Archive for the ‘Lyme’ Category

New Vaccine Developed By Massachusetts Doctor To Prevent Lyme Disease in Humans

https://www.fieldandstream.com/story/hunting/lyme-disease-vaccine/

New Vaccine Developed By Massachusetts Doctor to Prevent Lyme Disease in Humans

Clinical Studies have begun for making your enjoyment of the outdoors a lot easier.

By Tom Keer

March 1, 2021

A Massachusetts doctor may have discovered a shot that will prevent Lyme disease in humans.  the drug received federal approval from the Food and Drug Administration to be tested on people at the end of 2020.  The Phase 1 clinical trial on 66 human subjects began last week.  If effective, the shot will be available in Spring 2023.

Dr. Mark Klempner of Massachusetts Biologics at the UMASS Medical School has been working on a cure for Lyme disease for a decade.  (See link for article)

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**Comment**

You may recognize the name of Klempner.  That’s because his  flawed study is still being used to keep chronically sick Lyme/MSIDS patients from extended treatment.  ILADS points out that the Klempner trial relied on average treatment effects, employed small samples (ranging from 37-129), and excluded over 89% of patients who sought to enroll.

Dr. Klempner has been in this game a long, long time.  

He was also the director the BU Biodefense Laboratory.

Excerpt:  

In February 2003, Boston University (BU) submitted a proposal to the NIH to construct a facility with the highest-risk level bioweapons research laboratory (called a BSL-4 laboratory) that would be sited within the BU Medical Center. The medical center is located in a dense, urban neighborhood with a majority of low-income and minority residents nearby. The process of proposal development, site selection and subsequent approval for funding took place in secret, without informing and consulting the local community. The site selected for the laboratory was pre-determined prior to BU undertaking a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) mandated environmental impact review and without involving the surrounding residential and working community – all in violation of federal policy. Nonetheless, NIH approved BU Medical Center’s proposal for $128 million.

But I’m sure this is all purely coincidental.

We are told his ‘pre-exposure prophylaxis’ (PrEP) delivers anti-Lyme antibodies, and they are “unlike vaccines” which trigger the immune system to produce antibodies. PrEP supplies the antibodies directly and kills the bacteria before a person becomes infected.  You would need the jab every single year as it only lasts 9 months.

Before you believe everything they say, you might want to read this.

As you can clearly see, this injection contains OspA, the same outer surface protein found to cause severe adverse reactions in the first Lyme vaccine called Lymerix.  (Please read about the bitter history of how our public ‘authorities’ eliminated from the Western blot two Bb proteins, outer surface protein A (OspA), from which LYMErix was made, and outer surface protein B (OspB), the intended component of next-generation vaccines. This has kept the sickest from being diagnosed.)

For more: 

These people notoriously repackage their ideas and hope we won’t notice. We may be sick but we aren’t dumb.

Category:

Activism, Lyme, vaccines

Autoimmune Pandemic: Dr. Phillips & Dana Parish

https://www.betterhealthguy.com/episode139

Episode #139: Autoimmune Pandemic with Dr. Steven Phillips, MD and Dana Parish

Created: February 09 2021

Why You Should Listen

In this episode, you will learn about the autoimmune pandemic and how microbes are often at the core of autoimmune conditions.

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About My Guests

My guests for this episode are Dr. Steven Phillips and Dana Parish. Steven Phillips, MD is a renowned Yale-trained physician, international lecturer, and media go-to expert. Well-published in the medical literature, he has treated over 20,000 patients with complex, chronic illness from nearly 20 countries. Dr. Phillips experienced firsthand the nightmare of an undiagnosed, serious infection after nearly dying from his own “mystery illness,” and having to save his own life when 25 doctors could not. Dana Parish developed Lyme-induced heart failure as a result of being improperly diagnosed by some of the “top” doctors in the country—and had her life saved by Dr. Phillips. A chart-topping Sony/ATV singer/songwriter who has written songs for artists like Celine Dion and Idina Menzel, she has become a major voice in the world of chronic illness. Her popular column on Huffington Post has been read by more than one million people globally.

Key Takeaways

  • Is autoimmunity a symptom of an underlying pathogen or a condition of its own?
  • Why does modern medicine attempt to use steroids and biolgoics, and what are the potential consequences?
  • Why are infections more likely to lead to autoimmunity today?
  • Is detoxification important in a healing strategy?
  • Are vector-borne microbes the core issue or simply one component of autoimmune conditions?
  • What is “Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome”? Is it just another way to invalidate patient experiences?
  • How often are people infected with these organisms but not picked up with existing labs?
  • What role do Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever (TBRF) Borrelias play?
  • Do parasites play a role in chronic, complex illness?
  • Do infections serve as triggers for demyelination?
  • What are the top triggers for PANS?
  • Are vector-borne pathogens sexually transmitted? During a pregnancy?
  • Can psychiatric conditions be the result of an underlying infection?
  • Can mast cell stabilizers have potential downsides?
  • What role do viruses play?
  • What are the core issues in ALS?
  • What is missing from current treatment strategies for neurodegenerative conditions?
  • Does autism have an infectious component?
  • How might liposomal oregano oil be helpful in the treatment of vector-borne infections?
  • What are some potential concerns with the use of Disulfiram and methylene blue?
  • What does “maintenance” look like?
  • Might a focus on mental and emotional health benefit patients?
  • Does limbic system retraining have a place?

