Archive for the ‘Bartonella’ Category

Lyme Disease Co-Infections: What You Need to Know

https://danielcameronmd.com/coinfections-backup/

Lyme Disease Loneliness
Jan31

Lyme Disease Co-infections: What You Need to Know

Posted By: Dr. Daniel Cameron

Lyme disease co-infections occur when a single tick bite transmits multiple pathogens. Up to 40% of Lyme patients in some regions also carry Babesia, Bartonella, Anaplasmosis, or Ehrlichia—yet these infections are frequently missed.

When co-infections go unrecognized, patients don’t fully recover. Standard Lyme treatment won’t clear a parasite like Babesia or intracellular bacteria like Anaplasmosis. Understanding lyme disease co-infections is essential for anyone who isn’t getting better despite treatment.

Why Co-infections Matter

Ticks don’t carry just one pathogen—they can harbor several at once. A single bite can transmit:

  1. Bacteria — Borrelia (Lyme), Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Bartonella
  2. Parasites — Babesia species
  3. Viruses — Powassan, others

Co-infections typically make symptoms more severe, treatment more complicated, and recovery longer. Patients with multiple infections often experience symptoms that don’t fit neatly into one diagnosis—which leads to confusion, misdiagnosis, and delayed care.

If you’ve been treated for Lyme disease but still feel sick, a co-infection may be the reason.

Babesia

Babesia is a malaria-like parasite that infects red blood cells. It’s the most common Lyme disease co-infection in the Northeast and Midwest, with up to 40% of Lyme patients in some areas also testing positive.

Key symptoms:

  1. Drenching night sweats
  2. Air hunger (shortness of breath with normal oxygen)
  3. Profound fatigue beyond typical Lyme exhaustion
  4. Cycling fevers and chills

Why it’s missed: Standard Lyme antibiotics don’t work against Babesia. Patients improve on doxycycline, then relapse—because the parasite was never treated.

Treatment: Requires antiparasitic medications (typically atovaquone + azithromycin), not standard Lyme antibiotics.

Babesia Resources

→ Babesia and Lyme: What Patients Need to Know — Comprehensive guide with 57 articles covering symptoms, testing, treatment, and more.

Bartonella

Bartonella species cause several human diseases, most famously “cat scratch fever.” While traditionally associated with flea bites and cat scratches, Bartonella has been found in ticks—including black-legged ticks that transmit Lyme.

Key symptoms:

  1. Streak-like rash (in some patients)
  2. Swollen lymph nodes
  3. Neuropsychiatric symptoms — anxiety, irritability, rage
  4. Fatigue, headaches, fever

Why it’s missed: Testing is unreliable, and many physicians don’t consider tick-borne Bartonella. Psychiatric symptoms may be attributed to stress or mental illness rather than infection.

Related Reading: Bartonella

  1. Case Reports: Bartonella Associated with Psychiatric Symptoms
  2. ALS and MS Suspected in Woman Later Diagnosed with Bartonella and Lyme
  3. Babesia Bartonella: Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Children

Anaplasmosis

Anaplasmosis (formerly Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis) is caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum. It’s transmitted by the same black-legged tick that carries Lyme disease.

Key symptoms:

  1. High fever, chills
  2. Severe headache
  3. Muscle aches
  4. Fatigue, malaise

Why it’s missed: Symptoms overlap with Lyme and other flu-like illnesses. Without specific testing, Anaplasmosis is often overlooked—especially when Lyme is already diagnosed.

Treatment: Responds to doxycycline, the same antibiotic used for Lyme. However, treatment duration and monitoring may differ when co-infection is present.

Related Reading: Anaplasmosis
  1. Babesia Anaplasmosis: Cognitive Impairment in Co-infection
  2. Tick Bite Multiple Co-infections: One Bite, Many Pathogens

Ehrlichia

Ehrlichiosis is caused primarily by Ehrlichia chaffeensis and transmitted by the Lone Star tick. It attacks white blood cells, potentially causing severe illness if untreated.

Key symptoms:

  1. Fever, headache
  2. Fatigue, muscle aches
  3. Nausea, vomiting
  4. Confusion (in severe cases)

Why it’s missed: Similar presentation to Anaplasmosis and other tick-borne diseases. Geographic distribution differs—Ehrlichiosis is more common in the Southeast and South-Central U.S.

Treatment: Doxycycline is the treatment of choice. Delayed treatment can lead to hospitalization.

