Archive for the ‘Lyme’ Category

Is MS an Infectious Disease?

The following link contains a collection of research on MS and infections including fungus, Lyme, parasites, and viruses.  Highly recommend.  The website is Pam Bartha’s who’s life was turned upside down at the age of 28 when she was diagnosed with MS.  She lost vision in one eye, was weak and had tingling in her legs, insomnia, and severe fatigue and headaches.  She was told by doctors there was nothing she could do but wait around and become disabled.  Her mother in law gave her a book that set her on a healing journey that continues today.  The book was “The Yeast Connection” by Dr. Crook.  In it he shared that he believed many diseases are actually caused by infections, especially the GI tract.  This doctor observed that when he treated the infections, his patients recovered. Go here to read Pam’s story as there are golden nuggets for all within and great recommendations.

Pam is a wellness researcher, educator and coach with a BS who is a certified teacher.  She offers a free consultation and personalized training on how to get your health back.  (I have no affiliation with this program and receive no monies)

https://livediseasefree.com/ms-infections/#multiple-sclerosis-and-lyme-disease

Multiple Sclerosis Infection – Is MS an Infectious Disease?

The following is an excerpt from Pam’s website.  Go to link for entire article

Multiple Sclerosis and Infection

Could Multiple Sclerosis be caused by infection? These studies and articles offer compelling evidence. Contact Us for more information.

Multiple Sclerosis and Infection
Multiple Sclerosis and Fungus
Multiple Sclerosis and Lyme Disease
Multiple Sclerosis and Parasites
Multiple Sclerosis and Viruses

1. Commensal microbiota and myelin autoantigen cooperate to trigger autoimmune demyelination.
Nature. 2011; 479(7374): 538-41. DOI: 10.1038/nature10554.

This study shows that microbes that live in the body (in particular the GI tract) are an essential factor in triggering the autoimmune response in MS and other diseases.

“Active multiple sclerosis lesions show inflammatory changes suggestive of a combined attack by autoreactive T and B lymphocytes against brain white matter. … The stimuli triggering this autoimmune conversion have been commonly attributed to environmental factors, in particular microbial infection. … We show that the commensal gut flora… is essential in triggering immune processes, leading to a relapsing-remitting autoimmune disease…“

2. Role of pathogens in multiple sclerosis.
International Reviews of Immunology. 2014; 33(4): 266-83. DOI: 10.3109/08830185.2013.823422.

This study states that “infectious pathogens (disease causing microbes) are the likely environmental factors involved in the development of MS.” It also identifies various microbes that are involved in the development of Multiple Sclerosis infection, which include various bacteria, parasites and viruses.

“Although the etiology of MS is unknown, genetic and environmental factors play a role. Infectious pathogens are the likely environmental factors involved in the development ofMultiple Sclerosis infection. Pathogens associated with the development or exacerbation of MS include bacteria, such as Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydia pneumoniae, the Staphylococcus aureus-produced enterotoxins that function as superantigens, viruses of the herpes virus (Epstein-Barr virus and human herpesvirus 6) and human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) families and the protozoa Acanthamoeba castellanii. Evidence, from studies with humans and animal models, supporting the association of these various pathogens with the development and/or exacerbation of MS will be discussed along with the potential mechanisms including molecular mimicry, epitope spreading and bystander activation. In contrast, infection with certain parasites such as helminthes (Schistosoma mansoni, Fasciola hepatica, Hymenolepis nana, Trichuris trichiura, Ascaris lumbricoides, Strongyloides stercolaris, Enterobius vermicularis) appears to protect against the development or exacerbation of MS… A complex interaction between the CNS (including the blood-brain barrier), multiple infections with various infectious agents (occurring in the periphery or within the CNS), and the immune response to those various infections may have to be deciphered before the etiology of MS can be fully understood.”

(See link for article)

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For more:

MS is another label that needs a better definition.  Since so many things can cause/exacerbate it, it’s a highly individual issue that needs to be approached as such.  There is no four-cornered box with this beast and you must be willing to go down many rabbit-holes to find answers.  This is a journey, not a destination.  There may be many issues that must be addressed in order to achieve health – just like with Lyme/MSIDS.

Category:

Activism, Candida, Lyme, Parasites, research, Viruses

Crypto-Infections Conference 2023: Lyme Disease & Other Hidden Infections

https://www.lymeresourcecentre.com/EUCIC2023

CRYPTO-INFECTIONS CONFERENCE 2023: LYME DISEASE & OTHER HIDDEN INFECTIONS

An invitation to the Third European

CRYPTO-INFECTIONS CONFERENCE: LYME DISEASE &
OTHER HIDDEN INFECTIONS BACTERIAL PERSISTENCE

Catherine Mc Auley Centre, 21 Nelson Street, Dublin 7, Ireland

SAVE THE DATE!