Connect With My Guests

http://TheChronicBook.com

Transcript (Go to top link)

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For more:  

Category:

Activism, Lyme

HHS Request for Information (RFI) Diagnostic Testing for Lyme

https://lymediseaseassociation.org/government/federal-government/govt-departments-a-policies/dept-of-health-a-human-services-hhs/hhs-request-for-information-rfi-diagnostic-testing-for-lyme/

HHS Request for Information (RFI) Diagnostic Testing for Lyme

As part of the LymeX public-private partnership between Health & Human Services (HHS) and the Cohen Foundation, HHS has published an RFI in the Federal Register, 2.11.21 that seeks information on the current state of the science and technology to accelerate “innovative solutions” for Lyme disease diagnosis.

The RFI contains a series of questions it encourages responders to answer including the types of technologies being developed, any emerging technologies that could be used to characterized stages of Lyme, what sample type optimum for a detection test, and challenges in clinical practice.

Responses need to be submitted no later than 5:00 PM ET, March 15, 2021.

See the Federal Register for all details:
Request for Information (RFI): Accelerating Innovation in Diagnostic Testing for Lyme Disease

See LDA website: HHS, Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation Announce “LymeX” Partnership

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From the HHS website (please go to link for more info):

We encourage responders to answer the following questions:

  • What challenges/barriers exist for the development and validation of innovative diagnostic tests for Lyme disease?
  • What types of diagnostic technologies are being developed (or could be developed or adapted) to detect Lyme disease, including technologies and breakthroughs adapted from COVID-19 diagnostics with potential applications for Lyme disease (e.g., highly sensitive nucleic acid amplification testing [NAAT])?
  • What emerging technologies (e.g., epigenetic mapping, inflammatory markers, gene arrays, NAAT, or others) might be developed or adapted to characterize different stages of Lyme disease, including Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS), etc.?
  • What analyte (e.g., DNA, RNA, protein, metabolite) does existing or developing Lyme disease diagnostic tests detect?
  • What is the optimal sample type (e.g., whole blood, plasma) for the detection of a test analyte in patients with Lyme disease? The optimal sample type can be generally defined as the one where the analyte can be best detected.
  • What challenges exist in the implementation and use of Lyme disease diagnostic testing in clinical practice?
  • What role can or should public-private partnerships play in accelerating Start Printed Page 9077development, validation, or appropriate use of innovative Lyme disease diagnostic tests, and what factors are most critical to ensure their success?

For more on testing:

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Testing

Why Dental Professionals Should Know About The Signs and Symptoms of Lyme Disease

https://www.dal.ca/news/2021/02/19/-why-dental-professionals-should-know-about-the-signs-and-sympto

WHY DENTAL PROFESSIONALS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF LYME DISEASE

Cheryl Bell – February 19, 2021

Early detection and treatment of Lyme disease are important if more serious conditions, such as arthritis, nervous system problems, and carditis, which affects the heart’s electrical system, are to be prevented.

At the end of August 2019, a patient booked an urgent appointment with her dentist. A painful toothache had woken her the night before. Her symptoms also included intense pain in her jaw, temple, and neck, accompanied by a tingling on her lower left lip and left side of her tongue. She also experienced the feeling of sweats and chills during the night and an odd sensation in her shoulder and left arm.

Despite thorough examinations, neither her dentist nor the endodontist she was referred to could find any dental abnormalities. A visit to a Halifax hospital emergency room ruled out both a heart attack and a stroke. It was only when an inflamed bump with a bull’s eye appearance appeared on her thigh a day later that the patient’s family doctor was able to diagnose Lyme disease.

The case is the topic of a paper that Isabel Mello, assistant professor in the Faculty of Dentistry, published with Halifax endodontist, John Peters, and Faculty of Dentistry assistant professor Chris Lee in the Journal of Endodontics in June 2020, “Neuropathy mimicking dental pain in a patient diagnosed with Lyme disease.”

“It was shocking to me to know someone — a personal friend of mine — with Lyme disease,” says Dr. Mello, explaining her interest in the case. “It is a serious illness that can present with a variety of symptoms, such as orofacial pain, fever, and chest pain. If there is no obvious tick bite, Lyme disease can go undiagnosed, bringing much suffering to the patient.”

Nova Scotia – an at-risk area for Lyme disease

Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium that is spread by infected blacklegged ticks. According to the Nova Scotia government’s publication, “Guidance for Primary Care and Emergency Medicine Providers in the Management of Lyme Disease in Nova Scotia,” the entire province of Nova Scotia is an “at-risk area” for Lyme disease. The patient had been camping in two high-risk areas in Nova Scotia before her diagnosis, but this is not the type of question that would normally be asked during a dental appointment.

