Archive for the ‘Lyme’ Category

FREE: Chronic Lyme Disease Summit Online July 27-Aug 2

https://chroniclymediseasesummit4.com/

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Don’t miss The Chronic Lyme Disease Summit 4

Now considered to be a dysfunction of the immune system, Lyme disease can mimic other chronic conditions; it can manifest in autoimmunity… along with other misunderstood chronic conditions, Lyme disease has destroyed people’s lives. 

Lyme disease can be a devastating (and sometimes hidden) condition, but it doesn’t have to be! Known as “The Great Imitator,” Lyme disease may mimic other chronic health conditions: arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, MS, depression…

But the sooner it’s detected, the easier it is to address!

—>>Gain a deeper understanding of Lyme disease when you attend this complimentary, online event!

Lyme disease is difficult to diagnose and treat and has over 150 different possible symptoms: fatigue, mood problems, insomnia, neurological impairments, brain fog, migraines, gut issues, neuropathy, joint pain and others. If not properly treated, over time Lyme disease becomes chronic and can manifest in autoimmunity or a number of other degenerative, debilitating health issues.

Some people live in a cycle of symptom management while remaining extremely ill.
Many doctors don’t know which medications to give people, so many have to find their own solutions.

The fact is: if you don’t know the root cause of your health issues, it’s so much harder to heal.

WHY ATTEND?
Your host, Dr. Jay Davidson, nearly lost his wife to chronic Lyme disease, which prompted him to undergo years of research to help her heal. He’ll share that wisdom with you during this summit.

Lean on the wisdom of our health experts to help with:
+ Testing methods and treatment protocols
+ Steps to take before addressing Lyme
+ Staying empowered in the doctor/patient relationship
+ Supporting mitochondrial health and drainage
+ Detox and diet protocols
+ Nutrition, exercise and mindset strategies
+ And so much more!

Register for free

or

Order Presentation to gift someone else or watch at your own convenience.

If you’ve been diagnosed with or suspect you’ve been misdiagnosed, it’s time to gain a deeper understanding of Lyme disease!

Join us at this important event to discover current research and novel approaches to testing and treating chronic Lyme disease and what you can do to boost your immune system health.

You’re not alone. There are answers. We can heal together.

P.S. When you register for The Chronic Lyme Disease Summit 4k, you’ll also unlock early-access interviews, complimentary guides and helpful eBooksabout living your most resilient life!

 

___________________

**Comment**

Just for clarification: ALL disease is basically due to an impaired immune system from the standpoint of if the immune system was working at 100% it would be able to fight off disease.  Tick-borne illness by nature causes immune dysfunction as these are pathogens who work synergistically together and literally feast upon the human body, depriving it of vital nutrients.  Of course replacing those nutrients and building blocks is essential but in my opinion only one prong of treatment.  Detoxification is another prong, and antimicrobial treatment is the third important prong.

When we only focus on the immune system we miss a key of the puzzle and that is the pathogens themselves – which typically means antimicrobial treatment of one form or another.

From my experience, when the pathogens are dealt with, many if not most symptoms just disappear.

There’s always exceptions.  I’ve personally heard stories of people getting well on nothing but supportive things like diet and supplements; however, they are in the minority.  I get excited over each and every person who finds wholeness – no matter how it comes, but at the end of the day we all must make informed choices and nobody knows your body better than you do. You must gather all the information you can and choose for yourself your course of action.  All I can say is “God speed” on whatever you choose and may you reach the other side.

For more on treatment:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/02/13/lyme-disease-treatment/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/06/26/new-treatments-for-lyme-disease-on-the-horizon/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/02/22/why-mainstream-lyme-msids-research-remains-in-the-dark-ages/ This article is based upon an important video Dr. Burrascano did where he shares nuances of successful treatment. Blood levels of antimicrobials are important (dosage) as well as cycling (going off treatment when you’ve been symptom-free for 2-3 months and then hitting it hard with antimicrobials if and when you relapse.  He’s found that doing 3-4 cycles has brought people to remission).