Other Tick-Borne Infections

The list of tick-borne diseases continues to grow:

  1. STARI (Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness) — EM-like rash from Lone Star tick, causative agent unknown
  2. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever — Severe, potentially fatal if untreated
  3. Powassan Virus — Rare but serious neurological infection
  4. Borrelia miyamotoi — Relapsing fever-like illness
  5. Rickettsiosis — Various spotted fever group infections

When to Suspect Co-infections

Consider lyme disease co-infections if:

  1. Symptoms are unusually severe
  2. You’re not improving with standard Lyme treatment
  3. You relapse after completing antibiotics
  4. Night sweats, air hunger, or high fevers are prominent
  5. Neuropsychiatric symptoms don’t fit the typical Lyme pattern

Co-infections don’t always show up on tests. Clinical judgment—based on symptoms, exposure history, and treatment response—often guides diagnosis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you get multiple infections from one tick bite?

Yes. A single tick can carry several pathogens simultaneously, transmitting them all in one bite. This is why co-infections are so common in Lyme patients.

Why don’t standard Lyme antibiotics work for all co-infections?

Lyme disease is bacterial, but Babesia is a parasite—it requires antiparasitic medications. Bartonella may need different antibiotics than those used for Lyme. Each pathogen requires targeted treatment.

How are co-infections diagnosed?

Testing exists for most co-infections, but sensitivity varies. Blood smears, PCR, and antibody tests each have limitations. Clinical diagnosis based on symptoms is often necessary.

Do co-infections make Lyme disease worse?

Yes. Studies show that patients with co-infections experience more severe symptoms, longer illness duration, and slower recovery than those with Lyme alone.

What if I’ve been treated for Lyme but still feel sick?

Undiagnosed co-infection is one of the most common reasons for persistent symptoms after Lyme treatment. Evaluation for Babesia, Bartonella, and other pathogens should be considered.

Related Resources

  1. Babesia and Lyme: What Patients Need to Know — Complete Babesia hub
  2. Lyme Disease Symptoms
  3. Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS)
  4. Autonomic Dysfunction in Lyme Disease
  5. Lyme Disease Misconceptions

If you’re struggling with persistent symptoms despite Lyme treatment, co-infections may be part of the picture. Identifying and treating all tick-borne pathogens is often the key to recovery.

For more:

Category:

Anaplasmosis, Babesia, Bartonella, Borrelia Miyamotoi (Relapsing Fever Group), Ehrlichiosis, Lyme, Rickettsia, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Viruses

A Blind Spot on Autism

https://www.lymedisease.org/autism-infectious%E2%80%91disease-lens/

Looking at autism through an infectious‑disease lens

The following excerpt comes from A Blind Spot on Autism. The book is co‑authored by Debbie Kimberg, a mother and advocate whose writing for LymeDisease.org has chronicled her son’s improvement after treatment for vector‑borne infections including Borrelia, Bartonella, and Babesia. She partners with Dr. Ed Breitschwerdt, one of the world’s leading Bartonella researchers. Together, they blend lived experience and scientific expertise to explore biological patterns they believe have been overlooked in autism research.

By Debbie Kimberg and Dr. Ed Breitschwerdt

Article Excerpts:

From the moment we step into a doctor’s office, we’re taught to think of health problems as separate boxes. A child’s learning issues go to a specialist for educational testing. A sibling’s anxiety is treated by a mental health professional. A parent’s autoimmune disease is managed by a rheumatologist. A grandparent’s memory loss goes to neurology.

Medicine is organized this way.

This book brings together two perspectives rarely combined: the lived experience of navigating these patterns as a parent and patient advocate, and the decades of research from one of the world’s leading infectious disease experts. Our goal is not to dismiss the work already done on autism, but to attempt to connect the dots between existing research that has remained scattered across a thousand scientific papers, often among different fields of study. When viewed together, these studies point toward a hypothesis that could explain both the near-exponential rise in autism cases and the convoluted web of health problems in so many families.

This is not the first time medicine has been blindsided by an invisible infectious cause. History is full of examples where an infectious trigger hid in plain sight for decades before science caught up. Syphilis was once thought to be a mysterious neurological illness, ulcers were blamed on stress, and HIV was first recognized only by its complications. Each time, the truth emerged slowly, in pieces, and often against the resistance of the medical establishment.