Although tick season officially begins in April, ticks are active all year. In fact, if the temperature is above 4 degrees C, ticks will be on the move. Early detection and treatment are important if more serious conditions, such as arthritis, nervous system problems, and carditis, which affects the heart’s electrical system, are to be prevented.

“Pain in the orofacial area is not a rare presentation of Lyme disease,” says Dr. Mello, “Although one of the differential diagnoses the endodontist put forward was trigeminal neuralgia, which is one of the presentations of Lyme disease, a definitive diagnosis of the illness is difficult without a visible bite site or rash.”

Someone with Lyme disease may experience temporomandibular joint pain, headache, and neuralgia.

In particular, symptoms of neuropathy in the orofacial area, such as numbness, prickling or tingling, and sharp, jabbing, throbbing, or burning pain, may mimic dental pain and could prompt patients to visit their dentists looking for answers.

The need to know

“Any health care provider — including dental practitioners — should be aware of the risk factors for Lyme disease, know about its signs and symptoms, and consider Lyme disease as a differential diagnosis for atypical pain in the orofacial area,” says Dr. Mello. “This is particularly important when there is no obvious tick bite.”

Dr. Mello suggests that health professionals consider asking more in-depth questions, including about recent changes to a patient’s overall health and trips to high-risk areas. She also recommends that they consider making further referrals and collaborating with other health professionals.

“A delayed diagnosis is frustrating and worrying for both the patient and health care providers,” says Dr. Mello. “This disease can also be fatal. Dental professionals play an important role in helping to diagnose Lyme disease early.”

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**Comment**
Before health professionals will begin asking “more in-depth questions”, they will need to change their mindset.  They’ve been educated in medical school that Lyme is hard to catch and easy to treat and always comes with a bullseye rash.
This oversimplification of one of the most complex illnesses known to man has been dooming patients for decades.

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Category:

Activism, Dentistry, Lyme

Back to the Lab: Dr. Wills From the G. Magnotta Research Lab

https://www.lookingatlyme.ca/2020/10/back-to-the-lab-with-dr-melanie-wills-from-the-g-magnotta-research-lab-at-the-university-of-guelph/

Sarah Cormode and Dr. Melanie Wills with Looking at Lyme, episode 13.

Back to the lab with Dr. Melanie Wills from the G. Magnotta Research Lab at the University of Guelph

EPISODES / BY

Post cast:  https://cdn.transistor.fm/file/transistor/m/shows/17123/595fdfc3b5c2a92230d6dd180b8379eb.mp3

In this episode Sarah talks research, Canadian research that is, with Dr. Melanie Wills. She is the Director of the G. Magnotta Lab at the University of Guelph, conducting research and studying the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of Lyme disease. She became interested in researching Lyme disease while working on her PhD, when her own health history intersected with her research interests. When a doctor suggested she may have symptoms of Lyme disease, Dr. Wills agreed that her symptoms were similar, but she had been tested, and Lyme disease had been ruled out. At the doctor’s recommendation, she explored further into the disease and the testing for it. When she realized that the research around Lyme disease was inadequate, her career moved toward helping to fill that gap while at the same time incorporating her PhD and her lived experience with the disease. Dr. Wills recalls how conversations with fellow researcher Vett Lloyd, Jim Wilson (CanLyme President) and the G. Magnotta Foundation resulted in the collaboration behind the lab located at the University of Guelph.

Dr. Wills talks about their research examining the different forms that Borrelia (Lyme bacteria) can adopt, including round bodies and biofilms, and what role they have in the expression of the disease. She is also looking at how a person’s genetics and the genetics of the bacteria might play a role in how the disease is expressed. Dr. Wills points out that the body’s reaction to the bacteria can cause an excessive inflammatory response, and how that may differ from person to person. She also describes their research study which looks at peoples’ experiences with Lyme disease including their interactions with the medical system.

One of the other exciting areas of research in her lab is the development of a new diagnostic tool for Lyme disease. Dr. Wills takes us into the science and history behind the current Canadian testing protocol and explains some of the shortcomings of this protocol in terms of immune response and the inability to rule out ongoing infection using these tests.

People with chronic Lyme can’t help but notice the many similarities between Lyme disease and COVID-19. Dr. Wills has been working with researchers at Mount Allison University to study the chronic complications of COVID-19. Studying these symptoms and comparing them to Lyme disease may help to determine which systems in the body may be involved for both diseases. She tells us about other research happening now that may help us to understand what is going on with a certain population by looking at genomes.

Dr. Wills shares a vision for advances in research in Lyme disease, including more collaboration between researchers and points out that the political landscape is currently hampering such collaboration. She is also concerned that, because Lyme disease has been inaccurately framed as a disease that is easily treated, there has been little interest in funding better treatments and research. Despite all of the challenges Dr. Wills has had to manage both personally and professionally, she believes that we are up to the challenge of finding better solutions in the future. Thank you so much Dr. Wills for all the hard work you are doing to help improve the lives of people with Lyme disease!

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About The Author

CanLyme

Looking at Lyme is an educational podcast created by the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation, designed to increase awareness and empower listeners with expert knowledge.
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Category:

Activism, Lyme