Archive for the ‘Bartonella’ Category

Ross Lyme & Tick-borne Diseases Protocol Version 4

https://www.treatlyme.net/lyme-disease-treatment-guidelines

About The Ross Lyme & Tick-borne Diseases Protocol—Version 4

New in Version 4

The Ross Lyme & Tick-borne Diseases Protocol–Version 4 update, released 6/17/24, has a number of significant changes.

Name change. In Version 4, I have updated our name to include “tick-borne”. This recognizes that people can have Bartonella, Babesia, or other tick-borne diseases, separate from having Lyme (Borrelia) infection.

But there are more significant updates than our name change. Version 4

  • Emphasizes plant-based foods recommendations in Part 2. Diet;
  • Promotes healthy intestinal microbiome—even on antibiotics with a new Part 3. Healthy Intestinal Microbiome; and
  • Includes an herbal antibiotic only option to treat the three Bs (Borrelia, Bartonella, and Babesia) simultaneously in Part 12. Lyme Infection and Part 13. Bartonella & Babesia Infections.
  • Moves lifestyle, and related areas, of sleep, diet, healthy intestinal microbiome, and exercise to the front of the protocol to emphasize the key role these areas have in recovery.

Introduction

These are support and treatment guidelines to treat chronic Lyme or tick-borne infections. This protocol addresses most problems that keep a person from getting well. It is more comprehensive than the antibiotic focused Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA), International Lyme and Associated Disease Society (ILADS), and United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. While herbal and prescription antibiotics may decrease the germ load in chronic Lyme and tick-borne infections, they often do not correct the underlying problems that cause ongoing symptoms.

The Ross Lyme Support Protocol includes essential steps for the beginning and throughout a chronic Lyme disease or tick-borne infection treatment. It is designed to:

  • boost the immune system,
  • improve detoxification,
  • speed recovery,
  • kill the infections, and
  • protect and repair from the harmful effects of the infections and the herbal or prescription antibiotics.

While the following Lyme disease and tick-borne infection treatment approach focuses on a limited number of areas, it may correct most of the problems like:

  • low energy,
  • pain,
  • insomnia,
  • brain, neurologic, and thinking problems (brain fog), and
  • immune compromise and suppression.

Herxheimer Reactions. When a person starts a Lyme disease or tick-borne infection treatment or changes herbal and prescription antibiotics, it is common to experience some worsening in symptoms. See Herxheimer Die-off Reaction: Inflammation Run Amok for more information about this and the steps you can take to treat it.

Treatment Length and Persistence. Generally, it takes a minimum of six months to see if these supports and treatments will help. Supplements can speed recovery, but treating Lyme still takes time. Once you have marked improvement, then you can likely stop many of these nutritional supports except for probiotics, curcumin, ashwagandha, and a good multivitamin. See Getting Healthy: Will I? When? How Do I? for more information about Lyme disease and tick-borne infection treatment length and persistence.

About Supplements. Throughout this protocol I include supplements as nutritional supports based on their known functions. Basic research and my clinical experience show they may help the various symptoms and problems in Lyme disease and tick-borne infections.  (See link for article)

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**Comment**

Lots of great info here.

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Category:

Babesia, Bartonella, Detoxing, diet and nutrition, Lyme, Pain Management, Sleep, Supplements, Treatment

The Mind Blowing Truth About Bartonella: Dr. Ed Breitschwerdt

http://

The Mind Blowing Truth About Bartonella Most Doctors Don’t Know

Apr 18, 2024 Lyme Insider Podcast Episodes

Dive into the complex world of Bartonella with Dr. Ed Breitschwerdt, a leading veterinary researcher. Unravel the challenges of diagnosing this elusive bacteria, from understanding its diverse transmission vectors to exploring advanced detection methods like digital PCR. Gain insights into the pathophysiology of chronic Bartonella infections and its potential neuropsychiatric manifestations through intriguing case studies. Discover the intricate interplay between acute and chronic phases, antibody production, and the prevalence of different strains that can impact test results. Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your expertise in managing Bartonella and its intricate implications for human health.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

