Archive for the ‘Lyme’ Category

New Book on Human Experimentation & Biological & Chemical Weapons

https://www.activistpost.com/2021/09/u-s-indifferent-to-human-experimentation-and-biological-and-chemical-weapons-new-book-points-to-a-monstrous-agenda

U.S. Indifferent to Human Experimentation and Biological and Chemical Weapons — New Book Points to a Monstrous Agenda

September 1, 2021

Excerpts from article:

At the Breaking Point of History: How Decades of U.S. Duplicity Enabled the Pandemic by Activist Post contributor Janet Phelan details the US government’s indifference to the welfare of individuals and to its legal obligations under national and international accords prohibiting human experimentation and biological and chemical weapons. (The book is available at TrineDay and elsewhere.)

Ms. Phelan recently said,

“We are embroiled in a pandemic which has collapsed economies, caused death by starvation, and has resulted in severe new restrictions on civil rights in the US and elsewhere. Yet many medical professionals and researchers are questioning the genesis of Covid-19. Was it bioengineered? Was it deliberately released? They’re also questioning the numbers alleged to have died from it, pointing to dictates from the CDC to list deaths not directly caused by the virus as virus-caused deaths.”

Janet Phelan is an investigative reporter. Her articles have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, the San Bernardino County Sentinel, Orange Coast Magazine, New Eastern Outlook, and elsewhere. She currently writes for Activist Post and has previously published an intelligence expose, Exile, and two books of poetry.

TrineDay is a small publishing house that arose as a response to the consistent refusal of the corporate press to publish many interesting, well-researched and well-written books with but one key “defect”: a challenge to official history that would tend to rock the boat of America’s corporate “culture.” TrineDay believes in our Constitution and our common right of Free Speech.

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**Comment**

Hopefully Lyme/MSIDS patients are aware of the sordid backstory of tick-borne illness. This backstory that reads like a rap sheet is actually quite similar to the COVID debacle we find ourselves living through, with many of the same bioweaponization aspects, key players, and institutions that have severe conflicts of interest and have no business determining public health policy.

A year ago the House passed a measure to probe into our government’s tick experimentation, and bioweaponry.

It is known from previous interviews that researchers dumped infected ticks from airplanes.  Investigative journalist Kris Newby reported in her book, “Bitten,” that Willy Burgdorfer, the “discoverer” of Borrelia burgdorferi – the causative agent of Lyme disease, worked at the Rocky Mountain Lab in Montana, and for 13 years he was the military’s go-to expert for mass-producing disease agents inside ticks.  According to the book, A CIA/military project code named “Operation Mongoose” involved giving false identifies to agents in order to protect the U.S. government. They wore uniforms of a sham airline run by the CIA and dumped boxes of infected ticks out of the airplane. One agent’s son came down with a mysterious illness that caused brain inflammation that could have caused permanent brain damage if a resident with previous work in tropical medicine hadn’t recognized it and knew how to treat it.  When the agent asked the commander if there was a connection between his work and his son’s illness, the commander told him to burn all the clothing he took to Cuba.  “Burn everything.”

It is far more likely that the tick and disease proliferation we are seeing today is due to our own government’s work and the massive amount of infected ticks being dropped from airplanes, than the scapegoated reason of “climate change.”  These ticks were force-fed numerous pathogens – sometimes numerous ones simultaneously.  Burgdorfer also sent ticks to others for bioweaponry projects – one of which was to a researcher doing studies on radiation-induced mutations of various ticks and microbes.

We need look no further than our own government’s nefarious research to understand the mess we are in today.

Category:

Activism, Inflammation, Lyme, research, Ticks, vaccines, Viruses

Membership & Co-Chairs of Latest TBD Working Group Unveiled

https://www.lymedisease.org/tbdwg-aug26-meeting/

Membership and co-chairs of latest TBD Working Group unveiled

Aug. 26, 2021

The US Department of Health and Human Services today installed what is likely to be the last panel of the federal Tick-Borne Disease Working Group.

The co-chairs of the 2021-2022 panel are:

  • Holiday Goodreau, Executive Director of the LivLyme Foundation
  • Dr. Linden Hu, Professor of Microbiology and Medicine at Tufts University

The advisory body was created as part of the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016. The legislation called for three different panels charged with creating Reports to Congress in 2018, 2020, and 2022.

