Archive for the ‘Lyme’ Category

Kentucky Has Fastest Growing Lyme Disease Outbreak in the US & is Surging in WV, Ohio, & Nebraska

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-11125379/Kentucky-fastest-growing-lyme-disease-outbreak-insurance-data-suggests

Kentucky has the fastest growing lyme disease outbreak in the US, insurance data suggests – while disease is also surging in West Virginia, Ohio and Nebraska, as experts warn more forest cover is allowing diseased ticks to advance south

  • Insurance claims data showed Kentucky, West Virginia, Idaho, Ohio and Nebraska had the biggest upticks
  • But New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts had the largest outbreaks in the country, data showed
  • Experts said that ticks were expanding their range thanks to growing forest cover and deer populations
  • But surging awareness of the disease thanks to high-profile cases such as Shania Twain may also be behind some of the uptick in insurance claims
  • FAIR Health – which has one of the largest databases in the country – collected the data

By Luke Andrews Health Reporter For Dailymail.Com

Published:

Kentucky has the fastest growing Lyme disease outbreak in America, insurance claims data suggests — as experts warn global warming is allowing more aggressive northern ticks to advance into southern and midwestern states. 

Statistics showed Kentucky was recording 10 claims per 100,000 people in 2021, up from just five in 2016 — a doubling in five years. West Virginia, Idaho, Ohio and Nebraska each also saw claims surge more than 60 percent over the same period.

Experts warn that higher seasonal temperatures have opened up new habitats for ticks in more mountainous areas, which may be fueling the rise in cases.  (See link for article)

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**Comment**

For anyone paying attention at all to the events of  the past two years, it’s become obvious that things are often not what they seem.  Public health officials have lied repeatedly due to severe conflicts of interest, and science has been hijacked to the highest bidder.  The corruption in an unholy alliance between government, Big Pharma, mainstream media, research institutions and scientific journals has finally been exposed for what it truly is.

When you understand this simple albeit painful truth, it also then becomes obvious that science has been completely politicized and can not be trusted at face value. This is clearly seen in the area of “global warming,” and is a rouse to obtain access to huge government funding and unbridled power to monopolize and control by imposing ludicrous, ineffective regulations that are unobtainable and will destroy entire economies.  While there are definitely environmental concerns, “global warming” is being used to divert attention away from climate engineering – which is very real.

There’s a similar thing happening in Lymeland.  Like an experienced magician using slight of hand, we are told repeatedly in a mantra that ticks are migrating and transmitting disease due to a warming climate.  This has been proven to be false by independent researchers who do not have to cow-tow to the political message to obtain highly sought after government research grants.  The spin-masters want our attention on the climate rather than on the fact our own government is behind tick and disease proliferation.  This is pointed out in Kris Newby’s book “Bitten,” as well as through interviews with people who have studied this for decades. Bioweaponization of things found in nature is not new, and the government will do anything to cover this up – including lie using propaganda techniques.  They then come after others who disagree with anything they say and accuse them of the very things they do themselves.

Don’t be fooled by the accepted narrative no matter how many times it is repeated.
Question everything and do your own homework.  Make sure you are getting information from multiple sources – particularly ones that disagree.

Category:

Lyme, Ticks

The Fuss About Intestinal Microbiome in Lyme Treatment

https://www.treatlyme.net/guide/intestinal-microbiome-function-protection-strategies  Video Here  (Approx. 2 Min)

Intestinal Microbiome Function & Protection Strategies in Lyme Disease Treatment

Dr. Marty Ross

Aug. 23, 2022

Intestinal Microbiome Function & Protection Strategies Image

Intestinal Microbiome Considerations in Lyme Treatment

The exponential growth in research on the activity and importance of the intestinal microbiome indicates the important role the bacteria, viruses, yeast, and parasites living in our intestines play in health. This is especially true in chronic illnesses like Lyme disease and tick-related infections.

As a person considers using antimicrobials to treat Lyme and related infections, they must weigh risks and benefits. There is the risk of harm to the gut microbiome. But for most people the benefit of using antimicrobials is a return to a quality life that makes this risk worthwhile.

In this article, I describe the role of the microbiome. I also layout strategies to protect the gut microbiome using

  • herbal antibiotics rather than RX antibiotics when possible,
  • diet,
  • exercise, and
  • probiotics.

