Archive for the ‘Babesia’ Category

Avid Hiker Meets Bad Bug, Ends Up With Babesiosis

https://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/health/to-your-good-health/avid-hiker-meets-bad-bug-ends-up-with-babesiosis/article_

Avid hiker meets bad bug, ends up with babesiosis

Dear Dr. Roach • I am an avid hiker, and I live in an area with lots of Lyme disease. I recently developed some fever, headache, shaking chills and dark urine, and just felt awful. My doctor did some blood tests and said I had Babesia and/or Anaplasma. Are these related to Lyme disease? — I.J.M.

 

Answer • Like Lyme disease, babesiosis (caused usually by Babesia microti) and anaplasmosis (caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilium) can be spread by the bite of the deer tick, Ixodes scapularis, but neither bacteria species is related to Borrelia burgdorferi, the cause of Lyme disease. These diseases are not well-known by most people, nor even by many general doctors outside the areas where they are common, such as Wisconsin and Connecticut.

Babesiosis causes fever as high as 105.6 F, fatigue and feeling unwell. Dark urine is occasionally present. There are nonspecific lab findings, such as anemia and low platelet counts, but the diagnosis is confirmed by seeing the bacteria inside the red blood cells or by sophisticated blood testing (PCR). Treatment is with azithromycin and atovaquone.

Anaplasmosis has a generally lower fever, muscle aches, headache, chills and the same feeling of being unwell (called “malaise” in medical literature). Blood counts frequently show low white blood cell counts. The diagnosis is made by antibody or PCR testing, but treatment is usually started in the appropriate setting even before positive results. Treatment is with doxycycline.

Tickborne diseases may exist at the same time, so consideration must be given to people having both anaplasmosis and babesiosis, with or without Lyme disease.Doxycycline treatment for anaplasmosis also treats early Lyme disease, but does not treat babesiosis.

Both anaplasmosis and babesiosis can be very severe in people with immune system disease, such as HIV or an organ transplant. Older people are also at higher risk for severe disease.

Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu or send mail to 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803.

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**Comment**

This article reminds us of issues that demand answers:

  1. Why does mainstream medicine STILL know so little about tick-borne diseases after 40 years? https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/08/22/early-diagnosis-necessitates-lyme-savvy-doctors/
  2. Why is testing STILL being used that is so unreliable after 40 years?  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/08/05/controversies-challenges-in-treating-lyme-other-tick-borne-diseases/
  3. Please notice the doctor’s wise usage of “usually caused by?” This is wise because it could be one of a number of strains of Babesia.
  4. Please notice the the doctor’s wise explanation that a tick bite can transmit a whole host of pathogens – not just Lyme and sometimes not Lyme at all.  This issue is what is completely being neglected in mainstream medicine because doctors aren’t looking at all for any of these coinfections that can come with or without Lyme. Since testing is abysmal for ALL of them, they should be educated in symptomology since diagnosis has always been and still is a clinical diagnosis. Testing is not accurate and should not be the sole means of diagnosis.
  5. Little research has been done on concurrent infection & what it does to the body and how it affects testing:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/10/30/study-shows-lyme-msids-patients-infected-with-many-pathogens-and-explains-why-we-are-so-sick/  But this recent study shows by Garg et al. shows a 85% probability for multiple infections including not only tick-borne pathogens but also opportunistic microbes such as EBV and other viruses.  Mainstream medicine isn’t touching this with a ten foot pole.
  6. The good doctor points out that anaplasmosis and babesiosis can be very severe in people with compromised immune systems. I believe tick borne illness compromises the immune system greatly and it’s only logical to conclude that concurrent infection with numerous pathogens do so even more. Add a few opportunistic infections like Chlamydia and EBV, and you have a patient as sick as a dog:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/10/07/chlamydia-like-organisms-found-in-ticks/, https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/04/11/diagnosed-with-ebv-had-lyme/  This is why patients are so sick and why standard mono therapy often doesn’t work.
Taking into account the totality of these issues presents an entirely different picture than what authorities such as the IDSA and CDC present.

This is often a complex illness with many moving parts which necessitates various drugs of longer duration than currently being used.

