Archive for the ‘Babesia’ Category

Blacklegged Tick – Increasing Public Health Concern

The Blacklegged Tick, Ixodes scapularis: An Increasing Public Health Concern

Rebecca J. Eisen, Lars Eisen

Publication stage: In Press Corrected Proof
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pt.2017.12.006

Highlights

  • The blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, is becoming more widespread in the eastern United States.
  • The number of I. scapularis-borne microorganisms recognized to be pathogenic in humans is increasing.
  • The incidence of I. scapularis-borne disease cases continues to increase.

The geographic distribution of human cases of I. scapularis-borne diseases is expanding.

There is a critical need for control approaches with proven capacity to reverse the growing public health problem imposed by I. scapularis.

In the United States, the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, is a vector of seven human pathogens, including those causing Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Borrelia miyamotoi disease, Powassan virus disease, and ehrlichiosis associated with Ehrlichia muris eauclarensis.

In addition to an accelerated rate of discovery of I. scapularis-borne pathogens over the past two decades, the geographic range of the tick, and incidence and range of I. scapularis-borne disease cases, have increased. Despite knowledge of when and where humans are most at risk of exposure to infected ticks, control of I. scapularis-borne diseases remains a challenge. Human vaccines are not available, and we lack solid evidence for other prevention and control methods to reduce human disease. The way forward is discussed.

______________

**Comment**

Hopefully this memo is getting out to practitioners so that long-gone are the days where a patient is told, “It can’t be Lyme because there isn’t any Lyme here.”  

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/09/24/arkansas-kids-denied-lyme-treatment/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/10/24/no-lyme-in-oklahoma-yeah-right/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/11/03/ld-not-in-australia-here-we-go-again/

Feel free to copy this article and show it to health practitioners.  They NEED to know what we all have known for decades.

See the blue link in the beginning of the article for graphs and images.  For some reason I wasn’t able to upload them here.  Again, all data needs to be viewed with skepticism for a myriad of reasons, the main one being that everything regarding TBI’s is underreported and even the CDC acknowledges this – which demonstrates how severe the problem truly is.

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/08/24/canine-maps-better-than-the-cdcs-in-predicting-lyme-disease/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/10/12/the-cdc-needs-a-good-dictionary/

Promising research testing for ALL bacteria in ticks:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/01/15/developing-new-tests-to-identify-all-bacteria-in-ticks-drexel-university/

We need to know:

Bb Persistence, if it’s a STD, it can be spread congenitally, via breast milk, urine and body fluids, other possible vectors such as mosquitoes and spiders, how to kill these suckers without killing ourselves and pets, and many other issues that have either been ignored completely or the science is so old is has dust on it.

 

Category:

Anaplasmosis, Babesia, Borrelia Miyamotoi (Relapsing Fever Group), Lyme, research, Ticks

Blood Screening for Babesiosis Using Enzymatic Assays

Screening of patient blood samples for babesiosis using enzymatic assays

Primus S, Akoolo L, Schlachter S, Parveen N.
Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases, online first 2017 Nov 12.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2017.11.003

Abstract

Human babesiosis is an emerging tick-borne disease in the United States and Europe. Transmitted by Ixodes ticks, the causative agent Babesia microti is an intraerythrocytic parasite that causes mild to deadly disease. Transmission of B. microti can also occur by transfusion of infected blood and blood products resulting in transfusion-transmitted babesiosis (TTB), which carries a high risk of fatality.

To effectively manage this rise in B. microti infections, better screening tools are needed, which require minimal manipulation of the samples before testing. To this end, we tested two enzymatic assays, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), for efficacy in diagnosis of babesiosis. The results show that AST and ALT activity is significantly higher in the plasma of B. microti-infected patients.

Moreover, statistical analysis revealed that these assays have high sensitivity and positive predictive values, which highlights their usefulness as diagnostics for babesiosis. These standardized enzymatic assays can be used to perform high-throughput, large-scale screens of blood and blood products before they are certified safe for transfusion.

____________

For more on Babesia:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/01/16/babesia-treatment/

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

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/07/09/2600-increase-in-babesia-in-12-years-in-wisconsin/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/11/19/seroprevalence-of-babesia-in-individuals-with-ld/

 

Category:

Babesia, research

Congenital Babesiosis in Two Infants

Congenital Babesiosis After Maternal Infection With Borrelia burgdorferi and Babesia microti
Saetre K, Godhwani N, Maria M, Patel D, Wang G, Li KI, Wormser GP, Nolan SM.
Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, online first 2017 Sep 16.

https://doi.org/10.1093/jpids/pix074

Abstract

We describe the cases of 2 infants with congenital babesiosis born to mothers with prepartum Lyme disease and subclinical Babesia microti infection.

The infants both developed anemia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia, and 1 infant required red blood cell transfusion. Both infants recovered with treatment.

Additional studies are warranted to define the optimal management strategy for pregnant women with early Lyme disease in geographic areas in which B microtiinfection is endemic.