Friday 19th of May to Saturday 20th May 2023

HYBRID ATTENDANCE IN PERSON OR ONLINE

Join Zoom Meeting links will be provided before the event.

TO BOOK please use the following link:
BOOKING FORM

Aims and eligibility- Presenters can present in person or online.

Abstracts should contain original material from recent work that is not yet in publication. The conference encourages research on crypto infections as well as best practice examples and lessons learned. The theme of this year’s conference is Persistance of Infection.

Abstract categories
Please see below list of topics/ tracks available for submitted abstracts for Crypto-Infections 2023:

  1. Human studies
  2. Animal studies
  3. Epidemiology
  4. Diagnostics and therapeutics

For abstracts submitted by students, the registration for the conference will be waived, but all costs related to the conference participation should be covered by you, including flight and accommodation if you decide to attend in person.

Please send your abstract in pdf format to gavramovic@mater.ie by the 2nd May 2023. Word count limit is 250 words excluding title and authors. The abstract should contain the following sections: Title and Authors, Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion. Authors should indicate if they wish to apply for an oral presentation or poster only

Category:

Activism, Lyme, research

Long-Term Outcomes in Treated Lyme Carditis

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0146280621001547?via%3Dihub

Long-term Outcomes in Treated Lyme Carditis

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2021.100939Get rights and content

Abstract

Lyme disease is the most reported tick-borne illness in North America. Lyme carditis (LC) is an early-disseminated manifestation of Lyme disease, most commonly presenting as symptomatic high-degree atrioventricular block (AVB) which resolves with appropriate antibiotic therapy. However, long-term outcomes of treated LC have not previously been described. We present a series of 7 patients (median 28 years, 6 male) with serologically confirmed LC treated with a standard protocol developed at our center including antibiotics and pre-discharge stress test to assess AV node stability. At a mean follow-up of 20.8 months, all patients were asymptomatic, had resumed normal activities, and were free of conduction abnormalities. None required permanent pacing. Our study supports avoidance of permanent pacing for LC if conduction is stable at discharge.

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**Comment**

These patients were followed for a minimum of 12 months after hospital discharge and had no heart symptoms.  The researchers state there is no protocol for ongoing monitoring of these discharged patients that that long-term follow-up should be further explored.  I couldn’t agree more.

For more:

Category:

Heart Issues, Lyme, research, Treatment

Lyme Disease & Herxheimer Reaction in Newborn

https://danielcameronmd.com/lyme-disease-herxheimer-reaction-newborn/

LYME DISEASE AND HERXHEIMER REACTION IN NEWBORN

Newborn with lyme disease and herxheimer reaction being examined by doctor.

The Herxheimer reaction, also referred to as a Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction, is “a transient clinical phenomenon that occurs in patients infected by spirochetes who undergo antibiotic treatment.”¹ It was first described in patients with syphilis but has also been associated with other spirochetal infections including leptospirosis, Lyme disease, and relapsing fever. The reaction is associated with the onset of new symptoms or a worsening of existing symptoms in patients receiving antibiotic treatment.

By 

In 2020, investigators published a case involving a 13-year-old boy with Lyme arthritis, a common manifestation of Lyme disease, who developed a Herxheimer reaction when treated with doxycycline. On the 7th day of treatment, the boy developed a low-grade fever and severe arthralgias with intense hip, ankle and cervical spine pain and myalgias.

You can read more about the 13-year-old boy’s case in an earlier blog “Herxheimer reaction in a 13-year-old boy with Lyme disease.” 

Newborn with herxheimer reaction

In their article “Lyme disease in a neonate complicated by the Jarisch–Herxheimer reaction,” Prodanuk and colleagues² describe the case of a 21-day-old infant who was admitted to the hospital with decreased activity, poor feeding and abdominal distension.

The parents removed an engorged tick from the infant’s forearm 5 days earlier. An EM rash was present at the site of the tick bite.

“Given the erythema migrans lesion at the site from which the engorged tick was removed, we made a presumptive diagnosis of Lyme disease and administered IV ceftriaxone,” the authors write.

Two hours after treatment began, the infant developed a fever, tachycardia and other symptoms consistent with the Jarisch–Herxheimer reaction.