Each panel includes seven representatives from federal agencies and seven public members. In addition to Goodreau and Hu, the new panel’s public members include:

  • Jennifer Platt, PhD, of Tick-borne Conditions United
  • Elizabeth Maloney, MD, of the Partnership for Tick-borne Diseases Education
  • Monica Embers, PhD, of the Tulane National Primate Research Center
  • Kirby Stafford III, PhD, of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
  • Sunil K. Sood, MD, a pediatric infectious disease specialist.

Government representatives include:

  • Ben Beard, PhD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Captain Rebecca Bunnell,  MPAS, PA-C, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
  • Dennis Dixon, PhD, National Institutes of Health
  • Robert J. Miller, PhD, US Department of Agriculture
  • CDR Todd Myers PhD, US Food and Drug Administration
  • Leith Jason States, MD, MPH, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health
  • Gabriella Zollner (Romero), PhD, US Department of Defense

Today’s meeting was held online, due to concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic. Ten members of the public gave comments at the meeting by telephone. Click here for more information about the TBDWG.

Category:

Activism, Lyme

Let the Gaslighting & Stigmatization Stop Here

https://www.lymedisease.org/tbdwg-comment-lyme-leland/

TOUCHED BY LYME: Let the gaslighting and stigmatization stop here

The third panel of the federal Tick-Borne Disease Working Group held its first meeting today–online. I was one of 10 people selected to deliver verbal comments. There was a three-minute time limit. Here’s what I said:

A topic not addressed by the first two Working Group panels is the severe impact Lyme disease can have on mental health.

A study recently published in the American Journal of Psychiatry shows that people with Lyme disease have a 75% higher risk of dying by suicide than those without it.

Lyme patients also have a high rate of other psychiatric conditions, such as depression.

Lead author Dr. Brian Fallon, of Columbia University, points out that Lyme is not a simple illness. He states: “In addition to the risk of severe cardiac, rheumatologic, and neurologic problems, Lyme disease can cause severe mental health problems as well.”

MyLymeData bears this out

Furthermore, results from the MyLymeData patient registry tell us that

  • 29% of Lyme patients surveyed say they have had severe psychiatric symptoms
  • 30% report that they take antidepressants—compared to 13% of the general population
  • 32% say they are too disabled to work. This situation leads many to despair.

When patients seek help from their physicians for debilitating symptoms, far too often, their doctors dismiss their concerns out of hand.

Doctors essentially say, “I don’t believe you. Your symptoms aren’t real.”

Some call this gaslighting. It undermines the patient’s self-confidence, and makes them doubt their own experiences.

Without treatment options, suffering people are left adrift in a sea of hopelessness.

Stigma of Lyme disease

Patients say the stigma surrounding Lyme disease profoundly affects them.

74 percent say they have been treated disrespectfully by a healthcare provider.

67 percent say they have postponed or avoided medical treatment due to discrimination, disrespect or difficulty obtaining care.

US News and World Report recently asked Lorraine Johnson, the head of LymeDisease.org, to comment on Dr. Fallon’s study of Lyme disease and suicide.

She said in part:

“We know that there’s a psychiatric component to what is going on, but I think [a major driver of] the increased suicide rates among patients with Lyme disease is that they are disbelieved, they are stigmatized, and they are gaslighted by physicians, by insurers, often by society and, sometimes, unfortunately, by their families.”

I urge this panel to listen to patients. Let the gaslighting and stigmatization stop here. Together, let’s work to change the system that deprives people with Lyme disease of the medical care they need to get well. Thank you.

TOUCHED BY LYME is written by Dorothy Kupcha Leland, LymeDisease.org’s Vice-president and Director of Communications. She is co-author of When Your Child Has Lyme Disease: A Parent’s Survival Guide. Contact her at dleland@lymedisease.org.

