Archive for the ‘Borrelia Miyamotoi (Relapsing Fever Group)’ Category

Monitoring Roadkill for Borrelia Genospecies

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33266311/

Hedgehogs, Squirrels, and Blackbirds as Sentinel Hosts for Active Surveillance of Borrelia miyamotoi and Borrelia burgdorferi Complex in Urban and Rural Environments

Karolina Majerová 1 2, Václav Hönig 2 3, Michal Houda 4, Petr Papežík 5, Manoj Fonville 6, Hein Sprong 6, Natalie Rudenko 2, Maryna Golovchenko 2, Barbora Černá Bolfíková 7, Pavel Hulva 8 9, Daniel Růžek 2 3, Lada Hofmannová 5, Jan Votýpka 1 2 10, David Modrý 2 5 11
Affiliations expand

PMID: 33266311DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8121908

Free article

Abstract

Lyme borreliosis (LB), caused by spirochetes of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) complex, is one of the most common vector-borne zoonotic diseases in Europe. Knowledge about the enzootic circulation of Borrelia pathogens between ticks and their vertebrate hosts is epidemiologically important and enables assessment of the health risk for the human population. In our project, we focused on the following vertebrate species:

  • European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus)
  • Northern white-breasted hedgehog (E. roumanicus)
  • Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)
  • Common blackbird (Turdus merula).

The cadavers of accidentally killed animals used in this study constitute an available source of biological material, and we have confirmed its potential for wide monitoring of B. burgdorferi s.l. presence and genospecies diversity in the urban environment.

High infection rates were observed in all four target host species; mixed infections by several genospecies were detected on the level of individuals, as well as in particular tissue samples.
  • 90% for E. erinaceus
  • 73% for E. roumanicus
  • 91% for S. vulgaris
  • 68% for T. merula

These findings show the usefulness of multiple tissue sampling as tool for revealing the occurrence of several genospecies within one animal and the risk of missing particular B. burgdorferi s.l. genospecies when looking in one organ alone.

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**Comment**

You have to admire their tenacity!

And this needs to be done on human autopsies!  The high infection rates aren’t surprising because they are looking in multiple tissues.  This should be shared widely as a reason why human patients are not getting the attention they deserve.

This doctor shows how Lyme is in tissues and doesn’t hang out long in the blood:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/12/15/lyme-disease-is-a-small-vessel-disease-dr-klemann/  This is why serology testing and short-term treatments don’t work.

Category:

Borrelia Miyamotoi (Relapsing Fever Group), Lyme, research, Testing

How Many “Negative” Lyme Tests Are Due to B. Miyamotoi?

https://www.lymedisease.org/lyme-sci-miyamotoi-or-lyme/

LYME SCI: How many “negative” Lyme tests are due to B. miyamotoi?

By Lonnie Marcum

July 20, 2020

is it lyme or something else
Do you have all the symptoms of Lyme disease but test negative? Besides the fact the standard test for Lyme misses half the cases, there may be another reason—Borrelia miyamotoi.

A new study out of San Francisco State University (SFSU) has found more Borrelia miyamotoi than Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease) in Ixodes pacificus ticks in some areas of Northern California.

Borrelia miyamotoi disease poses a difficult problem for patients and doctors who are unfamiliar with it. Its symptoms may present as viral-like or Lyme-like and there is currently no FDA-approved test.

What is Borrelia miyamotoi?

The family of tick-borne Borrelia is divided into two broad groups that correspond to the disease manifestations they cause in humans: Lyme disease or relapsing fever. Borrelia miyamotoi is in the tick-borne relapsing fever group (TBRF).

Unlike B. miyamotoi, most North American TBRF species (B. hermsii, B. turicatae, B. parkeri), are transmitted by soft-bodied ticks.

B. miyamotoi is different. It’s transmitted by the same blacklegged tick that carries Lyme disease and several other pathogens.

Furthermore, B. miyamotoi can be transmitted from the adult female tick to her eggs. This is called transovarial transmission. It means that baby ticks can be infected with B. miyamotoi from the get-go.

