Archive for the ‘Bartonella’ Category

Another Take on Dapsone Protocols: Dr. Marty Ross

Dapsone for Lyme Persisters. A Miracle Antibiotic?

https://treatlyme.com/guide/dapsone-lyme-persisters/

Updated: July 31, 2026

Horowitz Dapsone Protocols: Risks vs Benefits Explained

About Dapsone & Persisters

Dapsone, a Leprosy drug, can help some with treatment-resistant Lyme and Bartonella due to persisters plus treatment resistant Babesia. In 2016, Richard Horowitz, MD, and Phyllis Freeman, PhD, published research on 100 patients. The study showed 59 percent of people had improvements with dapsone of 100 mg or less.

More recently, Dr. Horowitz has continued refining a higher-dose approach, publishing a more detailed double-dose/high-dose protocol in 2023.

However, my experience with dapsone is mixed. While it helps some, it is also a very difficult medicine for many to take.

In this article, I review:

  • my experience with this novel medicine,
  • a specific antibiotic protocol that includes dapsone as a normal-dose regimen,
  • how to decrease side effects and Herxheimer reactions on dapsone,
  • the risks of using dapsone,
  • the chances for treatment success using a dapsone regimen, and
  • a detailed look at, and critique of, Dr. Horowitz’s newer double-dose/high-dose protocol and why I don’t support it.

(See link for video and article)

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**Comment**

I always appreciate doctors who share their clinical experience. It’s sometimes the only way we can gather intel on whether or not we should try a certain treatment. Case in point – I wrote about my severe psychosis after taking disulfiram, followed by another practitioner’s experiences in ameliorating symptoms as well as an update on a few points of consideration.

So, while Dapsone may be a perfect fit for some, it may not for others.

This is another point that never makes the news. Reactions to treatment varies widely in Lymeland, probably because some have been infected for years and their bodies are simply overwhelmed, making another drug appear to be a toxin by the body.

Dr. Ross points out the following issues:

  • You shouldn’t take Dapsone if your G6PD levels are low.
  • Dapsone blocks folate metabolism which can lead to anemia
  • Dapsone suppressed bone marrow which can also lead to anemia
  • Dapsone is a harsh drug that causes severe herxes, allergic rash, methemoglobinemia, and many side effects

The article contains Horowitz’s 2016 Dapsone regimen. Ross states he does not recommend the Dought or high dose Dapsone protocol and doesn’t offer it in his practice. He also points out that Horowitz’s 2023 paper which offered HDDCT to 50 patients, but only 25 are considered in the results leaving one to ask how many dropped out due to side effects. Further, Horowitz is the treating physician, the sole study author, and one of three others from his practice who performed the validation and analysis. There was no control group, no blinding, no independent review, and no oversight.

Ross does feel; however, that some sho failed other treatments could consider the normal-dose dapsone 100mg protocol if carefully monitored.

For more:

Category:

Bartonella, Lyme, research, Treatment

Study Uncovers Hidden Bartonella and Babesia Infections in ME/CFS Patients

Four years ago an article was posted asking if a chronic infection could be behind ME/CFS patients. The answer appears to be yes. A previous study found a link between Cytomegalovirus, EBS, and Human Herpesvirus-6 and ME/CFS. The following also connects Babesia and Bartonella to the condition.

https://www.lymedisease.org/bartonella-babesia-me-cfs/

Study uncovers hidden Bartonella and Babesia infections in ME/CFS patients

A new pilot study from North Carolina State University has found molecular evidence of Bartonella or Babesia infection in nearly half of 50 people diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

The findings suggest that vector‑borne pathogens may play a larger role in chronic illness than previously recognized.

Bartonella and Babesia are both transmitted primarily through arthropods—ticks, fleas, and lice—and have been linked to a range of persistent symptoms.

Improved testing has revealed that Bartonella, once thought to cause only short‑lived infections like cat scratch disease, can be associated with chronic and even neuropsychiatric symptoms. Babesia, best known as a tick‑borne parasite, has also been transmitted through blood transfusions and organ transplants.

For this study, researchers selected 50 participants from a larger group of chronically ill individuals with long‑term fatigue and neurological symptoms such as memory problems, tremors, disorientation, or anxiety.

Using quantitative PCR and DNA sequencing, the team detected:

  • Babesia in 10 participants
  • Bartonella in 11
  • Both pathogens in 2

That’s 23 out of 50 participants showing evidence of infection.

“ME/CFS diagnoses are primarily based on immunological biomarkers that can have numerous influences,” said study author Edward Breitschwerdt, Melanie S. Steele Distinguished Professor of Internal Medicine at NC State.

“Our goal was to detect the DNA of specific pathogenic microorganisms that might contribute to or cause a patient’s chronic illness.”