Some of the sickest patients I’ve seen are 1) those who have had it for decades 2) used antimicrobials (typically antibiotics) indiscriminately.  It takes a trained eye and know-how to treat this.  You can NOT just throw more and more doxycycline at this.  It takes many antimicrobials and varying dosages (depending upon the person) in a layered fashion.  You have to deal with all forms of Bb (borrelia or Lyme) as well as every coinfection, which can include worms.

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Uncategorized

Lyme Advocate Calls Out Researcher For Hypocrisy

https://www.change.org/p/the-us-senate-calling-for-a-congressional-investigation-of-the-cdc-idsa-and-aldf/u/2

Special Issue “Advance in Tick-Borne Diseases Research”

JUL 1, 2020 — 

———- Original Message ———-

From: CARL TUTTLE <runagain@comcast.net>
To: tickbornedisease@hhs.gov, jaucott2@jhmi.edu
Cc: (98 undisclosed recipients)
Date: 06/30/2020 12:54 PM
Subject: Special Issue “Advance in Tick-Borne Diseases Research”

To the Tick-borne Disease Working Group,

Here is more evidence of the global denial of persistent infection after extensive antibiotic treatment. Academics along with the US Centers for Disease Control who have followed Dr. Gary Wormser’s racketeering scheme are aiding and abetting this scientific misconduct.

Please see the following email addressed to Professors Stanek and Strle with cc; to Managing Editor, Ms. Ashlynn Wang, Microorganisms.

Carl Tuttle
———- Original Message ———-
From: CARL TUTTLE <runagain@comcast.net>
To: gerold.stanek@meduniwien.ac.at, franc.strle@kclj.si
Cc: ashlynn.wang@mdpi.com, vicario@mdpi.com, lin@mdpi.com, vazquez@mdpi.com
Date: 06/29/2020 11:59 AM
Subject: Special Issue “Advance in Tick-Borne Diseases Research”

Microorganisms — Open Access Journal

Special Issue “Advance in Tick-Borne Diseases Research”
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/microorganisms/special_issues/tick_borne_diseases

Special Issue Editors: -Prof. Dr. Gerold Stanek , -Prof. Dr. Franc Strle  

June 29, 2020

Immunology of Infection and Microbiology
Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology
Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology
Kinderspitalgasse 15, 1090 Vienna, Austria
Attn: Prof. Dr. Gerold Stanek and Prof. Dr. Franc Strle

To: Professors Stanek and Strle,

It should be known that the academics in the United States who have controlled the Lyme disease narrative for the past thirty years are defendants in a racketeering lawsuit in Texas District Court. Four of the eight insurance companies named in this suit have now settled out of court and the court has upheld the racketeering charge.

Court upholds claims under RICO, against doctor defendants
https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/a6439-show_temp.pl_.pdf

One of the strategies of this racketeering scheme was to suppress evidence of persistent infection after extensive antibiotic treatment and then claim there is no evidence.

Dr. Gary Wormser of New York Medical College has had a global influence on the scientific community promoting his groupthink mentality concerning persistent Borrelia infection. (Wormser; “Chronic Lyme disease does not exist”)

Dr. Stanek, you clearly reported persistent Borrelia infection in 2001 in a 64-year-old patient despite treatment with four courses of ceftriaxone [1] but when Dr. Wormser teamed up with you and Dr. Strle in 2012 that case of chronic Lyme was omitted in your Lancet article and you and your coauthors claim that Lyme disease is easily treated. [2]

Here is a quote from your 2001 publication identifying persistent infection:

“Borrelia [the Lyme disease bacteria] may possibly be able to remain dormant in certain tissue compartments”

Here is a quote from your 2012 lancet article:

“Most manifestations of Lyme borreliosis will resolve spontaneously without treatment.”