In contrast, blacklegged ticks don’t start out being infected with Lyme. They must acquire the infection by feeding on an animal that carries it—such as a mouse or squirrel.

The research and findings

For the SFSU study, researchers collected 1,358 Ixodes pacificus ticks and 370 rodents from eight different sites in Northern California from April to May 2018. The ticks included 894 larvae, 281 nymphs and 183 adults.

On average the following tested positive for B. miyamotoi:

  • 0.11% of the larvae
  • 4.98% of nymphs
  • 8.74% of the adult ticks

With the prevalence of infection increasing at each life stage of the tick, and each stage including one blood meal, the researchers estimate that horizontal transmission (from mammal to tick) accounts for 97% of B. miyamotoi infection in nymphal ticks and 43% of infection in adult ticks.

Interestingly, the researchers detected B. burgdorferi in 9.86% of nymph and 2.33% of the adult I. pacificus ticks—a decrease in prevalence of 76% from one life stage to the next. In addition, an average of 5.21% of the mice had blood that tested positive for B. miyamotoi.

During the same time, researchers also took skin biopsies from the ears of the rodents they had collected, and examined them for the presence of miyamotoi infection and Lyme.  They found more B. miyamotoi in the blood samples and more B. burgdorferi in the skin.

This matches with other types of TBRF, which are more easily detected in human blood samples, especially when the person is symptomatic. In contrast, Lyme disease is harder to detect in blood samples after it disseminates throughout the body.

The SFSU authors conclude, “the human risk of B. miyamotoi in the western USA may be even greater than B. burgdorferi in certain disease hot spots.”
How this study compares

The SFSU study only included counties around the San Francisco Bay Area. However, a prior California Department of Public Health 12-year study found B. miyamotoi in I. pacificus ticks in 24 out of 48 California counties.

Another study published in 2018 by Professor Robert Lane, along with researchers at UC Berkeley and Yale, examined a biobank of frozen blood samples. The results showed that 26 out of 101 samples collected from residents of Mendocino County, California, in the 1980s were reactive for relapsing fever borreliosis, including B. miyamotoi.

Similarly, another study published in 2018 looked at blood samples drawn from patients in 25 California counties. The results showed positive testing for TBRF in 16 of those counties, with the highest rates of positivity coming from Santa Clara, Alameda, Marin and San Francisco.

That study used a novel laboratory technique that can detect multiple species of TBRF. Co-author Jyotsna Shaw, of IGeneX, Inc., says “we hope that these techniques can be used to develop accurate FDA-approved tests for the future.”

A hidden epidemic?

B. miyamotoi was discovered in ticks more than 20 years ago in Japan. But it wasn’t proven to cause illness in humans until 2011, when the first human cases were reported in Russia.

It is now known to be widespread in North America, wherever Ixodes scapularis ticks and Ixodes pacificus ticks are found.

Unfortunately, Borrelia miyamotoi disease (BMD) is not reportable to the CDC, and the standard test for Lyme disease will not detect it. Because of this, many patients are likely going undiagnosed, and therefore we really have no idea how widespread the illness is.

The symptoms of Borrelia Miyamotoi Disease (BMD)

(according to the CDC)

Symptoms

  • Fever
  • Chills
  • Fatigue
  • Severe headache
  • Muscle or joint pain
  • Dizziness, confusion, vertigo (uncommon)
  • Rash (uncommon)
  • Shortness of breath (uncommon)
  • Nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and anorexia (uncommon)

A recent feature in the New York Times discusses a difficult case where a patient tested negative for Lyme and many other conditions. Medical detective work by Dr. Brian Fallon of the  Columbia Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Center eventually determined that she suffered from B. miyamotoi. (She tested negative for Lyme disease. So what was wrong?)

LymeSci is written by Lonnie Marcum, a Licensed Physical Therapist and mother of a daughter with Lyme. Follow her on Twitter: @LonnieRhea  Email her at: lmarcum@lymedisease.org .

