Archive for the ‘Babesia’ Category

Healing After Four Decades of Lyme Misery

https://www.lymedisease.org/four-decades-lyme-misery/

Finding healing after four decades of Lyme-related misery

By Christian Scarborough

Nov. 5, 2024

I grew up on a little farm in Northern Virginia, just outside Washington DC, in what was then a very rural, middle-class community. That part of Fairfax County is now one of the wealthiest in the nation.

In addition to being around livestock, grass fields and woodlands, my brothers and I liked to hike, camp, hunt and fish. In Virginia, that meant encountering ticks! We routinely pulled them off our bodies, thinking nothing of it. We also dealt with plenty of fleas from barn cats and house dogs.

As a teenager, I began experiencing severe pain in my hands and other joints. An orthopedic surgeon prescribed me the first NSAID – Clinoril – which was later pulled due to its dangerous side effects. He said he felt strange giving a 16-year-old arthritis medication, but that I clearly had it systemically. This was also around the time I started struggling with anger issues, depression and anxiety. I was given prescription sleeping medication by an internist.

I have always been an adventure athlete and health/fitness geek, which as it turns out has saved me many times. People look at me and say you look amazing at 62, but they have no idea of the battle I’m fighting and why so many health issues I’ve had most of my life now make sense.

Severe GI issues

It all came to a head in May 2023, when I began to have severe GI issues and lost 27 pounds. After eight months and several false diagnoses ranging from pancreatic cancer to SIBO, the top GI practice in Austin punted. They said, “You have irritable bowel syndrome. Don’t eat anything and take these horrible meds forever.”

Well, the meds were awful. My gut would spasm so violently that it tore up my insides, but the antispasmodic they gave me had terrible side-effects, too. Another medication swung things to the opposite extreme, leaving me constantly balancing between diarrhea and constipation. And along with this I had severe shin and foot pain at night, no energy, blurry vision, an overall feeling I was falling apart.

A new doctor

I finally went to an integrative physician who specializes in treating complicated illnesses. Unlike other doctors, she spent close to two hours with me, asking detailed questions about my medical history. I told her everything.

Even before I had the very expensive, cash-only blood tests, she said, “I’d bet my medical license that you have Lyme.” And boy was she right! It turns out I also have Babesia and Bartonella.

The first thing she did was address my severe GI pain, spasms and diarrhea – and in a way not one GI doctor had ever suggested. She put me on a nightly microdose of naltrexone, and within a week I was much better. At normal doses, naltrexone is used to treat opiate addicts and alcoholics, but you have to think outside the box in order to effectively treat Lyme.

As anyone who is being comprehensively treated for chronic Lyme disease will tell you – treatments aren’t fast, easy, painless or cheap. The months of oral antibiotics made my already fragile gut worse. Then, they switched me to six weeks of intramuscular Rocephin shots, four days a week rotating between my glutes and thighs. It was as brutal as it gets.

Rocephin is so painful it’s mixed with straight lidocaine, and it still feels like someone hit you with a hammer. I am a tough man. But those shots made me want to cry. The volume is so large it has to be split into two syringes of material with the viscosity of motor oil. I sit in an infusion center every week surrounded by very sick people, many with Lyme, mold, cancer or a combination.

Sleeping through the night

I have been getting weekly procaine IVs with vitamin B12. The results have been amazing! I am sleeping through the night for the first time I can remember – albeit I am still taking Clonazepam before bed. And I find myself in a calmer, more relaxed state in general.

Procaine helps reset the central nervous system. In combination with the daily microdose of ketamine I take per my psychiatrist, it has greatly improved my quality of life and my outlook on fighting Lyme. And at least now I can make sense of why I’ve had three total joint replacements, a foot of colon removed, shin pains, foot tumors, insomnia, anxiety, overall fatigue and brain fog, etc.

I am convinced there are many people like me who are suffering from vector-borne illness and have tried everything with no results. They need to know there is hope.

This week the 25th annual conference of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society is being held in San Antonio, Texas, and my doctor is one of the featured speakers. I hope healthcare professionals in the audience listen and learn from her.

Christian Scarborough lives in Texas.

Category:

Activism, Babesia, Bartonella, Lyme, Pain Management, Treatment

Babesia Rates Surge 9% in U.S. & 42% of Patients Are Coin-Infected

https://www.lymedisease.org/babesiosis-rates-surge-in-us/

Babesiosis rates surge by 9% annually in US; 42% of patients are co-infected

Penn State College of Medicine News

Oct. 8, 2024

Rates of babesiosis, a tick-borne parasitic disease, increased an average of 9% per year in the United States between 2015 and 2022.  And four in 10 patients were found to be co-infected with another tick-borne illness such as Lyme disease.