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Psychological Aspects

IDSA Guidelines Ignore Psychiatric Consequences of Lyme Disease

https://www.lymedisease.org/bransfield-psychiatric-lyme-disease/

Focus – Opinions and Features

LymeDisease.org
27 AUG 2021

Bransfield: IDSA guidelines ignore psychiatric consequences of Lyme disease

Dr. Robert Bransfield delivered the following public comment at the recent meeting of the federal Tick-Borne Disease Working Group.

I’m a psychiatrist from New Jersey, who has treated thousands of Lyme disease patients over the past thirty years. I have also performed research. Three issues I would like to raise:

*A recent study unequivocally proves Lyme disease causes mental illnesses.

*This Working Group needs to be more attentive to the psychiatric symptom from TBD.

*The IDSA guidelines fail to recognize this causal association.

I recommend the following

The Working Group needs to gather and share information on psychiatric symptoms caused by Lyme/TBD.

Since the IDSA guidelines fail to recognize this causal association, they are outdated and the committee needs to recommend that all federal references and links to their guidelines must be removed.

To expand:

A recent article using the 7 million patients in the Danish nationwide database was published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, the number one psychiatric journal in the world. It proved the causal association between Lyme and any mental disorder, affective disorders, suicide attempts and death by suicide.

There are 400 other peer-reviewed journal articles proving the causal association between tick-borne diseases and psychiatric symptoms and 73 with dementia. Mental illness is the major cause of disability and death from tick-borne disease.

Psychiatric findings from TBD can include

  • developmental disorders
  • autism spectrum disorders
  • affective disorder
  • depression
  • anxiety disorders
  • addiction
  • opioid addiction
  • cognitive impairments
  • dementia
  • suicidality
  • violence
  • other impairments
This has caused chronic disability and deaths from suicides, drug overdoses, auto accidents and homicides.

This working group needs input from psychiatrists who understand tick-borne diseases and psychoimmunology. Addressing the causal association between tick-borne diseases and psychiatric symptoms and sharing this information with legislators and the public is critical.

When the psychiatric morbidity, mortality and disability are adequately considered, it greatly shifts risk/benefit clinical decision making involving diagnosis and treatment.

The American Psychiatric Association guidelines recognize this association, but the IDSA guidelines fail to consider the psychiatric consequences of Lyme disease. Therefore, these guidelines are outdated, unscientific, and hazardous.

The Working Group needs to recommend that all federal government links and references to these guidelines be removed.

Robert Bransfield, MD, DLFAPA, a past president of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society, is an internationally recognized expert in how Lyme disease affects mental health.

Dr. Bransfield’s list of 473 peer-reviewed articles that support the evidence of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases causing neuropsychiatric illness: List of citations

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**Comment**

Dr. Bransfield is a true pioneer when it comes to psychiatric manifestations of Lyme/MSIDS.  He has fought long and hard on this arena.  He’s a rock star in my book.

For more:

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Psychological Aspects, research

The Added Battle For Lyme Patients: Coinfections

https://holtorfmed.com/articles/lyme-disease/the-added-battle-for-lyme-patients-co-infections?

The Added Battle for Lyme Patients: Co-infections

Holtorf Medical Group

Lyme disease is slowly gaining the recognition it deserves as a complex and serious illness that can cause severe health problems if not treated early and properly.

Learn more about Lyme disease and its symptoms here

However, it is important to note that oftentimes Lyme disease patients are not just fighting the Lyme bacteria, but also other co-infections. More specifically, part of the complication with Lyme disease is that, when bitten by a tick, people can be exposed to other pathogens that also carry illnesses. These are called co-infections. A survey of chronic Lyme-infected individuals found:

  • 50% had at least one co-infection
  • while almost 30% had at least two

So, if you have Lyme disease, there is a chance some of your symptoms may be due to a co-infection.

Below we outline two of the most common Lyme co-infections, their respective symptoms, and how to receive a proper diagnosis:

Bartonella

First reported in 1990, bartonellosis is caused by an infection of Bartonella bacteria. These harmful bacteria are capable of infecting a wide array of organisms.

Bartonella bacteria are most commonly spread by fleas, ticks, and lice. There are several different types of this bacteria. For instance, sand flies in South America carry one strain of Bartonella while human body lice, globally, carry another. Today, scientists have detected 29 different strains of this bacteria with approximately 15 that are capable of causing bartonellosis in humans.

