy could change care.
 
This episode underscores how microbes, including those transmitted by ticks, may play a significant role in neuroinflammation, cognitive decline, and Alzheimer’s disease.
 
Recorded live at the 2nd Annual Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI) and PCOM Symposium (October 2025) at Ohio University, Dublin, Ohio.
 
Learn more at AlzPI.org. Listen to Tick Boot Camp Podcast Episode 406 “Pathobiome – Interview with Nikki Schultek” and Episode 101 “The Young Gun – Interview with Alex (Ali) Moresco” at TickBootCamp.com
 
For Dr. Balin’s publications and ongoing research, visit pcom.edu.
 
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Category:

Activism, Alzheimer's, Babesia, Bartonella, Lyme, Uncategorized

The Lost Malaria/Babesia – MS Link

http://

The Lost Malaria/Babesia – MS Link

Pam Bartha

Oct. 16, 2025

Discover how multiple sclerosis may be driven by protozoa MS infections like malaria and MS and Babesia and MS, with evidence from the Kissler review, University of Calgary study, and malaria antibodies MS findings.

Learn why MS research is shifting from autoimmune vs infection toward the vascular theory of MS, including microbleeds MS and iron ring lesions.

Pam Bartha of Live Disease Free shares insights on MS treatment, hydroxychloroquine MS, quinine MS, and primary progressive MS (PPMS), plus the role of chronic infections, Borrelia, dysbiosis and MS, and neuroinflammation in brain lesions MS and real MS recovery through root cause healing.

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Category:

Babesia, Lyme, Malaria

When Lyme Stopped My Childhood

https://magazine.publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/when-lyme-stopped-my-childhood

When Lyme Stopped My Childhood

The tickborne disease stole years of my life, but it also revealed my superpower.
By Kristen Johansson
10/10/25

I was 11 when my body changed. First came the fevers and headaches. Then tremors. Then seizures.  

Joint pain and frequent injuries meant sports disappeared. Brain fog and panic attacks meant school did too. By eighth grade in 2019, I was absent from most everything that had once defined me. I went from being a straight-A, four-sport student with a thriving social life to spending Thanksgiving and Christmas in the hospital. 

After two and a half years of severe illness, 30 doctors, and multiple misdiagnoses, I finally had an answer in 2020: Lyme disease, bartonellosis, and babesiosis. The diagnoses of three tickborne diseases brought some hope, but names alone couldn’t bring relief. My immune system was so depleted that a bout of mononucleosis that year broke me. 

I lost the ability to read. To walk. To talk. To eat. Even my short-term memory failed. My body stopped producing blood, making testing impossible. The hospital sent me home and told my family to prepare for me to die. 

But immunotherapy and aggressive treatment with long-term antibiotics, countless supplements, and daily injections gave me back pieces of myself. The first time I could read again, I clutched the words like they were oxygen. 

More than novels or school assignments, it was research that became my anchor. I became a detective, immersing myself in a cold case file of my old lab results and new studies, searching for answers that puzzled even my doctors. My days blurred into hours of YouTube lectures and Q&As from experts—each lesson a clue helping me to decipher how an infection could ripple through so many parts of me. When my liver could no longer withstand the harsh drugs I’d been taking for years, I researched alternatives, drawing on pioneering studies by Johns Hopkins researchers. I brought printed copies of these articles on herbal therapies to my doctors, ultimately shaping the protocols that led me to remission. (See link for article)

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**Comment**

Completely relatable.

Similar stories only the names have been changed….

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Category:

Babesia, Bartonella, Lyme

Is Babesia Blocking Your Recovery From Lyme Disease?

https://www.lymedisease.org/is-babesia-blocking-your-recovery-from-lyme-disease/

Is Babesia blocking your recovery from Lyme disease?

By Dorothy Kupcha Leland
Sept. 15, 2025

Lyme disease is increasingly being recognized as a complex chronic illness, often tangled up with co-infections and overlapping conditions that make it difficult to pinpoint what’s really going on.

One of the trickiest players in this mix is Babesia. Even though it can come from the same tick bite as Lyme, it’s a separate infection, and it needs its own testing and treatment. Left unaddressed, Babesia can derail recovery, leaving patients with persistent symptoms and few answers.

Dr. Alexis Chesney, a naturopathic physician and Lyme specialist, has just published an article in NDNR (Naturopathic Doctor News & Review) titled “The Diagnosis and Treatment of Babesiosis: A Naturopathic Approach to an Emerging Tick-Borne Disease.”

As she explains, Babesia is a malaria-like parasite that infects red blood cells. It can cause symptoms ranging from crushing fatigue and night sweats to shortness of breath and heart palpitations. And although it often accompanies Lyme disease, it doesn’t respond to the same treatment. That means that if Babesia isn’t identified and treated properly, you are missing an essential step in your quest to get better.

Dr. Chesney’s article offers:

  • A clear explanation of how babesiosis is diagnosed, including which tests are most reliable.
  • A look at naturopathic treatment options, including herbs, supplements, and detox strategies.
  • A balanced approach that integrates conventional and natural medicine.

You can read the full article here. And if you’re navigating tick-borne illness, consider sharing it with your provider. It might just change the course of your treatment.