The CDC/IDSA “One size fits all” approach just doesn’t work. Until authorities take into account these variables and allow doctors to treat patients accordingly, it’s a losing battle – and make no mistake about it – it’s the patients who loose.

 

Category:

Anaplasmosis, Babesia, Ticks, Transmission, Treatment

Prevalence of Babesia in Canadian Blood Donors: June – October 2018

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31385317

2019 Aug 5. doi: 10.1111/trf.15470. [Epub ahead of print]

Prevalence of Babesia in Canadian blood donors: June-October 2018.

Tonnetti L1,2, O’Brien SF3,4,5, Grégoire Y6, Proctor MC2, Drews SJ3,4,5, Delage G6, Fearon MA3,4,5, Brès V7, Linnen JM7, Stramer SL1,2.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The erythrocytic protozoan parasite Babesia microti, the cause of human babesiosis, is transmitted not only by tick bites but also via blood transfusion. B. microti is endemic in the northeastern/upper midwestern United States, where partial screening of blood donations has been implemented. In Canada, a 2013 study of approximately 14,000 donors found no B. microti antibody-positive samples, suggesting low risk at that time.

METHODS:

Between June and October 2018, 50,752 Canadian donations collected from sites near the US border were tested for Babesia nucleic acid by transcription-mediated amplification (TMA). Reactive donations were tested for B. microti by IgG immunofluorescence assay and polymerase chain reaction. A subset of 14,758 TMA nonreactive samples was also screened for B. microti antibody. Donors who tested reactive/positive were deferred, asked about risk factors, and were requested to provide a follow-up sample for supplemental testing.

RESULTS:

One sample from Winnipeg, Manitoba, was TMA and antibody reactive. Of the 14,758 TMA-nonreactive donations tested for antibody, four reactive donations were identified from southwestern Ontario near Lake Erie. None of the interviewed donors remembered any symptoms, likely tick exposure, or relevant travel within Canada or the United States.

CONCLUSIONS:

This is the largest B. microti prevalence study performed in Canada. The results indicate very low prevalence, with only one TMA-confirmed-positive donation of 50,752 tested. This donor was from the only region in Canada where autochthonous infection has been reported. Seropositive donations in southwestern Ontario suggest low prevalence; travel should not be ruled out given the proximity to the US border.

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For more: I would caution authorities in believing there is a low prevalence of Babesa. I’ve heard it takes a trained eye to see it and is rarely detected using only 1 diagnostic test. I think the word is out on the seriousness of tick-borne disease. Let’s not go back in time by adopting a carefree approach. We should be looking hard and using accurate testing methods.

 https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/06/02/study-showing-results-testing-babesia-microti/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/07/28/tick-borne-infection-risk-in-blood-transfusion/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/09/27/premature-infants-develop-babesia-via-blood-transfusion/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/07/11/characteristics-of-transfusion-transmitted-babesia-microti-american-red-cross-2010-2017/  This clearly shows there were more than 200 Babesia transfusion-transmissions reported. It also shows you don’t have to reside in an endemic area or travel to an endemic area to get it. The article also clearly points out that the geographic range of ticks is expanding, which means the pathogens they carry will as well.

According to Dr. Ken Singleton, Babesia is rarely detected using one diagnostic test alone.  http://www.lymebook.com/chronic-lyme-testing-and-diagnosis

Excerpts:

Lyme-aware physicians generally screen for 2 strains—Babesia microti and WA-1 (Babesia duncani)—by testing for antibodies (by IFA or ELISA testing) made by the body against those organisms.

Another very useful test for Babesia is known as the FISH (fluorescent in situ hybridization) test. The FISH test is performed on thin blood smears (tests used to detect germs in white blood cells) and is able to detect the RNA (genetic material) of Babesia. If this test is positive, it is very strong evidence of the presence of active Babesia. The advantage of the FISH test is that it will detect other subspecies of Babesia in addition to B. microti and B. duncani. (A direct thick and thin blood smear using a staining technique called “Giemsa” can also be done by one’s local or commercial labs to look for Babesia organisms in red blood cells; however, it is an insensitive test except during acute Babesia, particularly when fever is present.)