Breitschwerdt emphasized that the small sample size means the results can’t be generalized to all ME/CFS patients, but the unexpectedly high prevalence highlights the need for further research.

The study, supported in part by the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation, appears in Pathogens.

SOURCE: North Carolina State University

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Category:

Babesia, Bartonella, research, Testing

Seroprevalence of Borrelia, Anaplasma, Bartonella, Toxoplasma, Mycoplasma, Yersinia, and Chlamydia in Human Population From Eastern Poland

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/1/96

Seroprevalence of Borrelia, Anaplasma, Bartonella,  Toxoplasma, Mycoplasma, Yersinia, and Chlamydia in Human Population from Eastern Poland

by Angelina Wójcik-Fatla 1, Anna Sawczyn-Domańska 1,*, Anna Kloc 1,Joanna Krzowska-Firych 2 and Jacek Sroka 1,3

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Pathogens 2025, 14(1), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14010096

Submission received: 3 December 2024 / Revised: 15 January 2025 / Accepted: 16 January 2025 / Published: 18 January 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring the Biodiversity of Parasites in Humans, Wild and Domestic Animals)

Abstract

The epidemiological situation related to infectious diseases is influenced by many factors. To monitor actual trends in selected zoonoses, a total of 473 serum samples from farmers, forestry workers, and veterinarians were collected for serological examination. Anti-Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) antibodies were tested with ELISA and Western blot (WB) tests; the detection of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies was performed using an enzyme linked fluorescence assay (ELFA). Antibodies to bartonellosis, anaplasmosis, and chlamydiosis were determined by indirect immunofluorescent test (IFA), whereas antibodies to yersiniosis and mycoplasmosis were confirmed in the ELISA test.

Positive or borderline results of antibodies against B. burgdorferi s.l. in the ELISA test were detected in 33.8% of the study population. The borderline or positive ELISA test results for at least one antibody class were confirmed by WB in 58.7% of cases. The IgG antibodies against Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Toxoplasma gondii, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae were detected in 9.6%, 51.7%, and 63.6% of samples, respectively. Antibodies against Yersinia spp., Bartonella henselae, and Chlamydia pneumoniae were found to vary between 43 and 47%.

Category:

Anaplasmosis, Bartonella, Lyme, Mycoplasma, research, Testing, Toxoplasmosis

A Bacterial Toxin Facilitating Chronic Infection

https://www.biozentrum.unibas.ch/news/detail/a-bacterial-toxin-facilitating-chronic-infection

A bacterial toxin facilitating chronic infection

Some pathogens persist in the body causing chronic infections. Researchers led by Prof. Christoph Dehio and Prof. Tilman Schirmer at the Biozentrum, University of Basel, have now discovered a mechanism of highly selective targeting of host proteins by a bacterial toxin that is critical for the bacteria to establish chronic infection. The study recently published in “PNAS” provides new insights into the activity and function of bacterial toxins.

The bacterial pathogen Bartonella (purple) in interaction with human host cells (green).

When pathogens invade our body the immune system is put on alert. The body’s immune cells are recruited to the site of infection and an inflammatory reaction is initiated to rapidly eliminate the invaders. Some pathogens, however, have developed clever strategies to evade this line of defense. Bartonella is one of them. Manipulating the body’s cells to its advantage enables the pathogen to persist in the host.

Researchers led by Prof. Christoph Dehio and Prof. Tilman Schirmer at the Biozentrum, University of Basel, have now elucidated an important mechanism how Bartonella  ensures long-term survival in the body. It injects a bacterial toxin into the body’s cells, which deactivates a specific group of proteins important for the immune response. This mechanism is vital for the pathogen’s capacity to cause chronic infection.

Bacterial toxins modulate signaling pathways in host cells

In mammalian cells, so-called Rho GTPases serve as molecular ON-OFF switches controlling a wide range of signaling pathways and thus pivotal cellular activities, such as cell movement, cytoskeletal dynamics and also the innate immune response. Due to their central regulatory role, this protein family is a target of choice for bacterial toxins. These thwart cellular signaling and facilitate the pathogen to survive in the host. However, many bacterial toxins targeting multiple GTPases cause massive collateral damage to the cells and typically limits pathogen survival to the acute infection phase.

Bartonella subtly colonizes the host

In contrast, Bartonella hijacks the host in a “gentle” way. The pathogen employs toxins that very selectively target host cell functions. In doing so, Bartonella reduces the efficacy of the immune system without causing collateral damage, enabling the pathogen to persist in the host. “We have now been able to elucidate the mechanism of highly selective recognition of specific host proteins by the Bartonella toxin Bep 1,” says Dehio. “Bep 1 exclusively targets proteins of the Rac-subfamily but not the other members of the large Rho GTPase family that are typically inactivated all together by toxins with primary acute infection patterns.”