Once Bartonella has infected the body, they primarily occupy the inside lining of blood vessels, specifically, red blood cells, macrophages, and endothelial cells. Until recently, it was believed that cases of bartonellosis tended to be mild, acute, and had little risk of contributing to further disruption. However, doctors have started finding that Bartonella may result in chronic infection.

Depending on the strain of Bartonella, symptoms may vary slightly. Bartonella henselae causes “cat scratch disease” and is associated with a bump or blister at the point of infection, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, headaches, fever, and body aches.

Carrion’s disease (Bartonella bacilliformis) is linked to miliary lesions that ulcerate or bleed, fever, joint pain, and liver and spleen enlargement.

Bartonella quintana’s trench fever causes a fever, rash, bone pain (predominantly in the shins, neck, and back), enlarged lymph nodes, encephalitis, and eye infections.

As Bartonellosis commonly affects the skin, a streak-like rash is perhaps the most indicator of this infection. Other indicators of the condition include: tremors, neurological issues, blurred vision, numbness in the extremities, and psychiatric manifestations.

When Bartonella is attacking an immune system weakened by Lyme, it is possible to develop a more severe manifestation of bartonellosis. Bartonellosis can lead to endocarditis (heart infection) and bacillary angiomatosis (tumor-like masses caused by an infection in blood vessels).

Because bartonellosis can affect multiple bodily systems, it is often misdiagnosed or dismissed by standard practitioners. Proper diagnosis of Bartonella can be conducted through a variety of testing measures including Western Blot, IFAs (Indirect Immunofluorescent Assay), and others.

Babesia

Babesia is a parasite similar to malaria. Both fall into the category of piroplasm, which are organisms that infect red blood cells. Infection of babesia is called babesiosis and is the most common Lyme co-infection as well as the most common piroplasm infection among humans.

The first Babesia species was discovered in 1888 by Hungarian pathologist, Victor Babes. Since then, over 100 distinct strains of Babesia have been identified, but only a few are considered human pathogens. In fact, babesiosis has long been recognized as a disease of cattle and other animals but the first human case was not documented until 1957. A young Croatian farmer was infected with Babesia and died shortly after of kidney failure. By the 1960s, babesiosis cases were documented in North America, and the bacteria is recognized as a serious and potentially harmful human pathogen.

The strain of Babesia that most often affects humans is Babesia microti. Like Lyme, babesia may be transferred via tick. However, it can also be transmitted from mother to unborn child through the transfusion of contaminated blood. This quality makes babesia an exceptionally sinister threat.

Symptoms of babesiosis share several similarities with Lyme. However, it may be distinguished with an initial high fever and chills. Progression of the infection brings with it symptoms including fatigue, headache, sweating, muscle aches, chest and hip pain, and shortness of breath, or air hunger. Fortunately, symptoms of babesiosis tend to be mild and non-life-threatening. However, the mildness of the symptoms also means that the condition is often overlooked until symptoms become more severe.

Because Babesia targets red blood cells, babesiosis is often linked to a condition called hemolytic anemia. Hemolytic anemia is characterized by red blood cells dying at a faster rate than the body can produce new ones. Symptoms include: confusion, dark-colored urine, rapid heart rate, heart murmur, dizziness, fatigue, pale skin, jaundice, and swelling of the spleen and liver.

Unfortunately, when babesia goes untreated, it can lead to more severe complications, especially for immunocompromised individuals.

Because symptoms of babesiosis are largely non-specific, especially early on, it is easily missed by standard practitioners. A blood test is required to check for signs of a Babesia infection. It is also important to check if there are other conditions present with babesiosis such as Lyme disease for optimal treatment.

Final Thought

Patients treated at Holtorf Medical Group have seen an average of 7.2 different physicians prior to their visit to our center, without experiencing significant improvement.

At Holtorf Medical Group, our physicians are trained to utilize cutting-edge testing and innovative treatments to uncover the root cause of your symptoms and treat the source. If you are experiencing symptoms of Lyme disease, a co-infection, or if you have been previously diagnosed, but aren’t getting the treatment you need, call us at 877-508-1177 to see how we can help you!

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For more:

Category:

Babesia, Bartonella, Lyme