References

Sambado, S., J. Salomon, A. Crews, and A. Swei. (2020) Mixed transmission modes promote persistence of an emerging tick-borne pathogen. Ecosphere 11(6):e03171. 10.1002/ecs2.3171

Krause PJ, Carroll M, Fedorova N, Brancato J, Dumouchel C, Akosa F, et al. (2018) Human Borrelia miyamotoi infection in California: Serodiagnosis is complicated by multiple endemic Borrelia species. PLoS ONE 13(2): e0191725. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0191725

Padgett K, Bonilla D, Kjemtrup A, Vilcins I-M, Yoshimizu MH, Hui L, et al. (2014) Large Scale Spatial Risk and Comparative Prevalence of Borrelia miyamotoi and Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato in Ixodes pacificus. PLoS ONE 9(10): e110853. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0110853

Jeomhee Mun, Rebecca J. Eisen, Lars Eisen, Robert S. Lane (2006) Detection of a Borrelia miyamotoi Sensu Lato Relapsing-Fever Group Spirochete from Ixodes pacificus in California , Journal of Medical Entomology, 43 (1) 120–123, https://doi.org/10.1093/jmedent/43.1.120

Geoffrey E Lynn, Christine B Graham, Kalanthe Horiuchi, Lars Eisen, Tammi L Johnson, Robert S Lane, Rebecca J Eisen (2018) Prevalence and Geographic Distribution of Borrelia miyamotoi in Host-Seeking Ixodes pacificus (Acari: Ixodidae) Nymphs in Mendocino County, California, Journal of Medical Entomology, 55(3), 711–716, https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjx258

Borrelia miyamotoi Disease | Tick-borne Diseases | Ticks | CDC https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/tickbornediseases/borrelia-miyamotoi.html

Test Order | Submitting Specimens to CDC | Infectious Diseases Laboratories | CDC https://www.cdc.gov/laboratory/specimen-submission/detail.html?CDCTestCode=CDC-10532 via @CDCgov

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**Comment**
 
 
Since Borrelia miyamotoi is not a reportable illness to the CDC, no one has any clue about prevalence but reports are coming in continually that it’s highly likely to be a much bigger problem than ‘authorities’ believe.
 
It was recently discovered that:

Also, Borrelia miyamotoi has been in California ticks for a long time:

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/02/15/b-miyamotoi-in-ca-ticks-for-a-long-time/

The following case shows how you can become infected while traveling:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/10/24/a-case-of-borrelia-miyamotoi/

For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/11/18/what-you-need-to-know-about-borrelia-miyamotoi/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/06/17/borrelia-miyamotoi-infection-in-a-highly-endemic-area-of-lyme-disease/

Category:

Borrelia Miyamotoi (Relapsing Fever Group), Lyme, research, Testing

New Discovery May Explain Treatment-Resistance in Chronic Lyme Disease

https://biologixcenter.com/uncategorized/new-discovery-may-explain-treatment-resistance-in-chronic-lyme-disaease/

Lyme-lab-test-tube

New Discovery May Explain Treatment-Resistance in Chronic Lyme Disease

By

New, more sensitive, and precise testing reveals a troubling finding in the treatment of Lyme disease. As this study reveals, many doctors may often be prescribing the incorrect antibiotics, due to the narrow focus on B. burgdorferi. In twenty-seven people from sixteen states, 96% were found to have other Borrelia strains than B. burgdorferi, many of which cannot be treated with the same antibiotics.

Limitations of Conventional Lyme Testing

Treatment-resistant, chronic and apparent relapsing Lyme disease (borreliosis), with its oft associated co-infections which worsen the illness, though once debated, is now well-documented in the scientific literature. Chronic Lyme disease has reached the true status of a global pandemic, though largely unappreciated by the media and mainstream medicine.