Bricks and Mortar of The Intestinal Microbiome

According to intestinal microbiome expert Gomaa:

  • “The intestinal microbiota consists of more than 1500 species, distributed in more than 50 different phyla”.
  • “As a result of their abundance in the digestive tract, bacterial species make up to 60% of the feces dry mass. Fungi, protists, archaea, and viruses are also present in the gut flora, however, less is known about their activities.”

The Institute for Functional Medicine teaches that 90 percent of the genetic material in human bodies comes from the viruses, bacteria, yeast, and parasites that make up the microbiome.

Key Functions of the Intestinal Microbiome

A well balanced microbiome

  • supports a healthy immune system,
  • decreases inflammation,
  • protects against intestinal infections,
  • promotes cell growth and proliferation,
  • supports the blood vessels,
  • regulates the hormonal systems,
  • provides brain and nerve signaling,
  • supports and regulates mental health
  • promotes bone density,
  • provides energy to the body,
  • makes key vitamins and metabolic chemicals,
  • makes neurotransmitters,
  • eliminates toxins,
  • eliminates allergens, and
  • more.

How to Protect the Microbiome in Lyme Disease

Use Herbal or Prescription Antibiotics Only if You Have Symptoms

If someone tests positive for an infection like Lyme, but has no symptoms, I do not recommend herbal or prescription antibiotics. First, the test could be a false positive. Second, even if the test is true, I do not want to disrupt the microbiome and potentially cause more long-term harm down the road.

When Possible Choose Herbal Over Prescription Antibiotics

In my experience, herbal antibiotics cause less disruption of the gut microbiome. I say this because I rarely see intestinal yeast overgrowth infections when someone is on herbal antibiotics. I see intestinal yeast overgrowth infections much more frequently when someone is using prescription antibiotics. The presence of intestinal yeast overgrowth means the microbiome is out of balance.

Unfortunately, I am not able to find any research that supports the idea that herbal antibiotics are less harmful to the gut microbiome – but clinically they seem to be.

In each of my articles on how to treat Lyme and related infections, I provide herbal antibiotic options with a description of the relative chances the herbs will help versus prescription options. For more information see the Infection Treatment Plans chapter on this site.

Emphasize Plant-Based Food

Fiber in plant-based diets supports a healthy microbiome much better than foods found in the SAD (Standard American Diet). Types of diets rich in plant-based foods include Mediterranean style diets and plant-forward paleo type diets. And obviously, vegetarian diets do this too!

Exercise for Microbiome Health

Athletes tend to have healthier intestinal microbiomes than those that do not exercise regularly. This finding has to be interpreted with some consideration that athletes may also tend to eat healthier as they focus on all aspects of health.

I do recommend exercise to my patients, but at a level that does not flare a person up. In Lyme and tick related illnesses this may mean no exercise is good, or a 5 minute walk, or even long-distance running if a person can tolerate it.

Use Probiotics During Treatment

Probiotics are shown to protect and maintain microbiome health. There are a variety of probiotics including

  • human strains like Lactobacillus acidophilus
  • spore-forming soil-based strains like Bacteroides, and
  • healthy yeast like Saccharomyces boulardii.

For my patients, I recommend they take human and spore-forming strains together. At times I also recommend adding Saccharomyces Boulardii.

For an extensive article on how to use probiotics during treatment and which products I recommend see: Probiotic Strategies in Lyme Disease Treatment.

Disclaimer

The ideas and recommendations on this website and in this article are for informational purposes only. For more information about this, see the site-wide Terms & Conditions.

References

  1. Gomaa EZ. Human gut microbiota/microbiome in health and diseases: a review. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek. 2020;113(12):2019-2040. doi:10.1007/s10482-020-01474-7 (View)
  2. Lynch SV, Pedersen O. The Human Intestinal Microbiome in Health and Disease. N Engl J Med. 2016;375(24):2369-2379. doi:10.1056/NEJMra1600266 (View)
  3. Sharon I, Quijada NM, Pasolli E, et al. The Core Human Microbiome: Does It Exist and How Can We Find It? A Critical Review of the Concept. Nutrients. 2022;14(14):2872. Published 2022 Jul 13. doi:10.3390/nu14142872 (View)

About the Author

Marty Ross, MD is a passionate Lyme disease educator and clinical expert. He helps Lyme sufferers and their physicians see what really works based on his review of the science and extensive real-world experience. Dr. Ross is licensed to practice medicine in Washington State (License: MD00033296) where he has treated thousands of Lyme disease patients in his Seattle practice. 