______________

For more on Babesia:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/01/16/babesia-treatment/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/08/30/babesia-spread-to-newborn/

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

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

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/08/06/transfusion-transmitted-babesiosis-leading-to-severe-hemolysis-in-sickle-cell-anemia-patients/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/07/09/2600-increase-in-babesia-in-12-years-in-wisconsin/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/09/25/man-dies-of-babesia/

Category:

Babesia, Lyme, research, Transmission, Treatment

Amy Hilfiger & Lyme

Published on Oct 31, 2017

Ally Hilfiger shares her experiences at Focus on Lyme 2017
LymeDisease.org

ally-at-FOL-head-shot-222x300
Ally Hilfiger, daughter of famous fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger, has struggled with Lyme disease since childhood. We included an excerpt of her book “Bite Me: How Lyme Disease Stole My Childhood, Made Me Crazy, and Almost Killed Me” in our Fall 2016 Lyme Times issue. To take a look, click here: https://www.lymedisease.org/members/l…

 

Category:

Activism, Babesia, Lyme, Psychological Aspects, Testing, Ticks, Treatment

Lyme Wars Part 5 – Coinfections

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/on-air/as-seen-on/Lyme-Wars-Part-V-Doctors-Sound-the-Alarm_New-York-453724883.html Oct. 27, 2017 (News video in link)

Man dies of Powassan virus and doctors are sounding the alarms to not only Lyme disease, but other tick-borne illnesses. Stefan Holt reports in the final part of News 4’s 5-part series on the Lyme Wars.

______________

**Comment**

Another informative report on the dangers of other TBI’s (tick borne illness) besides Lyme Disease.  Please remember that a tick’s gut is a literal garbage can of pathogens that work synergistically to make us extremely sick.  This is why throwing doxycycline like napalm doesn’t work for a significant portion of patients and until doctors become educated and admit that Lyme Disease is usually MSIDS (multi systemic infectious disease syndrome) we are doomed as there is often far more than just Lyme (borrelia) at play requiring different medications.  The CDC/IDSA unscientific and antiquated guidelines are seriously behind the 8 ball.

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/07/01/one-tick-bite-could-put-you-at-risk-for-at-least-6-different-diseases/  (The actual number of pathogens is far greater than 6 and new ones are being continually discovered)

Also, please do not be taken in by doctors such as Dr. Wormser, chief of infectious diseases at NY Medical College, who claim this or that disease is “rare.”  That type of verbiage has kept thousands from being tested, diagnosed, and treated for decades.  I assure you all of this is more common than currently believed and until every TBI is reportable we have no clue about numbers.  Reporting criteria also needs to be brought up to speed as a majority of patients don’t meet the current arbitrary standards created by the CDC that follows the controlled narrative.

Powassan https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/05/05/powassan-another-reason-to-avoid-ticks/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/05/15/wisconsin-health-officials-warn-of-tick-borne-diseases-as-summer-nears/

As of 2015, Wisconsin has the 2nd highest number of cases of Powassan:  http://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/deadly-tick-borne-virus-on-the-rise-in-wisconsin  While it’s true Powassan can be spread in mere minutes, the minimum transmission time for Lyme (borrelia) as not been determined.  Please know multitudes have become infected with LD in far less than 24 hours:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/04/14/transmission-time-for-lymemsids-infection/

Babesia

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/07/09/2600-increase-in-babesia-in-12-years-in-wisconsin/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/01/16/babesia-treatment/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/08/30/babesia-spread-to-newborn/

Bartonella – Dr. Phillips states many doctors completely ignore Bartonella, and while the CDC states there is no convincing evidence that ticks transmit Bartonella, Phillips is not surprised.  He says research on Bartonella is where Lyme was 30 years ago.  The majority of WI patients I work with have Bart symptoms.

Bartonella Treatment

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/09/13/dr-fox-cat-scratch-fever-warning/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/10/01/bartonella-in-mouth-of-hiv-infected-man/

Borrelia Miyamotoi (Relapsing Fever Group)

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/11/06/survival-of-b-miyamotoi/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/09/14/bm-in-manitoba-2011-2014/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/08/03/transmission-of-borrelia-miyamotoi-sensu-lato-relapsing-fever-group-spirochetes-in-relation-to-duration-of-attachment-by-ixodes-scapularis-nymphs/  Antibiotics that have been used effectively include doxycycline for uncomplicated B. miyamotoi infection in adults and ceftriaxone or penicillin G for meningoencephalitis.

Ehrlichiosis

http://www.slh.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/ArbovirusandEhrlichiosisinWI.pdf

  • Prior to 2008, anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis infections were referred to as human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) and human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME), respectively.
  • Since 2008, surveillance for human anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis are classified as:
    • –  Anaplasmosis caused by the A. phagocytophilum bacteria (transmitted by the blacklegged tick).
    • –  Ehrlichiosis caused by E. chaffeensis, E. ewingii (transmitted by the Amblyomma americanum or lone star tick).
    • –  Anaplasmosis/Ehrlichiosisundetermined(speciesunknown) including the new species E. muris-like (EML).
  • Increase in probable cases of E. chaffeensis (lone star tick vector not traditionally seen in Wisconsin.)
  • In 2009, identified a cluster of novel E. muris-like cases.
    • In 2009, EML was first identified in a cluster of four case-patients from Wisconsin (3) and Minnesota (1). This atypical Ehrlichia had never before been identified in North America.
      • From 2009-2012, a total of 33 confirmed EML cases have been identified from both states and one case-patient was cultured positive.
  • It is uncertain how widely spread the E. muris-like infections are in Wisconsin because of the limited testing available.
  • DPH is currently working with laboratories to bring the 34 multiplex PCR testing on board.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8603945   Human granulocytic ehrlichiosis in Wisconsin and Minnesota: a frequent infection with the potential for persistence.

Anaplasmosis

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/10/14/anaplasmosis-nightmare/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/03/08/anaplasmosis/ Treatment

Prevention Tips:

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/05/11/tick-prevention-and-removal-2017/

If one thing is clear it’s that none of this is straight forward and simple.  Research and testing for all things TBI is abysmal and has been a controlled narrative from the beginning.  Until researchers and doctors have an unbiased approach patients are caught in the Lyme Wars.

Please spread the word.

 

 

 

 

Category:

Activism, Babesia, Bartonella, Borrelia Miyamotoi (Relapsing Fever Group), Lyme, Ticks, Viruses