Conventional iagnostic lab testing, such as Western Blot, ELISA, and Conventional Bacteria PCR testing for the dectectin of Borrelia spirochete of Lyme disease has had limited success. Most types of conventional tests having high false-negative results, with as little as 30% sensitivity, meaning as much as 70% of people tested, actually have the infection, but never get treatment due to their lab test coming back negative. These people fall between the cracks of medicine as their body and lives fall apart as doctors do not know what is wrong with them, assuming the tests were correct. (See Fig. 1)

image001-e1600465037956

Fig. 1

The painful reality is that conventional labs which are not focused solely on testing for Lyme disease, often are not as diligent in their testing, not getting paid more to find the bacteria or not, and seeming to forget that there is a real and desperate person at the other end of the blood test. Unfortunately beyond this, the medico-political environment regarding the existence of chronic Lyme disease also gets in the way of getting many, if not most conventional physicians to order the test, even at the pleading of their patients.

New Testing Pinpoints Acute and Chronic Infections

In 2019 a new, highly sensitive test (See Fig. 1 Phage Test) was developed by the University of Leicester, in England, and performed by the R.E.D Laboratory, for the diagnosis of Borrelia infections. This test is so sensitive and the testing process so rigorous, that the test is nearing 100% accurate, at >80% sensitivity to detecting not just the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi, but all of the 20 types of Borrelia that can cause tick-borne and vector-borne illness. This test is call the Phelix Borrelia-Phage Test, and is such a breath of fresh air in that the test results come back not with encrypted, hard to determine bands, as in Lyme Western Blot tests, but instead clearly state, Positive or Negative and the exact type of Borrelia infection or multiple types of Borrelia strains that you have, without needing your doctor to interpret the results. Doctors in the United States or any other country can order this test.

Testing from Many Regions and States in the U.S.

The world is a much smaller place than many appreciate. It is commonly, although mistakenly thought that some of the twenty Borrelia bacteria strains are only in Europe, or only in Asia, or only in certain regions of the U.S. As this study demonstrates, only one person had B. burgdorferi in the group of 27 people in this study.

Armed with the newest and most sensitive Borrelia test, we undertook a retrospective study of 27 people from 16 different states (see Fig. 2) to achieve a wide view of what types of Borrelia infections people actually had in the different parts of the country. The results were unexpected, as the graphs and figures in this article demonstrate. The pre-study expectation was that people with chronic Lyme disease, especially in the U.S., would be infected with Borrelia burgdorferi.

Phelix-test-results-by-state-graph

Fig. 2

Results of 27 People with Positive Borrelia-Phage Tests

As seen in Fig. 3 below, many people had one or multiple strains of Borrelia. The vast majority, 52% (14 people) had Borrelia miyamotoi, followed by 42% (11 people) having Borrelia strains that fall under the category of Relapsing Fever group. Relapsing Fever group is illness from one or more of the following strains of Borrelia, B. hermsii, B. recurrentis, B. crocidurae, B. duttonii. After the Relapsing Fever group, 19% (5 people) had Borrelia hermsii, and only one person in the group had B. burgdorferi.

Phelix-test-results-graph

Fig. 3

Conclusion

The implications of this review are that Borrelia burgdorferi is likely not the primary culprit in many cases of chronic Lyme disease in the United States, as was previously thought. The other huge takeaway from this study is that many if not most people are not receiving the correct treatment, since the antibiotics typically used for B. burgdorferi are not the same as those used for other strains of Borrelia.

The specific strain of Borrelia bacteria cannot reliably be determined using bands on a Western Blot test. Any lab test that is focusing only upon B. burgdorferi, will miss the true diagnosis of other strains of Borrelia.

The Phelix Borrelia-Phage test is just one of a new breed of phage-based lab tests that will likely become the gold-standard of all bacterial testing. It would be advisable for anyone who suspects that they have or had Lyme disease, yet have either been told they are negative, or who have lingering symptoms to be tested again with the Phelix test.

Our view of what symptoms are typical of classic Lyme disease, based upon the B. burgdorferi model, needs to be expanded to include the symptoms that are unique to the other strains of Borrelia, as their presentation can be quite different, as well as their vectors not being always a tick.