Marty Ross, MD is a graduate of Indiana University School of Medicine and Georgetown University Family Medicine Residency. He is a member of the International Lyme and Associated Disease Society (ILADS) and The Institute for Functional Medicine.

Category:

diet and nutrition, Gut Health, Lyme, Treatment

‘I Feel Incredibly Robbed’: The Debate and Deadly Effects of Lyme Disease in Colorado

https://www.rmpbs.org/blogs/rocky-mountain-pbs/lyme-disease-colorado-ticks/  Video Here (Approx. 7 Min)

‘I feel incredibly robbed’: The debate and deadly effects of Lyme disease in Colorado

by  Alexis Kikoen
Published on
Samantha Davis and her 3-year-old son Felix look through pictures of her husband, Nate, after he lost his life to complications from Lyme disease and mold poisoning.

Rocky Mountain PBS

DENVER — Samantha Davis and her 3-year-old son Felix sit together at their kitchen table. A large pile of photographs sits in front of them, and they slowly start to make their way through it.

“Oh my gosh, what are we doing?” Davis asks Felix as she shows him a picture. “Rafting with Papa!” he excitedly responds.

Davis continues to flip through the stack and lands on a picture of her husband wandering through a canyon in Moab, Utah. Her expression becomes somber.

“Here’s Papa in Moab, probably the year he got bit,” she sighs. “We had no idea what the early symptoms of Lyme disease were, or what untreated Lyme could do to you.”

Davis lost her husband Nate Watters on June 5, 2021, to complications from Lyme disease and mold poisoning. He was 36 years old. (See link for article)

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SUMMARY:

  • The article predictably asks the question if Lyme even exists in Colorado.  The problem with this illogical and ignorant question is it doesn’t take into account the fact that travel.  The fox, deer, bird, and people travel everywhere picking up ticks and dropping them everywhere.  I can’t believe we are still having this discussion.
  • A singular thinking doctor in Colorado (Dr. Shawn Naylor) points out that there are numerous strains of borrelia that cause Lyme-like disease, and while they may not be picking up Borrelia burgdorferi, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t other strains causing illness, and absence of evidence is not proof of absence.  Borrelia is a fastidious organism and extremely hard to find. The “discoverer” of Lyme, Willy Burgdorfer stated so in this important 4 min video.
  • The fact this man had a EM rash (which is diagnostic for Lyme) and didn’t get diagnosed and treated is a clear reminder that Lymeland remains in the Dark Ages.  When is the medical profession going to take this seriously enough to train doctors appropriately?  Simply put: this man did not have to die.
  • IMO the hands/skin pain and rawness is an indicator that should point doctors to another strain – a European strain that causes skin manifestations (not something I see much of here in WI but still exists).   This picture is from a year old study and even shows the hand involvement.       

  • Then the barrel of monkey symptoms came tumbling out: (weight loss, facial swelling, body lesions, fatigue, graying hair, muscle pain, etc) should have sent off red-light warning bells. But, the medical system stupidity continues.
  • The guy even manages to test positive for Lyme.  But again, due to flagrant stupidity, doctors regurgitate the mantra that it must be a false positive because Lyme isn’t common in Colorado, and Lyme “doesn’t look like this.”  Wow.
  • The ignorance is blatantly pointed out by an entomologist and Lepidopterist manager that states the black legged tick does not naturally occur in Colorado, therefore Lyme disease transmission is rare to non-existent.  As the saying goes however; gargage in, garbage out.