These were findings of a new study led by researchers at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Penn State College of Medicine.

“These findings suggest that clinicians should have a heightened vigilance of co-infection of other tick-borne illness among patients admitted with babesiosis,” said Paddy Ssentongo, infectious disease fellow, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and lead author of the study.

“Ticks can carry other bacteria that cause Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases like anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis.”

They have published their findings in the journal Open Forum Infectious Diseases.

Babesiosis, sometimes referred to as “American malaria,” is caused by the Babesia parasite and is transmitted from bites of black-legged ticks. It’s found primarily in northeastern and midwestern states.

Similar to malaria

Like malaria, the parasite infects red blood cells, and the condition shares many similar clinical symptoms. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), although some people do not develop symptoms, others experience flu-like symptoms. The disease can be deadly for older adults and those with certain health conditions, such as a weakened immune system or lack of spleen.

“Understanding the drivers, dynamics and control of endemic and emerging vector-borne diseases is critical for global health interventions,” Ssentongo said.

The prevalence of babesiosis has been rising, according to the CDC. Ssentongo explained that climate change may play a role. Changing factors like temperature, humidity, rainfall and length of season have influenced the population and distribution of vectors like ticks as well as the population of animals that serve as reservoir hosts, like deer. As a result, ticks may be present in a wider geographical area.

The team set out to assess the current prevalence of babesiosis and Babesia co-infections as well as the effect of Babesia co-infection on mortality risk.

Using the TriNetX, a large, national database of clinical patient data from over 250 million individuals, they identified 3,521 individuals who were infected with babesiosis between October 2015 and December 2022.

Co-infections: Lyme, ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis

The researchers found that the incidence of babesiosis increased an average of 9% per year. The majority of cases peaked during the summer months and were reported in northeastern states. Of those diagnosed with babesiosis, 42% were infected with one or more additional tick-borne diseases. That is a higher rate than what’s been found in previous studies.

The greatest percentage of those patients, 41%, were co-infected with the bacterium responsible for Lyme disease. A smaller portion of patients were co-infected with bacteria that cause ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis, 3.7% and 0.3%, respectively.

When the team examined if co-infection amplified the risk of complications or led to worse outcomes, they found that there were no significant differences between the babesiosis-only group and the co-infection group. However, when they looked at mortality risk, they found that the risk of death was higher among the babesiosis-only group.

“Having both babesiosis and Lyme disease seemed not to be associated with worse mortality,” Ssentongo said, noting the finding was surprising. “It’s speculated that the concurrent presence of other tick-borne infections in the blood could alter the immune response by possibly ‘boosting’ it to effectively fight infections.”

The role of doxycycline

The difference in outcomes may also have to do with how other tick-borne illnesses are treated, Ssentongo said. In their study, the team found that the co-infection group was more likely to be prescribed doxycycline, the first line antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis, compared to the babesiosis-only group. Ssentongo said that it raises a compelling question: Is doxycycline also effective in treating the Babesia parasite?

Currently, the treatment of babesiosis depends on disease severity. Treatment typically includes a combination of the antibiotics azithromycin and atovaquone. Red blood cell exchange, where abnormal red blood cells are removed and replaced by healthy ones, can also be considered for severely ill patients such as those with serious organ dysfunction. However, the survival benefit of red blood cell exchange hasn’t been studied extensively.

“For patients with babesiosis, we add on doxycycline as we’re investigating whether or not the patient has Lyme disease or other tick-borne diseases. We’ve seen better outcomes at our medical center with this approach,” Ssentongo said.

He said that there are other case reports where babesiosis has been successfully treated with doxycycline. However, more research is needed to understand the physiological pathways that underlie co-infection and how that might influence treatment protocols.

The most effective treatment approach is preventing tick-borne diseases in the first place, according to Ssentongo.

“If you live in areas where babesiosis is endemic, mostly states in the Northeast and the Midwest, take precautions, especially during the summer months,” Ssentongo said. “Practice tick-bite prevention practices. Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants and light-colored clothes. Use tick repellent and check for ticks after spending time outdoors.”