Phage-based Testing and Now Phage-based, Strain-Specific Treatment

Treatments for B. burgdorferi, should be expanded to include the actual type or multiple types of Borrelia actually infecting a person. Although antibiotics, which can be likened to carpet-bombing, killing many bad bacteria, the Borrelia always causes the bad bacteria to mutate. This means the all types of bacteria lose some of their aspects that make it vulnerable to the antibiotics, not to mention the fact that antibiotics are notorious damaging to irreparably upset the populations of the friendly flora (microbiome) of the body, and cause prolonged and severe suffering through Jarische-Herxheimer reactions (Herx). A new Borrelia-phage-based targeted treatment has been developed that has been documented by repeated Phelix Borrelia-Phage testing, to rapidly eliminate only the types of Borrelia a person has been found positive, with no harm to the body, with minimal Herx reactions, and no harm to good bacteria.

Ruling out False-Positives and False-Negatives with Phelix Borrelia-Phage Testing

The Phelix Borrelia-Phage test is the premier, newest, most sensitive Borrelia lab test available. The Phelix test is statistically the most accurate test, as each blood sample undergoes quadruplicate real-time PCR tests for 3 different targets (B. burgdorferi sl, B. miyamotoi, Relapsing fever) for a total of 12 assessments. All positive-like samples are submitted to confirmatory sequencing to rule out false positive results. Before the Phage real-time PCRs, each sample is submitted to 2 rounds of QC to rule out false-negative results that would relate to the technical flaws: (i) to assess the quality of extracted DNA by performing low cycles actin PCR, and (ii) to assess the absence of PCR inhibitors by doing a real-time PCR for IAC (internal amplification control).

Ongoing Development of INPT at the Biologix Center

INPT was developed by Phagen Corp. and is being used at the Biologix Center for Optimum Health, as a part of an IRB study, to go beyond Borrelia and target any microbial issue, including all of the co-infections associated with Lyme disease, as well as Candida sp., mold, and parasite infections, however at this time the only lab test for detecting bacteria-specific phages is for Borrelia strains.

The future of INPT includes intravenous and injectable forms of application, in addition to the oral medication, through doctors only. INPT is not projected to be sold directly to the public at this time.

To Get Treatment:

If you would like to participate in our one to two week INPT programs please contact us at www.biologixcenter.com/get-treatment/. Financial assistance is available for those with chronic illness of any type, who desire treatment at Biologix Center and are struggling financially.

A more detailed report of these findings are presently being edited for publication in peer-reviewed article submission.

Bartonella Research Collaboration

The Biologix Center is collaborating with researchers who are working to develop phage lab tests for Bartonella and other types of microbes. The Phelix Bartonella-Phage Test is hoped to be offered before the end of 2020. If you have been diagnosed with Bartonella and would like to contribute a blood sample for the development of this new test, please let us know. Offer available only to patients of the Biologix Center who have been pre-qualified by our testing.

To learn more about Bacteriophages and INPT please click on the hyperlink.

*INPT is a patent-pending innovation developed by Phagen Corp, and is being researched at the Biologix Center for Optimum Health, in Franklin, Tennessee. A patient-funded, Retrospective Registry IRB is in place to publish peer-reviewed articles as this clinical work progresses. Approximately 98% of funds go to support the ongoing research.

There are no financial or academic conflicts to be reported between Biologix Center for Optimum Health and RED Laboratories.

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For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/11/30/neglected-infections-gastrointestinal-issues-in-patients-with-late-vector-borne-infections/  The Borrelia-phage test is discussed within this link as well as the research showing:

  • Among positive ticks, 60% were for B. miyamotoi.
  • Testing on over 2,000 humans (mainly late stage/chronic patients) showed 30% negative results and 70% positive, among which over 60% indicated the presence of specific Borrelia miyamotoi phages.
It appears Borrelia Miyamotoi is far more prevalent than thought, and is yet another example of something our public ‘authorities’ have labeled ‘rare’ that isn’t.

 

Category:

Borrelia Miyamotoi (Relapsing Fever Group), Lyme, research, Testing, Treatment

Ticks Climb the Mountains: Ixodes Tick Infestation and Infection by Tick-Borne Pathogens

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32723635/

. 2020 Sep;11(5):101489.

doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101489.Epub 2020 Jun 8.