A final potentially useful test is the Babesia PCR (polymerase chain reaction). Unfortunately, in my experience it is also not a sensitive test and is the least useful of the three tests mentioned.

All three of these tests—Babesia IFA, FISH, PCR—are available through IgeneX, a laboratory specializing in Lyme disease and other tick-borne organisms. Medical Diagnostics Laboratory (MDL) has two of the tests—Babesia ELISA and PCR. Both labs are excellent and I utilize both regularly. (See the resources section for more information.) However, as mentioned, Babesia can frequently escape detection by diagnostic tests. Therefore, many times babesiois must be a clinical diagnosis made by physicians who are experienced in its detection and treatment.

How many Canadian people slipped through the cracks?

 

 

Category:

Babesia, research, Transmission

Tick-Borne Infection Risk in Blood Transfusion

https://www.galaxydx.com/blood-transfusion-tick-borne-disease-babesia/

written on

Tick-Borne Infection Risk in Blood Transfusion

The risk of tick-borne infection from blood donation is hotly debated, with very little information available. Certain research studies that may clarify the risk have been done in mice but are not ethical to do in people. Meanwhile, current tests for these infections have low sensitivity and specificity (low accuracy). Consequently, it is difficult to get accurate information about the existence of infections in both donors and recipients.

Determining donor infection risk based on questions about outdoor activity has proven ineffective in real world studies. Experimental screening questions were used in an attempt to reduce Babesia species infection risk, but the questions had no effect on transfusion recipient infection rates.

Transfusion recipient infection symptoms can be complicated by their health status. This complicates accurately recording when and if a patient was infected by a blood transfusion. Recipients with a compromised immune system may show delayed or atypical symptoms. Specific illnesses may interact with tick-borne infections in other ways. For example, sickle cell disease patients may not show signs of Babesia species infection risk (babesiosis) until several months after infection.

A core concern of course is Lyme disease. In 2018 a person in Arkansas discovered she had Lyme disease and was surprised to learn that she could donate blood four weeks after the end of symptoms and treatment, per the Arkansas Blood Institute. If a donor reported suspected Lyme disease after donating, the Arkansas Blood Institute stated, “If we were given the time frame of the suspected tick bite or appearance of symptoms, we would quarantine un-transfused units or notify transfusing hospital of the risk.”

Reported cases of Lyme disease in 2017 (Source: CDC).

At the time, station THV11 interviewed the state epidemiologist for Arkansas. He stated that he didn’t consider Lyme disease a high risk in the state. Even in states where there is higher risk such as Connecticut or New York, current regulations do not require donated blood to be tested for Lyme disease.

Research on the risk of transmission of Lyme disease from blood transfusions has mainly been done in mice. These studies have shown that there is a risk of Lyme disease transmission in mice via blood transfusion.. However, in people a risk has not been documented. There are not high numbers of people showing symptoms of Lyme disease after receiving blood transfusions.

How is it possible to have Lyme disease and not transmit the infection in blood? Borrelia species (bacteria that cause Lyme borreliosis) often migrate to tissues in various areas around the body shortly after entering the bloodstream. Therefore, they may not actually be present in the blood when the donation occurs.

In contrast, a study of blood transfusion recipients in New York from 2004 to 2015 identified 55 cases of babesiosis linked to receiving infected blood. Transfusion-transmitted babesiosis is “the leading infectious cause of mortality (38%) in transfusion recipients…” per the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB). Unlike Borrelia species that can survive elsewhere in the body, Babesia are parasites that rely on red blood cells for survival.

A blood smear showing Babesia parasites inside of red blood cells (Source: CDC).

Beginning in 2012 the American Red Cross screened donors in high risk areas for babesiosis. From June 2012-May 2018 over a half a million donations were screened and 1299 were identified as positive. Blood from screened donors resulted in significantly fewer recipient infections that unscreened donations in the same region during the same time period. This experience added data to the push to screen more donors for babesiosis.