______________

For more:

Category:

Anaplasmosis, Babesia, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme, research

Molecular Detection of Lyme, Babesia, and Anaplasma in Canadian Ixodes Ticks

https://www.jelsciences.com/abstracts/1838

Molecular Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Borrelia miyamotoi, Babesia odocoilei, Babesia microti and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Ixodes Ticks Collected across Canada

John D Scott* and Catherine M Scott

Volume5-Issue10
Dates: Received: 2024-09-28 | Accepted: 2024-10-18 | Published: 2024-10-22
Pages: 1321-1337

Abstract

Tick-borne zoonotic diseases are a profound challenge to healthcare practitioners, and an overwhelming scourge to patients worldwide. On the whole, patients have great difficulty getting diagnosed and treated, and often become chronically ill. In this study, we tested 224 ticks consisting of Ixodes angustus, Ixodes pacificus, and Ixodes scapularis. Using real-time PCR and nested PCR, we obtained the following positives:

  • Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (n = 74)
  • Borrelia miyamotoi (n = 4)
  • Babesia odocoilei (n = 82)
  • Babesia microti (n = 1)
  • Anaplasma phagocytophilum (n = 8)

Markedly, B. odocoilei and B. burgdorferi were detected in I. scapularis ticks nationwide. As well, the Canada-wide prevalence of B. burgdorferi s.l. and B. odocoilei in I. scapularis adults was 40% and 36%, respectively. The statistical ratio of B. odocoilei to B. microti in I. scapularis adults was 60 to 1. Babesia odocoilei is, unquestionably, the predominant Babesia sp. across Canada. We provide the first report of B. odocoilei in an I. angustus tick. In addition, we unfurl the first report of B. odocoilei in I. scapularis in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

From a professional healthcare standpoint, I. scapularis ticks are just as likely to be infected with Babesia odocoilei as Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. Since people spend considerable time in outdoor areas, clinicians must be familiar with current acumen in tick-borne zoonotic diseases.

Category:

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

Microbes & Mental Illness: Past, Present, and Future

https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/12/1/83

Microbes and Mental Illness: Past, Present, and Future

by Robert C. Bransfield1,2,*, Charlotte Mao3 and Rosalie Greenberg4
 
1Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
2Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Nutey, NJ 07110, USA
3Invisible International, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
4Medical Arts Psychotherapy Associates P.A., Summit, NJ 07901, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Healthcare 2024, 12(1), 83; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12010083
Submission received: 31 October 2023 / Revised: 30 November 2023 / Accepted: 6 December 2023 / Published: 29 December 2023

Abstract

A review of the association between microbes and mental illness is performed, including the history, relevant definitions, infectious agents associated with mental illnesses, complex interactive infections, total load theory, pathophysiology, psychoimmunology, psychoneuroimmunology, clinical presentations, early-life infections, clinical assessment, and treatment. Perspectives on the etiology of mental illness have evolved from demonic possession toward multisystem biologically based models that include gene expression, environmental triggers, immune mediators, and infectious diseases. Microbes are associated with a number of mental disorders, including autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depressive disorders, and anxiety disorders, as well as suicidality and aggressive or violent behaviors. Specific microbes that have been associated or potentially associated with at least one of these conditions include Aspergillus, Babesia, Bartonella, Borna disease virus, Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease), Candida, Chlamydia, coronaviruses (e.g., SARS-CoV-2), Cryptococcus neoformans, cytomegalovirus, enteroviruses, Epstein–Barr virus, hepatitis C, herpes simplex virus, human endogenous retroviruses, human immunodeficiency virus, human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6), human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1, influenza viruses, measles virus, Mycoplasma, Plasmodium, rubella virus, Group A Streptococcus (PANDAS), Taenia solium, Toxoplasma gondii, Treponema pallidum (syphilis), Trypanosoma, and West Nile virus.
 
Recognition of the microbe and mental illness association with the development of greater interdisciplinary research, education, and treatment options may prevent and reduce mental illness morbidity, disability, and mortality.
________________
 
For more:

Category:

Babesia, Bartonella, Lyme, Mycoplasma, research, Syphilis, Toxoplasmosis

Pathogens & Persistence: Chronic Disease Drivers

http://

Pathogens & Persistence: The Chronic Disease Drivers

Oct. 6, 2024

Ticktective™ Episode 43 (Oct 6, 2024):

Steven E. Phillips, MD, is a Yale-trained expert on zoonotic infections and coauthor of the book CHRONIC. He specializes in treating medicine’s most complex cases, which include Lyme & other vector-borne diseases and Long COVID. Additionally, he has served as an expert for the states of CT, NY, RI, and VT, providing testimony during their respective public hearings, which resulted in changes to existing healthcare laws. Dr. Phillips has been a longstanding public face of the Lyme pandemic. He is currently spearheading a drug development effort to bring the public a durable, effective treatment for some of these infections, which will hopefully change how we treat a range of rheumatologic and neurologic illnesses. Dr. Phillips also sits on the Bay Area Lyme Foundation’s scientific advisory board.

For more:

Category:

Babesia, Bartonella, Lyme, mosquitoes, Testing, Ticks