Archive for the ‘Lyme’ Category

Allegheny County’s Tick Collector Warns of Lyme Disease Risks

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/environment/2020/08/07/ticks-Lyme-disease-risks-Allegheny-County-blacklegged-tick/stories/

Leah Lamonte, vector control specialist for the Allegheny County Health Department, looks for blacklegged ticks in their nymph stage after dragging a cloth along a trail in Hartwood Acres on July 30, 2020, in Allison Park.

Allegheny County’s tick collector warns of Lyme disease risks

Pam Panchak / Post-Gazette
AUG 7, 2020

After dragging a swath of white cloth the size of a doormat through the forest duff along a shaded, onetime bridle trail now well used by walkers and joggers in Hartwood Acres county park, Leah Lamonte had her tweezers out.

Ms. Lamonte is the vector control program coordinator for the Allegheny County Health Department, and the specks she plucked from the “drag cloth” last week looked like smudges of finely ground black pepper. Except they were moving.

As she delicately grabbed each tiny crawling dot and dropped it into a clear plastic vial filled with alcohol, she explained that she was collecting ticks, especially blacklegged ticks, the kind that carry Lyme disease and pass it to thousands of Pennsylvanians every year.  (See link for article)

_______________________

**Comment**

Important takeaways:

  1. Lamonte states she’s finding ticks in every one of the city and county parks.
  2. She rightly assumes that every time she’s been in a park she’s been exposed to Lyme (if not other things as well).
  3. According to their results, 25% of nymphal deer ticks carry Lyme, while 50% of adults do. She states this is because adults have had two blood meals thereby increasing their risk.
  4. 4% carry Anaplasma
  5. 1% carry Babesia
  6. They repeat the mantra that a tick has to be attached for 36-48 hours when minimum attachment time has NEVER been determined.  I show here that within 4-6 hours a little girl couldn’t walk or talk after a tick bite:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/04/14/transmission-time-for-lymemsids-infection/  It’s also been shown that ticks partially feed, drop off, and then attach to a new host. These partial feeders are able to transmit much more quickly:  m.org/content/iai/61/6/2396.full.pdf  and a more recent 2019 article:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/04/26/three-strains-of-borrelia-other-pathogens-found-in-salivary-glands-of-ixodes-ticks-suggesting-quicker-transmission-time  This study was in castor bean ticks – still in the Ixodes family.
We really need to stop saying a tick has to be attached for hours and hours – giving people a false sense of security.

 

 

Category:

Lyme, research, Ticks, Transmission

Horsham Area Mum’s Tick Bite Warning as Toddler Diagnosed With Lyme Disease

https://www.crawleyobserver.co.uk/health/horsham-area-mums-tick-bite-warning-toddler-diagnosed-lyme-disease

Horsham area mum’s tick bite warning as toddler diagnosed with Lyme disease

A Horsham area mum is urging people to be aware of the dangers of tick bites after her toddler caught Lyme disease.
By Sam Dixon-French
Wednesday, 5th August 2020, 4:23 pm
Lauren and Imogen AndersonLauren and Imogen Anderson

Lauren Anderson, of Broadbridge Heath, said her 22-month-old daughter Imogen was diagnosed with the illness after she was bitten twice by ticks.

The RSPCA worker, 35, said Imogen had a bull’s eye rash on her chest – which can be an early symptom of the disease – before developing a swollen knee.

Lauren added: “It just didn’t go down. You could tell she was in pain. She was waking up in the middle of the night and saying ‘ow, ow’.”  (See link for article)

________________________

BTW: Here is the first recorded case of Babesia & the second reported case of TBE in England:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/08/04/babesia-and-tick-borne-encephalitis-diagnosed-in-england/

Category:

Lyme, Ticks

FREE: Lyme Disease Resource – Printable Factsheet

https://caudwelllyme.com/2020/07/15/caudwell-lymeco-kidunk-launch-the-tick-detectives-initiative/

Caudwell LymeCo & Kidunk launch the Tick Detectives Initiative

Posted on by Caudwell LymeCo Charity

As the UK navigates its way out of some of the restrictions related to COVID-19, there has been a huge surge in the popularity of outdoor summer schools, forest schools and activity programmes planned for the summer months.

In response to this growth of young children and families spending more time outdoors, we’ve been working with our partner, UK award-winning kids clothing brand Kidunk to produce a fun new resource to help children, parents, carers and teachers be better prepared and better aware of Lyme disease.

The Tick Detectives resource

Our factsheet has been designed with input from children so it can appeal to a young audience.