Testing for Lyme disease was negative.

Clinicians should also “be aware of the possibility of the Jarisch–Herxheimer reaction during the initial phase of treatment.”²

Several studies, they warn, indicate “newborns with findings consistent with early localized disease may also be at higher risk for disseminated disease.”

“Given the limited data for neonates and the possible predisposition of this population to disseminated Lyme disease, clinicians should strongly consider administering IV antibiotics to target Lyme disease,” the authors suggest.

Patients can experience a broad range of symptoms resulting from a herxheimer reaction, explains Nykytyuk and colleagues, including fever, severe polyarthralgias, myalgias, chills, hypotension, nonpruritic, nonpalpable rash, tachycardia, nausea, headache, strengthening of existing or occurrence of new symptoms of the underlying disease.¹

The exact cause of Jarisch-Herxheimer reactions is still unknown. “At first, the role of an endotoxin in the development of JHR was suggested, but later experimental studies showed that spirochetes do not have biologically active endotoxins,” the authors explained.¹

Related Articles:

What does a Lyme disease flare-up feel like?
Herxheimer reaction in a 13-year-old boy with Lyme disease
Lyme disease causes a mix of symptoms including autonomic dysfunction

References:
  1. Dhakal A, Sbar E. Jarisch Herxheimer Reaction. [Updated 2022 Apr 28]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557820/
  2. Prodanuk M, Groves H, Arje D, Bitnun A. Lyme disease in a neonate complicated by the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction. CMAJ. 2022 Jul 18;194(27):E939-E941. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.220112. PMID: 35851530; PMCID: PMC9299745.

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**Comment**

This infant won the lotto by having astute parents, a noticable tick bite, and EM rash.  Many are not so fortunate to have these clear signs.  Many also test negative.  Without the signs and positive test, many are misdiagnosed and miss this opportunity for early treatment which is imperative.

For more:

Category:

Inflammation, Lyme, research, Testing, Ticks, Treatment

Ischemic Stroke With Hemorrhagic Conversion in a Case of Lyme Neuroborreliosis

https://www.cureus.com/articles/97069-ischemic-stroke-with-hemorrhagic-conversion-in-a-case-of-lyme-neuroborreliosis

Ischemic Stroke With Hemorrhagic Conversion in a Case of Lyme Neuroborreliosis

Srinandan Sathi, Daniel Kim, Patrick Duplan, Paul Kim, Carl Shenkamn

Published: August 15, 2022 (see history)

DOI: 10.7759/cureus.28028

Cite this article as: Sathi S, Kim D, Duplan P, et al. (August 15, 2022) Ischemic Stroke With Hemorrhagic Conversion in a Case of Lyme Neuroborreliosis. Cureus 14(8): e28028. doi:10.7759/cureus.28028

Abstract

Lyme disease is an infectious tick-borne illness predominant in northeastern and midwestern United States. The clinical presentation varies significantly and only a few cases develop Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB), which makes diagnosis difficult. A 59-year-old male visiting from Michigan presented to a hospital in Florida with an ischemic stroke with aphasia and acute confusion for two days. He had imaging that noted a subacute infarct in the left parietal lobe along with multiple areas of white matter signal abnormalities and CSF serology positive for Borrelia burgdorferi IgM and IgG antibodies. The patient was placed on ceftriaxone for 30 days and showed significant clinical improvement. We present a case of ischemic stroke with hemorrhagic conversion and an incidental finding of LNB.

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**Comment**

There is no way on earth that only a few cases develop Lyme neuroborrliosis.  This statement shows the researcher’s complete disconnect from reality.

Testing is so abysmal, thousands fall through the diagnostic crack.  Then, if they manage to win the lottery and test positive, they are told it’s a “false positive,” and to “go home and be well.”

This patient in fact did win the lottery and managed to get diagnosed in Florida, which like all Southern states has had to fight tooth and nail to get public health to even recognize it.  And that probably wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for infected researcher, Kerry Clark, who is finding Southern borrelia strains that will never be picked up in a million years using current CDC two-tier testing.  He also showed DNA of Bbsl in Lone Star ticks which might be a bridge vector of transmission to humans, but is still considered by ‘the powers that be’ to not transmit Lyme disease.  Instead, infected Southerners have been told they have STARI, a disease that looks, acts, and smells just like Lyme.

This patient, despite showing significant improvement, requires follow-up which will never happen.  If and when symptoms reappear he will simply be told it’s all “in his head.”

Category:

Lyme, Psychological Aspects, research, Testing, Treatment