    • First, ticks carry all sorts of nasty diseases they can transmit and they can all look somewhat similar. Second, testing for ALL of these pathogens is abysmal, which means it’s not getting picked up which explains why things are often “rare” when they are not. Third, even IF patients are picking Lyme up from nearby states, what does it matter?  You have sick people and they need to be diagnosed and treated.  It’s ironic to me that globalization is embraced for everything until it comes to tick-borne illness.  Then, for some illogical but nefarious reason, it’s all about geography and limitations (where ticks are and where they aren’t – where things are rare, and where they aren’t) when people and animals move about freely. Fourth, it’s unacceptable that we are still in this quandary and that doctors are still taking this tact when it’s been proven there are numerous genospecies that cause illness in animals and humans, including:
      • a peer-reviewed research paper published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases in September 1994, a new genospecies of Borrelia burgdorferi was discovered in wood rats and ticks found in Northern Colorado.
      • A second paper published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology in August 2000 gave the new Borrelia isolate a name – Borrelia bissettii. The strain has been identified in at least three different tick species in Colorado and has been isolated in humans displaying clinical symptoms typically associated with Lyme disease. According to the study, “It is therefore possible that some cases of Lyme disease in the United States may be caused by B. bissettii.”  
  • The fact Naylor, the singular thinking doctor, has to “speak carefully” on the subject demonstrates perfectly that Lyme/MSIDS has become highly politicized (like COVID) and politics trump science.  Naylor points out that the deceased man ran into denial from doctors despite testing positive multiple times on the western blot. He states doctors want to err on the side of ignorance than acknowledge that this is severely under-studied. Doctors also know that if they defy the accepted narrative, they will be hunted down and persecuted (just like we are seeing with doctors treating COVID). The persecution of doctors is extremely taxing, stressful, time consuming, and full of risk.  It takes strong, determined doctors to defy this tyranny, which is why we desperately need to decentralize the public health monopoly.
  • Doctors are getting their orders from the top-down, which starts in the government and then trickles down to research institutions, medical schools/professional organizations, and hospitals/clinics.  There are vast conflicts of interest in this pyramid scheme.
  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that up to 90% of tick-borne disease cases go unreported nationwide.  Hello!
  • Naylor then points out that states that are not considered to be “endemic” have much more complex and arduous reporting requirements, which turns into a self-fulfilling prophecy keeping these states forever non-endemic, even when they aren’t.
  • And this is how the CDC controls the narrative. They are in charge of parameters be it with reporting, testing, diagnostics, treatment guidelines, you name it.  Until this corrupt organization is shut down we will never have truth.

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Mold, Ticks

Lyme Disease Biobank Collects Patient Samples For Research

**Comment**

Both, the Lyme Bio Bank (Bay Area Lyme Foundation) and the Columbia Specimen Bank are listed on this website.  They are on the right hand side of the website and they are both listed under “Lyme Resources.”  May sure you plan ahead if you have blood/specimens you want to donate as paperwork and steps that require some time need to be taken.

https://www.lymedisease.org/lyme-disease-biobank-san-rafael/

Lyme Disease Biobank collects patient samples for research

Aug. 18, 2022

Lyme disease biobank

“With the lack of government initiative to make Lyme and tick-borne diseases easy to diagnose and simple to cure, it’s up to organizations like Bay Area Lyme and Lyme Disease Biobank to expand our understanding of tick-borne diseases.” –Harrison S., LDB participant

“I participated in the Biobank program because I want to support legitimate science—it’s the compass pointing us in the direction that will lead to better diagnostics and therapeutics for Lyme patients. I am grateful that BAL is funding this critical research which is so sorely needed, and doing it expeditiously. It goes a long way to make up for the five decades of inaction by the CDC and HHS.” – Rebecca W., LDB participant

Over three days in June, the Lyme Disease Biobank (LDB) welcomed participants to Gordon Medical Associates, our LDB collection site in San Rafael, California. Persistent/chronic Lyme patients traveled from as far away as Sacramento, California, and Reno, Nevada, to donate blood and urine samples to the Biobank.

Gordon Medical Associates staff with Liz Horn, PhD, MBI (far right), Principal Investigator, Lyme Disease Biobank, with patient samples ready to be shipped to the Biobank

LDB, a program of Bay Area Lyme Foundation, was founded to ensure an adequate number of samples for researchers investigating Lyme and tick-borne diseases.

Over 1000 specimens

Since its inception in 2014, LDB has collected over 1,000 patient samples for the Biobank, and it supports more than 70 projects around the United States. The program collects blood and urine from people who have been diagnosed with acute or persistent/chronic Lyme disease.

Led by Principal Investigator Liz Horn, PhD, MBI, the Lyme Disease Biobank has partnered with Gordon Medical Associates since 2019 to collect samples from patients with persistent/chronic Lyme.

In 2018, the LDB launched its tissue collection program. Lyme patients who have upcoming surgeries may elect to have tissue that would otherwise be discarded collected and stored in the Biobank.

This program is administered by the National Disease Research Interchange which also manages post-mortem donations to the Biobank.

Partnering with MyLymeData

Our partner, MyLymeData, helps generate awareness about the tissue collection program and provides additional information about the tissue samples to researchers using the samples.