In 2014 you and Dr. Strle published the following paper promoting antibiotic treatment:

Lyme Borreliosis (Book Chapter)   [no longer at this original link]
https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84942739356&origin=inward&txGid=D355DFF083BF00E79EB6ABEAFE4BBD9F.wsnAw8kcdt7IPYLO0V48gA%3a13

Stupica, D. a,  Stanek, G. b,  Strle, F. a

a  Department of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
b  Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria

Abstract

A 49-year-old male, living in a Lyme borreliosis (LB) endemic region, noticed an erythematous skin rash about 10 days after a bite that in the next 2 weeks evolved to a ring-like skin lesion with diameters of 18×9. cm, i.e., presenting as typical erythema migrans (EM). The lesion disappeared spontaneously in 5 weeks; however, in the following 2 months the patient developed radicular pains, complete heart block that required insertion of transient heart pacemaker, and knee arthritis. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis revealed lymphocytic pleocytosis. High levels of serum and CSF borrelial IgG antibodies and intrathecal production of the specific antibodies were ascertained, and treatment with ceftriaxone 2. g OD intravenously for 14 days was initiated. The patient regained his physical capacity, radicular chest pain and knee swelling declined, and heart conduction abnormalities resolved. The pacemaker was removed during antibiotic treatment, and the patient’s further course was uneventful. The patient had all major manifestations of LB, which could have been prevented if EM had been recognized and properly treated. However, instead of antibiotic treatment, the physician who saw the patient at the time of EM ordered tests for the presence of borrelial antibodies, and misinterpreted negative serology as an indication against antibiotic treatment.LB is the most frequent tick-transmitted illness on the Northern Hemisphere. It is caused by certain species of Lyme borreliae. In the present report, epidemiology, etiology, mode of transmission, pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, treatment and prevention of this emerging disease with increasing incidence are discussed. © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

So, let’s review your position:

  • In 2001 you identified chronic Lyme disease
  • in 2012 you claimed Lyme is a simple nuisance disease
  • In 2014 Lyme became very serious requiring the insertion of transient heart pacemaker

So what’s going on here Dr. Stanek?

Have you become influenced by Dr. Gary Wormser (who is a defendant in an alleged racketeering scheme) promoting the global denial of persistent Borrelia infection and misclassification as a simple nuisance disease?

Patient testimony all across America [3] (and the globe) [4] is describing a disease that is destroying lives, ending careers while leaving its victim in financial ruin.

For the record: The maximum penalty authorized for a RICO violation here in the United States is 20 years in jail.

A response to this inquiry is requested.

Respectfully submitted,

Carl Tuttle

Lyme Endemic Hudson, NH USA

Cc: Ms. Ashlynn Wang, Managing Editor, Microorganisms
Dr. Unai Vicario, Publishing Manager , MDPI
Shu-Kun Lin, Ph.D. President, MDPI
Franck Vazquez, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, MDPI

References:

1. Br J Dermatol. 2001 Feb;144(2):387-92.

Isolation and polymerase chain reaction typing of Borrelia afzelii from a skin lesion in a seronegative patient with generalized ulcerating bullous lichen sclerosus et atrophicus.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11251580

Breier F ,  Khanakah G,  Stanek G,  Kunz G,  Aberer E,  Schmidt B,  Tappeiner G.

Author information

1Department of Dermatology, Lainz Municipal Hospital, Wolkersbergenstrasse 1, A-1130 Vienna, Austria. brf@der.khl.magwien.gv.at

Abstract

A 64-year-old woman presented with bullous and ulcerating lichen sclerosus et atrophicus (LSA) on the neck, trunk, genital and perigenital area and the extremities. Histology of lesional skin showed the typical manifestations of LSA; in one of the biopsies spirochaetes were detected by silver staining.  Despite treatment with four courses of ceftriaxone with or without methylprednisone for up to 20 days, progression of LSA was only stopped for a maximum of 1 year. Spirochaetes were isolated from skin cultures obtained from enlarging LSA lesions. These spirochaetes were identified as Borrelia afzelii by sodium dodecyl sulphate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses. However, serology for B. burgdorferi sensu lato was repeatedly negative. After one further 28-day course of ceftriaxone the lesions stopped expanding and sclerosis of the skin was diminished. At this time cultures for spirochaetes and PCR of lesional skin for B. afzelii DNA remained negative. These findings suggest a pathogenetic role for B. afzelii in the development of LSA and a beneficial effect of appropriate antibiotic treatment.