TOUCHED BY LYME is written by Dorothy Kupcha Leland, President of LymeDisease.org. She is co-author of Finding Resilience: A Teen’s Journey Through Lyme Disease and of When Your Child Has Lyme Disease: A Parent’s Survival Guide. Contact her at dleland@lymedisease.org.

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Category:

Babesia, Lyme

Babesia Treatment: Dr. Cameron’s Clinical Tips

https://danielcameronmd.com/babesiosis-treatment/

Babesiosis Treatment: My Go To Clinical Tips

Posted By: Dr. Daniel Cameron
7/22/25

Babesiosis treatment is often overlooked—especially in patients who also have Lyme disease. Babesiosis is a malaria-like illness caused by microscopic parasites that infect red blood cells. It’s frequently found alongside Lyme, but just as often, it’s missed.

Unlike Lyme, which is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, babesiosis is caused by parasites (Babesia microti or Babesia duncani) and does not respond to doxycycline. Yet I continue to see Lyme patients who are only treated with doxycycline—even when symptoms strongly suggest babesiosis may be present.

So what do I use when babesiosis testing is negative but suspicion is high?

Let’s walk through my approach.

Why Testing for Babesiosis Falls Short

Babesiosis tests often fail—especially in patients with chronic or relapsing symptoms. Here’s why:

    1. Parasites are visible on blood smear only in early infection

    2. PCR (detects DNA) may miss low-level infections

    3. Antibody tests may remain negative for months—or fade over time

In my practice, I increasingly see positive Babesia antibodies after months of symptoms, even when earlier testing was negative. This tells me two things:

    1. Symptoms often precede test positivity.
    2. Waiting for test confirmation may delay needed treatment.

Babesiosis Treatment: Key Symptoms That Warrant Empiric Therapy

When testing fails but the clinical picture fits, I move forward with treatment.

Common babesiosis symptoms in my patients include:

    1. Night sweats (often drenching)

    2. Shortness of breath or “air hunger”

    3. Fatigue that worsens with activity

    4. Lightheadedness, POTS-like symptoms

    5. Temperature dysregulation

    6. Anxiety or depression out of proportion

These symptoms are sometimes dismissed as menopause, anxiety, or long COVID—but in a patient with a history of Lyme disease or tick exposure, they raise concern for babesiosis.

First-Line Babesiosis Treatment

When babesiosis is suspected, the first-line treatment I use is: Atovaquone + Azithromycin

This combination remains the most commonly prescribed regimen, with proven effectiveness.

    1. Atovaquone is an anti-parasitic that targets the Babesia organism in red blood cells.

    2. Azithromycin is an antibiotic that complements atovaquone’s activity.

Practical Note:

Many clinicians prescribe Mepron® (atovaquone 750 mg/5 mL oral suspension), but I’ve had success using Malarone® (atovaquone 250 mg + proguanil 100 mg tablets), which:

    1. Is better tolerated by many patients

    2. Is easier to obtain in outpatient practice

    3. Comes in pediatric-sized tablets (62.5 mg/25 mg) useful for dose titration

This flexibility allows me to individualize babesiosis treatment—especially for sensitive patients who cannot tolerate full adult dosing at first.

Newer Option: Tafenoquine

For resistant or relapsing babesiosis, I’ve also begun using: Tafenoquine (Krintafel®)

    1. Originally approved for malaria

    2. May be effective in difficult Babesia cases

    3. Requires screening for G6PD deficiency before use

    4. Still considered off-label in many outpatient Lyme protocols

Tafenoquine is not a first-line therapy, but it may have a role when patients relapse despite standard babesiosis treatment. I’m following the research closely.

Why I Don’t Use Clindamycin or Quinine

While clindamycin and quinine are sometimes recommended for severe babesiosis (especially hospitalized cases), I have not been using them in outpatient care. In my experience:

    1. Clindamycin + quinine causes significant nausea, tinnitus, and other side effects

    2. Not well tolerated in chronic or relapsing Lyme patients

    3. Alternative regimens (like atovaquone-based therapies) are typically sufficient

If a patient does not respond to first-line babesiosis treatment, I evaluate for possible co-infections (like Bartonella or Ehrlichia), medication tolerance, and drug absorption before moving to more aggressive regimens.

What I Watch for During Treatment

When treating babesiosis, I monitor:

    1. Liver enzymes (especially with Mepron)

    2. Hemoglobin and hematocrit (to assess for hemolysis)

    3. Symptom patterns (including Herxheimer reactions)

    4. Drug tolerance and adherence

Improvement can take time. But when patients begin to regain energy, lose their night sweats, and tolerate light exertion again, it’s a sign that treatment for babesiosis is working.

Final Thoughts on Babesiosis Treatment

Babesiosis doesn’t always show up on a lab test—but it can still cause profound illness, especially in those with Lyme disease or immune dysfunction.

If you’ve been treated for Lyme disease but still suffer from:

    1. Fatigue

    2. Night sweats

    3. Breathlessness

    4. POTS-like symptoms

… don’t assume it’s “just Lyme.” Babesiosis treatment may be the missing piece.

 References

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**Comment**

Fantastically practical article.

For more:

I believe Dr. Horowitz states that when you start treatment for Babesia, you need to keep going until it’s gone.  Stopping and starting makes it harder to treat in the long run.

Category:

Babesia, Treatment