“As a doctor who treats Lyme patients, I feel it’s my duty to support finding better diagnostics and treatments for Lyme patients. Lyme is an underfunded and under-researched aspect of chronic illness, and we need all the help we can get.” – Natalie P., ND, LDB participant

“We are extremely grateful to everyone who has donated samples to the Biobank so far. Patients are the key to finding answers to the challenges of Lyme disease—we could not have made such important research gains without your commitment to the cause. We humbly thank you for your participation!” – Linda Giampa, Executive Director, Bay Area Lyme Foundation

Sarah R., LDB participant

Click here to read more about Lyme Disease Biobank.

Participate in future sample collections in San Rafael.

“I hope my participation in the Biobank will lead to a greater understanding of persistent/chronic Lyme disease and that better diagnostics and treatments will be developed from this program. One doctor told me that Lyme was a ‘hippie doctor disease.’ It’s not. Lyme is a true epidemic that must be addressed. Upon walking out into the parking lot, I found I was emotional: I felt like I was going to burst into tears. Someone was listening! I felt I had been heard with compassion and empathy. Thank you!” – Sarah R., LDB participant

SOURCE: Bay Area Lyme Foundation

Related posts:
  1. Donate samples to Lyme Disease Biobank to aid research
  2. Learn about the Lyme Disease Biobank’s tissue collection program
  3. Lyme Disease BioBank Adds Lyme Disease Tissue Collection Program
  4. Lyme biobank provides crucial service to researchers pursuing a cure

Category:

Lyme, research

FDA At it Again By Threatening MS Treatment

As most of you are aware, MS can be undiagnosed Lyme, and/or other infections.

https://anh-usa.org/fda-threatens-multiple-sclerosis-treatment/

FDA Threatens Multiple Sclerosis Treatment

 By ANH-USAOn 0
FDA Threatens Multiple Sclerosis Treatment

Clinical trials testing estriol for the treatment of multiple sclerosis show great promise…but the FDA is threatening to ban the only way patients can access this critical medicine. Action Alert!

Estriol is one of three main estrogens produced by the body, alongside estrone and estradiol. It is often used by integrative practitioners for its benefits to menopausal women, but recent investigations show that it may be effective in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). Despite these health benefits, the FDA is poised to eliminate access to estriol and other bioidentical hormones made at compounding pharmacies. We cannot let this happen.

Estriol levels skyrocket during pregnancy, and many MS patients go into remission during pregnancy. Researchers have noted estriol’s anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties. This has culminated in clinical trials testing estriol as a treatment for MS, and the lead researcher on this trial recently said that so far, results have been “promising.”

Many studies have shown that estriol offers many other potential health benefits—for urinary tract and bone health, for example—without some of the dangers that accompany higher-potency estrogens, such as cancer.

Unfortunately, such a breakthrough may become moot if the FDA goes through with a ban on estriol and other compounded bioidentical hormones. Currently there are no FDA-approved estriol products; the only way patients can get estriol is through a compounding pharmacy.

Recall that the FDA is currently in the process of determining whether to ban estriol and other hormones from being made at compounding pharmacies. After ANH and other stakeholders mounted a massive grassroots campaign pushing back against this threat, the FDA asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to evaluate the “clinical utility” of treating patients with compounded bioidentical hormones like estriol. We explained previously how NASEM’s process was heavily influenced by the FDA and outrageously biased against compounded hormones. In its final report, NASEM concluded, unsurprisingly, that widespread use of compounded hormones poses a “public health concern.”

This has no factual basis at all.  A review of the clinical literature concluded that bioidentical hormones are associated with lower risks, including the risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease, and are more effective than synthetic or animal-derived hormones. What seems to be underway is an attempt to create drug company monopolies. The result may be that women may not be able to obtain estriol at all, even though estriol protects against cancer.

The FDA still has hurdles to overcome before a ban can be issued: the agency has to issue a proposed rulemaking to add these hormones to the Difficult to Compound List. It’s also possible that the FDA could issue a draft guidance that restricts the use of cBHRT as outlined by NASEM’s recommendations.

The time to send a clear message to Congress and the FDA is now. We beat the FDA when they tried to ban estriol in 2008, and we can beat them again, but only if the entire community rises up and holds the agency’s feet to the fire. We cannot let the federal government interfere with our health.

Action Alert! Write to Congress and the FDA urging continued access to estriol and other important compounded bioidentical hormones. Please send your message immediately.

Go to top link to send a message to your representatives.

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**Comment**

The FDA is at it again.  Doing everything but what it should.

The FDA has a long and sordid history of colluding with Big Pharma by attempting to monopolize medicine by erasing anything it considers competition or a threat to its power:

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Viruses