00:42 Interest in Bartonella Research

05:38 Challenges and Unique Aspects of Bartonella

08:37 Transmission of Bartonella

11:11 Vectors and Transmission to Humans

14:58 Prevalence of Bartonella and Challenges in Diagnosis

29:35 Chronic Bartonella Infection and Recrudescence

32:20 Pathophysiology of Chronic Bartonella Infection

36:06 Diagnostic Challenges and Digital PCR

41:13 Challenges in Accurate Diagnosis

42:02 Different Results from Different Labs

42:16 Different Isolates of the Organism

43:42 Prevalence of Bartonella Henselae Strains

44:41 Patients Stop Making Antibodies

45:56 Interplay Between Acute and Chronic Infections

46:45 Serofast State in Bartonella Henselae

47:21 Exposure to Bartonella Species

48:19 Testing Blood Donors for Bartonella

49:47 Role of Bartonella in Neurologic Diseases

52:43 Symptoms of Bartonella Infection

54:03 Understanding Bartonella on a Cellular Basis

57:34 Developing a Diagnostic Test for Bartonella

01:00:09 Vaccine Target for Bartonella

01:11:44 Protecting the Human-Animal Bond

01:18:03 Future Goals: Diagnostic Test and Vaccine

Learn more about my guest: Dr. Ed Breitschwerdt, DVM , DACVIM Learn more about Dr. Breitschwerdt and his work at NC State University- https://globalhealth.cvm.ncsu.edu/fac…

Learn more about Dr. Breitschwerdt’s work at Galaxy Diagnostics- https://www.galaxydx.com/

Donate to the NC State Bartonella/Vector Borne Research Fund- https://securelb.imodules.com/s/1209/…

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Bartonella, research, Testing, vaccines

Post-COVID Reactivation of Latent Bartonella: A Case Report & Literature Review

https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-024-09336-7

Case Report

Open access

Published: 

Post-COVID reactivation of latent Bartonella henselae infection: a case report and literature review

Yanzhao Dong, Ahmad Alhaskawi, Xiaodi Zou, Haiying Zhou, Sohaib Hasan Abdullah Ezzi, Vishnu Goutham Kota, Mohamed Hasan Abdulla Hasan Abdulla, Alenikova Olga, Sahar Ahmed Abdalbary & Hui Lu

BMC Infectious Diseases volume 24, Article number: 422 (2024) Cite this article

Abstract

Cat scratch disease (CSD) is caused by Bartonella henselae (B. henselae) and presents as lymphadenopathy following close contact with cats. However, in context of the global COVID-19 pandemic, clinical manifestations of CSD may vary, posing new challenges for healthcare professionals. Here we describe a case of a 54-year-old male with painful left upper arm mass, which gradually resolved until he was infected with COVID-19. The mass then rapidly progressed before admission. Meanwhile, pulmonary symptoms including pleural effusion emerged simultaneously. The cause was undetermined with routine blood culture and pathological test until the next generation sequencing (NGS) confirmed the presence of B. henselae. We believe this case is the first to report localized aggravation of CSD after COVID-19 infection and hopefully, offers treatment experience for clinicians worldwide.

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**Comment**

On a personal note: both my husband and I required Bartonella treatment for a relapse after COVID.  What the abstract does not mention is if this patient received the mRNA gene therapy shot which would complicate matters even more. Since his presentation was in January of 2023, he very well could have had multiple shots.

While the case report was about a severe Bartonella manifestation, please know Bartonella can present a million different ways.  Please read:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/04/24/human-bartonellosis-an-underappreciated-public-health-problem/

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Category:

Bartonella, research, Treatment, Viruses

Antibodies to Borrelia Burgdorferi and Bartonella Species in Serum and synovial fluid From People With Rheumatic Diseases

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/378974250_Antibodies_to_Borrelia_burgdorferi_and_Bartonella_species_in_serum_and_synovial_fluid_from_people_with_rheumatic_diseases

Antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi and Bartonella species in serum and synovial fluid from people with rheumatic diseases