Elucidating bacterial toxin selectivity

Employing a combination of structural analysis, modeling and biochemical methods, the researchers have now been able to elucidate the mechanism underlying this unique target selectivity. “The spectrum of target proteins is determined by large on shape complementarity and the electrostatic interactions of a short structural element in Bep1 with two protein segments unique to the Rac-subfamily,” explains Dehio. This simple, yet elegant, evolutionary treat equips Bartonella with a precise molecular tool to selectively interfere with host signaling.

Original publication:
Nikolaus Dietz, Markus Huber, Isabel Sorg, Arnaud Goepfert, Alexander Harms, Tilman Schirmer and Christoph Dehio. Structural basis for selective AMPylation of Rac-subfamily GTPases by Bartonella effector protein 1 (Bep1). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) 2021

Contact: Communications, Katrin Bühler

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**Comment**

This right here, is why patients remain sick.  We are typically filled with multiple stealth pathogens with the capability to quietly impede the normal mechanisms the body uses to clear infections.  Sadly, Bartonella is not the only organism capable of this guerrilla warfare – Borrelia, the causative agent of Lyme disease also changes its outer surface protein to remain cloaked and accepted by the immune system.  If antimicrobials are used, it also has the ability to shape shift and go into a dormant state only to reemerge when conditions are conducive for growth.

When will mainstream medicine get the memo?

For more:

 

Category:

Bartonella, research

Best Herbal Antibiotic Plans for Lyme, Bartonella, and Babesia

https://treatlyme.com/guide/best-herbal-antibiotics-for-lyme-bartonella-babesia/

Best Herbal Antibiotic Plans for Lyme, Bartonella, and Babesia

By Dr. Marty Ross

best-herbal-antibiotics-for-lyme-bartonella-babesia
Updated: January 24, 2025

Science Meets Buhner for Best Herbal Antibiotic Options

History Speaks

Historically, most herbal antibiotic regimens for used tick-borne infections are based on the writings and experience of master herbalist Stephen Buhner. His work is science related. However, most of the herbal antibiotics he recommends do not have actual studies showing they work in the lab or in humans for killing specific tick-borne infections. For instance, he recommends Andrographis to kill Borrelia based on science showing it kills another spirochete called Leptospirosis. And Buhner recommends Sida Acuta to address Babesia because it is used as an antimalarial, even though there is no research showing it works for Babesia.

Buhner’s writings occurred before the discovery of persister Borrelia (Lyme) and Bartonella which I describe below. So, his writings did not specifically address how to deal with these hibernation forms of germs.

Enter Science

Over the last few years, researchers are rushing to find new ways to kill the terrible Bs (Borrelia, Bartonella, and Babesia). Some of the interest in looking at herbal medicine options is the discovery of hibernating persister growth states of Borrelia and Bartonella that do not respond to classic herbal medicines or prescription regimens that target growing states of these germs. Out of this laboratory work, we now know that Buhner’s Andrographis does not work against Borrelia, but many other agents do.

In 2023 Shor and Schweig published their review of newer laboratory studies showing which herbal medicines work in the lab to kill the growing, persister, and biofilm states of Borrelia and Bartonella. This work also reveals numerous agents that can kill Babesia. Table 1. below is drawn from the Shor-Schwieg article. My table is more limited than the one published in their paper but focuses on what I have found clinically to be the most relevant herbal antibiotics.

Table 1. Herbal Antibiotic Actions

How to Interpret Table 1
  • About G P B. Borrelia and Bartonella exist in growing states, hibernation states, and biofilm communities. The growing states are also called active states. The hibernators are also called persisters or stationary states. Biofilms are mostly known as biofilms. I prefer to use the terms growing (G), persister (P) and biofilms (B) while Shor and Schweig refer to active, stationary, and biofilm states. Keep this in mind if you review their article and more extensive table.
  • About Blank. In some instances, a blank space in the table means the research did not look to see if an herbal agent actually addresses the identified problem. For instance, Zhang and colleagues showed that cinnamon, clove, and oregano oils kill Borrelia biofilms, but their research did not look at whether these herbal oils help Bartonella biofilm. Given the similarity of biofilm structures, cinnamon, clove and oregano oils may actually be good agents against Bartonella biofilms.
  • About Sida Acuta and Houttuynia. Buhner recommends Sida Acuta and Houttuynia to address Bartonella. He also recommends Sida Acuta for Babesia. These key herbal antibiotics are not included in my table or the work of Shor-Schweig because there was no research conducted looking at these agents. This does not mean they do not work, but based on science, we do not know.  (See link for article)

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**Comment**

The article gives numerous treatment options for each pathogen.  We can be extremely thankful to have all of this information in an easy to find and use format which is supported by science.

For more:

Category:

Babesia, Bartonella, Herbs, Lyme, research, Treatment