Ticks climb the mountains: Ixodid tick infestation and infection by tick-borne pathogens in the Western Alps

Aitor Garcia-Vozmediano 1, Aleksandra Iwona Krawczyk 2, Hein Sprong 3, Luca Rossi 4, Elisa Ramassa 5, Laura Tomassone 6

Abstract

In mountain areas of northwestern Italy, ticks were rarely collected in the past. In recent years, a marked increase in tick abundance has been observed in several Alpine valleys, together with more frequent reports of Lyme borreliosis. We then carried out a four-year study to assess the distribution and abundance of ticks and transmitted pathogens and determine their altitudinal limit in a natural park area in Piedmont region.

  • Ixodes ricinus (castor bean tick) and Dermacentor marginatus (ornate sheep tick) were collected from both the vegetation and hunted wild ungulates.
  • Tick abundance was significantly associated with altitude, habitat type and signs of animal presence, roe deer’s in particular.
  • Ixodes ricinus prevailed in distribution and abundance and, although their numbers decreased with increasing altitude, we recorded the presence of all active life stages of up to around 1700 m a.s.l., with conifers as the second most infested habitat after deciduous woods.
  • Molecular analyses demonstrated the infection of questing I. ricinus nymphs with B. burgdorferi sensu lato (15.5 %), Rickettsia helvetica and R. monacensis (20.7%), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (1.9 %), Borrelia miyamotoi (0.5 %) and Neoehrlichia mikurensis (0.5 %).
  • One third of the questing D. marginatus were infected with R. slovaca.
  • We observed a spatial aggregation of study sites infested by B. burgdorferi s.l. infected ticks below 1400 m. Borrelia-infected nymphs prevailed in open areas, while SFG rickettsiae prevalence was higher in coniferous and deciduous woods.
  • Interestingly, prevalence of SFG rickettsiae in ticks doubled above 1400 m, and R. helvetica was the only pathogen detected above 1800 m a.s.l.
  • Tick infestation on hunted wild ungulates indicated the persistence of tick activity during winter months and, when compared to past studies, confirmed the recent spread of I. ricinus in the area.

Our study provides new insights into the population dynamics of ticks in the Alps and confirms a further expansion of ticks to higher altitudes in Europe. We underline the importance of adopting a multidisciplinary approach in order to develop effective strategies for the surveillance of tick-borne diseases, and inform the public about the hazard posed by ticks, especially in recently invaded areas.

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**Comment**

Not that ticks can’t climb mountains – but migrating birds probably dropped them there:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/11/07/ticks-on-the-move-due-to-migrating-birds-and-photoperiod-not-climate-change/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/03/09/danish-study-shows-migrating-birds-are-spreading-ticks-their-pathogens-including-places-without-sustainable-tick-populations/

Regarding R. slovaca:

We also identified a case of R. slovaca infection in southern Rhineland-Palatinate. The patient reported a tick bite; the tick was identified as Dermacentor spp. Fever, lymphadenopathy of submandibular lymph nodes, and exanthema at the site of the tick bite developed 7 days later. Serologic examinations by using an immunofluorescent test (Focus Diagnostics, Cypress, CA, USA) showed antibody titers of 64 for immunoglobulin (Ig) M and 1,024 for IgG against rickettsiae of the spotted fever group. These results indicated an acute rickettsial infection. Because of strong cross-reactivity among all species in the spotted fever group, we cannot differentiate between antibodies against R. slovaca and other species in this group.  https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/15/12/09-0843_article

 

 

 

Category:

Anaplasmosis, Borrelia Miyamotoi (Relapsing Fever Group), Ehrlichiosis, Lyme, research, Rickettsia, Uncategorized

Borrelia Miyamotoi Infection in a Highly Endemic Area of Lyme Disease

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7260789/

Published online 2020 May 30. doi: 10.1186/s12941-020-00364-0
PMCID: PMC7260789
PMID: 32473652