In July 2018 the FDA release a draft Guidance for Industry Recommendations for Reducing the Risk of Transfusion-transmitted Babesiosis and it was finalized in May 2019. Between the draft and final FDA guidance, the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) issued their own Association Bulletin #14-05. A document to raise awareness, topics included:

  • Shortcoming of screening questions
  • Shortcoming of anti-infective blood treatments
  • Encouragement to use testing as it became available, meanwhile participation in testing studies
  • Symptoms of infection in blood transfusion recipients
  • Best practices in treatment of infection

Meanwhile, along with Lyme disease, the risk of other tick-borne infections transmitted through blood transfusion remains an open question. Research has consistently shown that blood donors carry tick-borne infections. A study in Chile found Bartonella henselae DNA in the blood of 13.6% of blood donors tested for research. Another study of 500 healthy blood donors in Brazil found that 3.2% were PCR positive (had bacterial DNA in their blood) for at least one Bartonella species using Galaxy Diagnostics’ patented Bartonella ePCR test.

A study in Poland that focused on the risk of tick-borne disease in HIV patients but used blood donors as a control. In the blood donor group patients were found who were seropositive to each of six different tick-borne pathogens. Nine of the blood donors had been treated for Lyme disease within the past 10 years.

“Seropositive” means that they have been exposed to the pathogen (or possibly a similar pathogen that cross-reacted with the test antigen) at some point in their life. It does not necessarily mean that they are currently infected. Further research would be required to establish the link from current infection, to the presence of the infection in blood, to the ability of the pathogen to survive blood collection and current anti-infective measures which may include irradiation and UV light exposure, among other measures.

Why wouldn’t blood banks just test all blood for every possible pathogen? The difficulty is that tests for tick-borne pathogens are time-consuming and expensive. Some tick-borne disease tests would be unlikely to be completed until well after the blood is used, using current testing technology.

The cost of donor blood is sometimes placed as low as $300 per unit in the United States, however when all the costs associated with using donor blood are taken into account including blood that is prepared but not used, complications associated with transfusion, etc. the cost in 2007 was calculated at $1,158 per transfused red blood cell unit. This cost of blood has a direct impact on patients.

Stewards of lifesaving blood products are responsible for making it as accessible as possible while minimizing patient risk.. Tick-borne disease presents an incredible challenge because determining the likelihood of infection in donors is almost impossible unless their clinical history is clear. Furthermore, diagnostics are expensive and have shortcomings that limit how thorough a screening process could be. This requires stewards to make choices about tick-borne disease risk to blood banks in an environment where there is not adequate research nor the testing tools available to meet their current needs.

References

Pawełczyk, A. et al. (2019). Seroprevalence of six pathogens transmitted by the Ixodes ricinius ticks in asymptomatic individuals with HIV infection and in blood donors. Scientific Reports, 9, 2117 [online]. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-38755-9 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6376038/

Pitassi, LHU et al. (2015). Bartonella spp. Bacteremia in Blood Donors from Campinas, Brazil. PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 9, 1 [online]. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003467 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25590435

Núñez, M. A. et al. (2017). [Prevalence of Bartonella henselae in blood donors and risk of blood transmission in Chile]. Revista Chilena de Infectologia: Organo Official de la Sociedad Chilena de Infectologia, 34(6), 539-543.[in Spanish] doi:10.4067/S0716-10182017000600539https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29488546

Linden, J. V. et al. (2018). Transfusion-transmitted and community-acquired babesiosis in New York, 2004 to 2015. Transfusion, 58(3), 660-668. doi:10.111/trf.14476 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/29383735/

Wright W. (2018) Despite diagnosis, Lyme disease patients are able to give blood. THV11. 31 May 2018. https://www.thv11.com/article/news/health/despite-diagnosis-lyme-disease-patients-are-able-to-give-blood/91-560408456

Pavia, C. S., & Plummer, M. M. (2018). Transfusion-associated Lyme disease – Although unlikely, it is still a concern worth considering. Frontiers in Microbiology, 9, 2070. doi:10.3388/fmicb.2018.02070 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6131610/

Centers for Disease Control, Center for Global Health Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria. (n.d.). Babesiosis and the U.S. blood supply [Policy brief]. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/babesiosis/resources/babesiosis_policy_brief.pdf