We have tried to deliver the key facts around Lyme disease in a no-nonsense language using engaging colours and imagery that would appeal to a younger audience, but with factual content of use to parents and practitioners.

The ‘Tick Detectives’ fact sheet is available to download from both the Caudwell LymeCo and Kidunk websites.  It will also be sent digitally to over 10,000 nursery settings, carers and parents over the coming weeks.

Ultimately, it’s intended the resource will be printed and provided free to schools and outdoor centres across the UK.

This awareness campaign is part of the partnership between Caudwell LymeCo and Kidunk, launched in May of this year. Given our concern around the potential increase in cases of Lyme due to more socialising outside, we want to work with forest schools and nurseries to empower children and parents with knowledge and understanding of Lyme disease in a fun and creative way.

Kidunk’s fab partnerships and contacts allow us to do this and we’re very grateful to have the support. The resource already has the support of forest school practitioners, and we hope it goes some way into educating young people about ticks and how to keep safe.

Pam Houghton, owner of High Meadow Nursery, Lancashire, and Level 3 Forest School Nursery Practitioner said: ‘Children’s safety is of paramount importance to us and this fantastic resource has been shared with parents and staff who have passed on to others with an interest in outdoor activities and learning’.

Download for FREE here

Please feel free to download via the image below, share, and give us your feedback at lymecocharity@caudwell.com.

The resource is also suitable for Beavers, Cubs, and other school age groups.

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Ticks

Babesia and Tick-borne Encephalitis Diagnosed in England

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/rare-tick-borne-infections-diagnosed-in-england

Rare tick-borne infections diagnosed in England

PHE calls for people to be tick aware as the first case of a babesiosis is diagnosed in England.
Published 31 July 2020
From:  Public Health England
Tick on a leaf

Public Health England (PHE) can confirm the diagnosis of a case of babesiosis and a probable case of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in England. This is the first record of a UK-acquired case of babesiosis and the second case of TBE being acquired in the UK.

Babesiosis is caused by a parasite which infects red blood cells whilst TBE is a viral infection that affects the central nervous system. Both are rare infections spread by the bite from an infected tick.

Both patients have been transferred to hospital, where they are receiving appropriate treatment and supportive care.

PHE regularly undertakes work to understand the potential risks of tick-borne infections in England. This year, PHE has surveyed sites in Devon close to where the person with babesiosis lives, collecting and testing hundreds of ticks – all tested negative for the parasite which causes babesiosis.

PHE has tested deer blood samples from Hampshire in areas near to where the person with probable TBE lives and they have shown evidence of likely TBE virus infection, which matches similar results found in 2019.

The risk of babesiosis or TBE for the general public is very low. However, a number of infections can develop following a tick bite, including Lyme disease, and there are things we can all do to reduce our risk of being bitten by ticks while enjoying the outdoors this summer.

It is important to ‘be tick aware’ and take precautions to reduce your risk of being bitten by ticks when enjoying green spaces this summer including:

  • keeping to footpaths and avoiding long grass when out walking
  • wearing appropriate clothing such as a long-sleeved shirt, and trousers tucked into your socks makes it less likely that a tick will bite and attach
  • considering the use of repellents containing DEET
  • making it a habit to carry out a tick check regularly when you’re outdoors and when you get home
  • if you have been bitten by a tick, it should be removed as soon as possible using fine tipped tweezers or a tick removal tool which is sold by many outdoor stores, vets and pharmacies. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull upwards slowly and firmly. Once removed, wash your skin with water and soap, and apply an antiseptic cream to the skin around the bite
  • contact your GP promptly if you begin to feel unwell, remembering to tell them you were bitten by a tick or recently spent time outdoors

Dr Katherine Russell, Consultant in the Emerging Infections and Zoonoses team at PHE, said:

It is important to emphasise that cases of babesiosis and TBE in England are rare and the risk of being infected remains very low. Lyme disease remains the most common tick-borne infection in England.

Ticks are most active between spring and autumn, so it is sensible to take some precautions to avoid being bitten when enjoying the outdoors. Seek medical advice if you start to feel unwell after a tick bite.

Background

About babesiosis

Most people with babesiosis will have either no symptoms or mild symptoms of infection; people with weakened immune systems can become very ill and present with flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, muscle ache, fatigue, and jaundice.

About TBE

Around 2 thirds of people with TBE infections will have no symptoms. For those who develop symptoms, there are often 2 phases. The first is associated with flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache and fatigue. This can then progress to a more serious second phase that involves central nervous system, which can lead to meningitis, encephalitis and paralysis.