Presence of Borrelia miyamotoi infection in a highly endemic area of Lyme disease

Luis A. Marcos,corresponding author1,2 Kalie Smith,1 Kelsey Reardon,1 Fredric Weinbaum,3 and Eric D. Spitzer4

Abstract

A series of cases in the Northeast of the US during 2013–2015 described a new Borrelia species, Borrelia miyamotoi, which is transmitted by the same tick species that transmits Lyme disease and causes a relapsing fever-like illness. The geographic expansion of B. miyamotoi in the US also extends to other Lyme endemic areas such as the Midwestern US. Co-infections with other tick borne diseases (TBD) may contribute to the severity of the disease. On Long Island, NY, 3–5% of ticks are infected by B. miyamotoi, but little is known about the frequency of B. miyamotoi infections in humans in this particular region. The aim of this study was to perform a chart review in all patients diagnosed with B. miyamotoi infection in Stony Brook Medicine (SBM) system to describe the clinical and epidemiological features of B. miyamotoi infection in Suffolk County, NY. In a 5 year time period (2013–2017), a total of 28 cases were positive for either IgG EIA (n = 19) or PCR (n = 9).

All 9 PCR-positive cases (median age: 67; range: 22–90 years) had clinical findings suggestive of acute or relapsing infection.

All these patients were thought to have a TBD, prompting the healthcare provider to order the TBD panel which includes a B. miyamotoi PCR test.

In conclusion, B. miyamotoi infection should be considered in the differential diagnosis for flu-like syndromes during the summer after a deer tick bite and to prevent labeling a case with Lyme disease.

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**Comment**

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/09/04/borrelia-miyamotoi-in-immunocompetent-patient/

Dr. Cameron states:  “Until now, there have been no treatment guidelines for B. miyamotoi and regimes have been empirically based on the treatment for Lyme disease. ‘The antimicrobial susceptibility of B. miyamotoi has not yet been elucidated, due to difficulties with cultivation of B. miyamotoi spirochetes in vitro,’ according to Koetsveld.  http://danielcameronmd.com/best-antibiotics-treat-borrelia-miyamotoi/  The study authors demonstrated that B. miyamotoi is susceptible to doxycycline, azithromycin, and ceftriaxone but resistant to amoxicillin in vitro. The next step would be to show whether these drugs work in patients.”

For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/category/borrelia-miyamotoi-relapsing-fever-group/http://danielcameronmd.com/dont-count-on-a-relapsing-fever-to-diagnose-borrelia-miyamotoi/
“You might assume a patient infected with Borrelia miyamotoi, a relapsing fever spirochete, to present with a relapsing fever. However, your assumption would be wrong 48 out of 50 times, according to a case series published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. [1] The authors found that only 2 out of 50 patients infected with the relapsing spirochete B. miyamotoi actually presented with a relapsing fever. [1]….The individuals exhibited symptoms similar to those found in other tick-borne illnesses.
The majority presented with headaches, myalgias, arthralgias, and malaise/fatigue. ‘More than 50% were suspected of having sepsis, and 24% required hospitalization,’ states Molloy. [1]…..’Serologic testing using the rGlpQ EIA seems insensitive in diagnosing acute BMD infection given that it was positive for IgG or IgM in only 16% of the case patient samples at the time of clinical presentation,’ states Molloy. The rGlpQ was positive after the fact in 86% of the patients during convalescence. [1]….Elevated liver enzyme levels, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia were common in 75%, 60% and 51% respectively.
‘Borrelia miyamotoi disease may be clinically similar to or be confused with human anaplasmosis,’ according to Molloy….B. miyamotoi has emerged as a leading cause of hard tick-transmitted infections but lacks a clear diagnostic criteria. According to Molloy, “Infection with B. miyamotoi is the fifth recognized Ixodes-transmitted infection in the northeastern United States and should be part of the differential diagnosis of febrile patientsfrom areas where deer tick–transmitted infections are endemic.’”

Category:

Borrelia Miyamotoi (Relapsing Fever Group), Lyme, research