March 2024

Microbiology Spectrum 12(4):e0165323

DOI:10.1128/spectrum.01653-23

License  CC BY 4.0

Authors:
Lisa Kim
Erin Lashnits
Edward B Breitschwerdt
Amanda Elam

Abstract and Figures

Vector-borne infections may underlie some rheumatic diseases, particularly in people with joint effusions. This study aimed to compare serum and synovial fluid antibodies to B. burgdorferi and Bartonella spp. in patients with rheumatic diseases. This observational, cross-sectional study examined paired synovial fluid and serum specimens collected from 110 patients with joint effusion between October 2017 and January 2022. Testing for antibodies to B. burgdorferi (using CDC criteria) and Bartonella spp. via two indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) assays was performed as part of routine patient care at the Institute for Specialized Medicine (San Diego, CA, USA). There were 30 participants (27%) with positive two-tier B. burgdorferi serology and 26 participants (24%) with IFA seroreactivity (≥1:256) to B. henselae and/or B. quintana. Both B. burgdorferi IgM and IgG were detected more frequently in synovial fluid than serum: 27% of patients were either IgM or IgG positive in synovial fluid, compared to 15.5% in serum (P = 0.048). Conversely, B. henselae and B. quintana antibodies were detected more frequently in serum than synovial fluid; overall only 2% of patients had positive IFA titers in synovial fluid, compared to 24% who had positive IFA titers in serum (P < 0.001). There were no significant associations between B. burgdorferi or Bartonella spp. seroreactivity with any of the clinical rheumatological diagnoses. This study provides preliminary support for the importance of synovial fluid antibody testing for documenting exposure to B. burgdorferi but not for documenting exposure to Bartonella spp.
IMPORTANCE This study focuses on diagnostic testing for two common vector-borne diseases in an affected patient population. In it, we provide data showing that antibodies to B. burgdorferi, but not Bartonella spp., are more commonly found in synovial fluid than serum of patients with joint effusion. Since Lyme arthritis is a common—and sometimes difficult to diagnose—rheumatic disease, improving diagnostic capabilities is of utmost importance. While our findings are certainly not definitive for changes to practice, they do suggest that synovial fluid could be a useful sample for the clinical diagnosis of Lyme disease, and future prospective studies evaluating this claim are warranted.
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Bartonella, Lyme, research, Testing

Immunosuppression Has Doubled & Immune Compromised Mice More Susceptible to Bartonella

https://lymediseaseassociation.org/news/increased-immunosuppression-in-us-adults/

Increased Immunosuppression in US Adults

JAMA Network (Martinson, M.L. and Lapham, J.) 02.15.2024, published “Prevalence of Immunosuppression Among US Adults.” In this study, researchers found that immunosuppression in adults has increased in the past 8 years (2013-2021) through self-assessment reporting. The previous national estimate from 2013 was 2.7%, while the 2021 national estimate increased to 6.6%. Authors suggest that COVID 19 may have played a role in this increase.

The patterns in the distribution were similar in 2013 and 2012 for immunosuppression by sex, race, and age. Immunosuppression prevalence for women (7.9%) was higher than for men (5.2%). The highest rates of immunosuppression were found for American Indian or Alaska Native respondents (8.4%); White respondents (7.4%); and aged 60 to 69 years respondents (9.5%).

Authors note, as this population is at increased risk from viral and bacterial infections, increase of prevalence is an important consideration for public health in the US that would benefit from further study.

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Read JAMA Network Article

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0297280

A comparison of Bartonella henselae infection in immunocompetent and immunocompromised mice

Rebekah L. Bullard, Mercedes Cheslock, Shiva Kumar Goud Gadila, Ricardo G. Maggi, Edward B. Breitschwerdt, Ahmad A. Saied, Monica E. Embers

Published: February 12, 2024

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0297280

Abstract

Bartonellosis refers to disease caused by the Bartonella genus of bacteria. The breadth of disease manifestations associated with Bartonella is currently expanding and includes regional lymphadenopathy, rheumatic, ocular, and neurological disorders. The dearth of knowledge regarding diagnosis, treatment and pathogenesis of this disease can be partially attributed to the lack of a reliable small animal model for the disease. For this study, Bartonella henselae, the most common species associated with human disease, was injected into Swiss Webster (SW) mice. When the outcome indicated that productive infection did not occur, SCID/Beige (immune compromised) mice were inoculated. While SW mice may potentially harbor an acute infection, less than 10 days in length, the SCID/Beige model provided a sustained infection lasting up to 30-days. These data indicate that SCID/Beige mice can provide a model to study Bartonella infection, therapeutics, and vector dynamics in the future.

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Category:

Bartonella, research