….Bartonella species may represent one of the most stealth and dangerous pathogens seen in generations, pathogens that have been allowed to spread silently, reshaping the health of millions without recognition.  (See link for article & ordering info)

_____________

**Comment**

Sadly, autism is only one such illness with an infectious connection.  In this study, it was found that 92% of pediatric bip0lar disorder had tick-borne infections exposure.  PANS is connected with Lyme and mycoplasma.

For more:

 

Category:

Autism, Babesia, Bartonella, Lyme, Uncategorized

Treating Lyme & TBDs on a Budget With Herbs

Webinar: Treating Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases on a Budget

Date: Wednesday, March 18

Time: 6:00-7:00 PM ET

Presenter: Teresa Holler, MS, PA-C, FMAPS

Free to ILADS members/$49 for non-members

Register Here

Description:

Teresa will discuss a simple, effective, and well researched approach to utilizing herbals in the management of Lyme disease, bartonella, and babesia. Participants will leave the presentation with treatment options that are easy to implement.

Upon completion of Teresa’s presentation, participants will be aware of the following:

• Unique signs and symptoms to help differentiate between borrelia, bartonella, and babesia by history and physical exam
• What causes microbial persistence and how to address these difficulties
• Awareness of clinical studies comparing several antibiotic protocols to herbal products
• Review the properties of the most efficacious herbs for the treatment of Lyme disease, bartonella and babesia.

This webinar will be recorded and sent to all registered attendees.

Available through ILADS

To access the FREE 1.5 hour ILADS December webinar titled “At the Frontlines of Chronic Illness: A Conversation with ILADS Experts”, go here.

It features ILADS panelists:

  • Chris Winfrey, MD
  • Melanie Stein, ND
  • Nicole Bell (Galaxy Diagnostics)
  • Tania Dempsey, MD responding to patient questions

Category:

Activism, Babesia, Bartonella, Herbs, Lyme, Treatment

Study: 92% of Pediatric Bipolar Disorder Had Evidence of Tick-Borne Exposure

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/child-and-adolescent-psychiatry/articles/10.3389/frcha.2025.1685016/full

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 05 November 2025

Sec. Developmental Psychopathology and Mental Health

Volume 4 – 2025 | https://doi.org/10.3389/frcha.2025.1685016

This article is part of the Research TopicSevere Mental Illnesses in Children: Unravelling Developmental Trajectories, Neuropsychiatric Impairments, and Chronic PainView all 3 articles

Investigating the frequency of tick-borne infections in a case series of 37 youth diagnosed with pediatric bipolar disorder

Rosalie Greenberg1,2*
  • 1Medical Arts Psychotherapy Associates, P.A., Summit, NJ, United States
  • 2Overlook Medical Center, Summit, NJ, United States

Introduction: This retrospective chart review examined 37 youth with pediatric bipolar disorder from a private practice in the Lyme-endemic state of New Jersey, expanding on findings from 27 previously reported cases to explore the potential contribution of tick-borne infections to disease etiology.

Methods: Diagnoses were based on DSM-IV-TR and DSM-V criteria using parent and child interviews, questionnaires, and school reports. Initial screening evaluated for possible PANDAS/PANS, with testing for Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus, Borrelia burgdorferi, Babesia, Bartonella, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Lyme disease testing included ELISA, Western Blot (IgM/IgG), and immunoblots, interpreted per CDC guidelines. Other pathogens were assessed via IgM/IgG titers, anti-streptolysin O, anti-DNAase B, fluorescent in situ hybridization, and blood cultures. A positive diagnosis required both laboratory evidence and clinician confirmation.

Results: Babesia was detected in 51% (19/37), Bartonella in 49% (18/37), Mycoplasma pneumoniae in 38% (14/37), Borrelia burgdorferi in 22% (8/37), and Group A Streptococcus in 19% (7/37).

Overall, 92% (34/37) had evidence of tick-borne exposure, with 81% (30/37) meeting both laboratory and clinical criteria.

Discussion: More than three-quarters of the cohort demonstrated confirmed tick-borne infections. Overlaps between bipolar disorder and tick-borne illness—such as immune dysregulation, chronic symptomatology, and responsiveness to treatments like minocycline and anti-inflammatory agents—support further exploration of infectious contributors to pediatric bipolar disorder. While limited by its single-practice retrospective design, these findings suggest that tick-borne pathogens may play a role in the pathogenesis of bipolar symptoms in youth, warranting larger, controlled studies.

For More:

Category:

Babesia, Bartonella, Lyme, Mycoplasma, PANS, Psychological Aspects, research

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.
 
For more:

Category:

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