If you develop flu-like symptoms after being bitten by a tick, visit your GP.

Go to hospital if you:

  • get a stiff neck and a severe headache
  • get pain when looking at bright lights
  • have a seizure (fit)
  • have a change in behaviour – such as sudden confusion
  • develop weakness or loss of movement in part of the body

____________________

**Comment**

Authorities really need to stop saying infection is rare.  Many doctors don’t know what to look for and many cases go undiagnosed, and therefore unreported.  They should just state that it’s been found and refrain from telling people anything about numbers when frankly no one has been keeping track.

And it should be a real heads-up that they do need to start looking for it and recording it when it’s found.

Secondly, Babesia, according to Dr. Horowitz is one of the most tenacious coinfections he deals with and necessitates 9 months to a year of solid treatment.  To say that people with Babesia mostly have no symptoms or mild symptoms is asinine because people bitten by a tick and typically getting Lyme in the process CAUSES a weakened immune system.

We know that those infected with multiple things have more severe illness for a longer duration of time.  Authorities need to quit soft peddling their comments.  

For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/category/babesia-treatment/

Category:

Babesia, Lyme, Testing, Ticks, Viruses

Is It Coronavirus or Lyme Disease? Similar Symptoms Could Create Confusion

https://www.today.com/health/do-i-have-coronavirus-or-lyme-disease-t187396

Is it coronavirus or Lyme disease? Similar symptoms could create confusion

Lyme disease, which is caused by bacteria or a parasite in a tick, has a reputation for imitating other conditions.
By Maxine Lipner

Feeling sick with a fever — even a slight one — along with chills, fatigue and achy joints during this pandemic era may all seem to point to the coronavirus, particularly in summer with flu season still months away. But there may be another culprit: Lyme disease.

“Lyme disease is just as common this year as it was last year or the year before,” Dr. Daniel Cameron, a Lyme disease specialist in private practice in Mount Kisco, New York, told TODAY.

What’s more, Lyme disease, which is caused by bacteria or a parasite in a tick, has a reputation for imitating other conditions.

“It triggers cytokines, the inflammatory process, and by triggering the whole natural immune system, it will mimic some other infections that affect the immune system,” Cameron said. When the immune system is working hard to clear the infection, it may cause symptoms very similar to COVID-19.  (See link for article)

____________________

**Comment**

Thankfully more articles like this one are getting out there on the similarities between COVID and Lyme.

I caution the reader on some of the comments made by Jones-Lopez.

  1. Tickborne disease has been found in every single state. Looking at maps for Lyme/MSIDS is outdated and inaccurate information.  Ticks are everywhere – and spreading disease everywhere.
  2. Tickborne disease can occur in any month – and yes, even in the winter.
  3. The information regarding treatments for both diseases is simplistic.  Remdesivir is not backed by results:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/07/02/remdesivir-for-covid-19-not-backed-by-results/, and authorities have stonewalled many other effective COVID treatments: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/06/02/successful-covid-19-critical-care-stonewalled-by-cdc/ and https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/07/05/treatment-with-hcq-azithromycin-and-combination-in-patients-with-covid-19-reduced-in-hospital-mortality/.  While doxycycline is the front-line drug of choice for acute Lyme, it doesn’t take coinfections into account, which would require different medications.  This needs to be emphasized as people still erroneously believe Lyme/MSIDS is a 1-term, 1 drug illness when oftentimes it is far more complex.  We need to quit giving simple 1-minute sound bites on an illness that is wrecking lives.

While there is little you can do about stopping a virus, there is much you can do to protect yourself from tick-borne infections:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/04/12/tick-prevention-2019/

For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/05/30/a-tale-of-two-pandemics-lyme-covid-19-dr-bransfield/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/07/17/tick-disease-with-coronavirus-like-symptoms-is-on-a-rise-in-michigan/?

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/07/11/the-disease-thats-mistaken-for-covid-19/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/07/02/lyme-disease-symptoms-could-be-mistaken-for-covid-19-with-serious-consequences/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/06/09/bishops-stortford-woman-blogs-about-life-with-lyme-coronavirus/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/04/23/another-lyme-patient-with-covid-19-speaks/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/06/09/upstate-residents-seeing-a-tick-bite-illness-that-resembles-coronavirus/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/08/01/as-symptoms-mirror-coronavirus-granville-family-warns-of-ticks-lyme-disease-threat/

Category:

Lyme, Viruses