AABB. (2019). Babesiosis. Available at: http://www.aabb.org/advocacy/regulatorygovernment/donoreligibility/babesiosis/Pages/default.aspx

Tonetti, L. et al. (2019). The impact of Babesia microti blood donation screening. Transfusion, 59(2), 593-600. doi:10.1111/trf.15043 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30499595

Shander A. Et al. (2008). The true cost of red blood cell transfusion in surgical patients. Blood, 2008 112:3045. http://www.bloodjournal.org/content/112/11/3045?sso-checked=true

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For more:

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/08/08/transfusion-transmitted-babesiosis-in-nonendemic-areas/

“Asymptomatic individuals with Babesia infection are able to donate blood in the United States because of the lack of specific blood donation testing. Blood products collected in Babesia-endemic areas are distributed nationally; thus, clinicians in nonendemic states may fail to include babesiosis in the differential diagnosis of a patient who had a recent transfusion history and a fever of unknown origin.

Clinicians should include TTB on the differential diagnosis in any patient presenting who had a recent transfusion history and a fever of unknown origin, regardless of where the transfusion took place.”

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/10/11/transfusion-transmitted-babesiosis-one-states-experience/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/05/26/fda-recommends-testing-for-tick-borne-illness-in-donated-blood-a-big-duh/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/12/15/blood-screening-for-babesia/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/11/27/blood-screening-for-babesiosis-using-enzymatic-assays/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/03/07/babesia-tests-approved-by-fda-for-screening-purposes/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/06/02/study-showing-results-testing-babesia-microti/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/09/27/premature-infants-develop-babesia-via-blood-transfusion/

Babesia is only one of many.  Authorities are so behind the 8-ball it isn’t funny.  Many of the coinfections that often come with Lyme aren’t even reportable.

THEY AREN’T EVEN ACKNOWLEDGING OR LOOKING FOR THEM MUCH LESS TESTING THE BLOOD SUPPLY THEM.

Buyer Beware!

Category:

Babesia, Lyme, Transmission

North Central Integrated Pest Alert

https://www.ncipmc.org/projects/pest-alerts1/

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They have the following for ticks and specific diseases:

https://www.ncipmc.org/projects/pest-alerts1/brown-dog-tick-vector-for-rocky-mountain-spotted-fever/

https://www.ncipmc.org/projects/pest-alerts1/rocky-mountain-spotted-fever-rickettsia-rickettsii/

https://www.ncipmc.org/projects/pest-alerts1/ticks-and-tick-borne-diseases/

 

Category:

Anaplasmosis, Babesia, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme, Rickettsia, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ticks, Tularemia, Viruses

FREE Tick Testing – Adds Bartonella Pathogen Assay

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bay-area-lyme-foundation-tick-testing-program-adds-bartonella-pathogen-assay-300883339.html

Bay Area Lyme Foundation Tick Testing Program Adds Bartonella Pathogen Assay

– Nationwide Free Tick Testing Initiative Will Inform Citizen-Science Studies to Better Understand the Spread of Ticks Carrying Diseases Throughout U.S. –

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Bay Area Lyme Foundation

Jul 11, 2019,

SILICON VALLEY, Calif., July 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Bay Area Lyme Foundation, a leading sponsor of Lyme disease research in the U.S., today announced the relaunch of its nationwide free tick testing program, which will include an assay for Bartonella, a disease-causing pathogen carried by ticks. Based on the success of the Free Tick Testing Citizen Science program, Bay Area Lyme Foundation has significantly increased funding for the 2019 nationwide collection effort, adding an automated submission process and increased research support. Researchers anticipate this citizen- science program will enable the organization to unearth further discoveries.

Results of the first citizen-scientist study were published in the peer-review journals PLOS ONE in 2018, and International Journal of Health Geographics in 2019. The study, which evaluated the prevalence of disease-carrying ticks throughout the United States, and included a massive sample of more than 16,000 ticks collected from 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, led to the discovery of ticks capable of carrying Lyme and other tick-borne diseases in 83 counties, in 24 states, where these ticks had not been previously recorded. The program received a six-fold increase in tick submissions over initial estimates, representing unprecedented national coordination of a ‘citizen science’ effort and diagnostic investigation.

“The tremendous response to our initial collection program from residents all across the country has demonstrated a national desire for a greater understanding of tick-borne diseases, compelling our increased commitment,” said Linda Giampa, executive director at Bay Area Lyme Foundation. “Through a greater understanding of tick-borne disease risk across the U.S., we hope to better arm patients, clinicians and researchers with valuable insight in hopes of improved education, faster diagnosis, and more informed research toward making Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses easy to diagnose and simple to cure.”

As the only national free tick testing service, the program is designed to offer insights into the pathogens carried by ticks, and the results, in addition to any symptoms, should be discussed with a healthcare provider. Results from the tick test are not intended to be a diagnostic and individuals should discuss any symptoms or changes in health status with their physicians, as some tick bites will not transmit agents that cause disease.  Since the founding of the program in 2016, institutions and local government entities across the U.S. have been inspired to initiate similar free tick testing programs for the purpose of diagnostics and/or research.

Testing is available through a partnership with the Nieto Lab at Northern Arizona University, which will accept ticks from any state in the U.S.

  • Borrelia burgdorferi, which causes Lyme disease
  • Borrelia miyamotoi, which causes hard tick-borne relapsing fever
  • Anaplasma phagocytophilum, which causes human granulocytic anaplasmosis
  • Rickettsia rickettsii, the agent of Rocky-mountain spotted fever
  • Babesia microti, a protozoan pathogen
  • Bartonella spp.

Results will be available within twelve business days of receipt based on estimated volumes. The data will be reported to the sender by email, as well as added to our national database, to better understand ticks and tick-borne diseases.

“We are investigating changing trends in tick-borne diseases, and hope that improved understanding of the geography of human exposures to ticks and pathogens will revamp current perceptions of disease risk and the ticks’ spatial distributions,” said Dan Salkeld, PhD, research scientist, Colorado State University, who will be involved in evaluating data obtained from this program for potential future research publications.

U.S. residents seeking more information should visit: https://www.bayarealyme.org/lyme-disease-prevention/tick-testing/

About Bartonella
Bartonella are intracellular parasites that are transmitted by the bite of infected Ixodes ticks to humans, and infect red blood cells, macrophages, and endothelial cells. Symptoms of bartonella may consist of swollen or enlarged lymph nodes and may cause fevers and, more rarely, eye disorders, or infections of the liver, spleen, or bones. Many patients also experience an inflamed blemish at the transmission site which looks like a red bump on the skin and then may develop into a large pimple. Neurological involvement may also occur. There is a great need for an effective diagnostic and treatment for bartonella, and currently the most reliable assay for bartonella infection is through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in blood, spinal fluid, and tissue.

About Bay Area Lyme Foundation
Bay Area Lyme Foundation, a national organization committed to making Lyme disease easy to diagnose and simple to cure, is the leading public not-for-profit sponsor of innovative Lyme disease research in the US. A 501c3 non-profit organization based in Silicon Valley, Bay Area Lyme Foundation collaborates with world-class scientists and institutions to accelerate medical breakthroughs for Lyme disease. It is also dedicated to providing reliable, fact-based information so that prevention and the importance of early treatment are common knowledge. A pivotal donation from The LaureL STEM Fund covers overhead costs and allows for 100% of all donor contributions to Bay Area Lyme Foundation to go directly to research and prevention programs. For more information about Lyme disease or to get involved, visit www.bayarealyme.org or call us at 650-530-2439.

SOURCE Bay Area Lyme Foundation

Related Links

http://www.bayarealyme.org

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**Comment**

YES! This is wonderful news. Now, it’s up to us to flood them with ticks.

The more data they have, the better. Let’s show authorities just how common Bartonella, Babesia, Lyme, RMSF, Anaplasmosis, and relapsing fever really are and why people in Lyme-land are so sick.

For more information on the diseases mentioned in this article, type the disease into the search bar on this website. Treatment suggestions are given as well.

Category:

Anaplasmosis, Babesia, Bartonella, Lyme, research, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Testing, Tickborne Relapsing Fever, Ticks