PMID: 11251580

2. Lyme borreliosis.

Stanek G1, Wormser GP, Gray J, Strle F.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21903253

Excerpt:

Most patients with Lyme borreliosis have an excellent prognosis. Although most manifestations of Lyme borreliosis will resolve spontaneously without treatment, antibiotic treatment might speed the resolution of symptoms and signs, and will prevent the development of objective late complications. Precautions to prevent future tick bites should be taken to prevent re-infections.

3. Under our Skin 5min extended trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxWgS0XLVqw&feature=channel_page

4. Lyme Disease: French Association Launches Alert Against “A Bacterial AIDS”

https://fr.sputniknews.com/france/201904101040691211-maladie-lyme-association-france-droit-de-guerir-sida-matthias-lacoste/?fbclid=IwAR028YoR08pF5GkEImwiZP9JpxxVG9EURUYjsylDXgeskWk8ft4j-Us0NXE

________________

**Comment**

iu-65

Tuttle also points out that it appears members of the TBDWG are colluding with the defendants of the RICO lawsuit (Lisa Torrey vs IDSA) as one of those defendants (Eugene Shapiro) is an active member of the Working Group:  https://www.change.org/p/the-us-senate-calling-for-a-congressional-investigation-of-the-cdc-idsa-and-aldf/u/27071676?c

For more:  https://lymediseaseassociation.org/government/federal-government/govt-departments-a-policies/hhs-tbd-working-group/agencies-deny-persistent-lyme-at-wg-take-action-now/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Uncategorized

Lyme Disease Symptoms Could Be Mistaken For COVID-19, With Serious Consequences

https://theconversation.com/lyme-disease-symptoms-could-be-mistaken-for-covid-19-with-serious-consequences-

Lyme disease symptoms could be mistaken for COVID-19, with serious consequences

May 27, 2020 

Associate Professor of Biology, University of Richmond

Summer is field season for ecologists like me, a time when my colleagues, students and I go out into fields and woods in search of ticks to study the patterns and processes that allow disease-causing microbes – primarily bacteria and viruses – to spread among wildlife and humans.

That field work means we’re also at risk of getting the very diseases we study. I always remind my crew members to pay close attention to their health. If they get a fever or any other signs of sickness, they should seek medical treatment immediately and tell their doctor that they may have been exposed to ticks.

When summer flu-like illnesses develop in anyone who spends time outdoors in areas where ticks are common, tick-transmitted diseases like Lyme disease should be considered a likely culprit.

This summer, however, the global emergence of the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 is presenting a whole new set of challenges for diagnosing Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.

Lyme disease shares a number of symptoms with COVID-19, including fever, achiness and chills.

Anyone who mistakes Lyme disease for COVID-19 could unknowingly delay necessary medical treatment, and that can lead to severe, potentially debilitating symptoms.

Delaying medical treatment can be dangerous

As we move from spring into summer, and into the peak period of tick activity in much of the Northern Hemisphere, time spent outdoors will increase, as will risk of tick-transmitted disease.

In some cases, there are key symptoms of a tick-transmitted disease that can help with diagnosis. For example, early Lyme disease, which is caused by the bite of an infected black-legged tick, sometimes called the deer tick, is commonly associated with an expanding “bull’s-eye rash.” Seventy percent to 80% of patients have this symptom.

However, other symptoms of Lyme disease – fever, head and body aches and fatigue – are less distinctive and can be easily confused with other illnesses, including COVID-19. This can make it more difficult to diagnose a patient who did not notice a rash or was unaware that they ever had a tick bite. As a result, Lyme disease cases can be misdiagnosed. Nationally, Lyme disease may be undercounted to the point that only one in 10 cases is reported to the CDC.

A student plucks samples off a drag cloth used to collect ticks. Jory Brinkerhoff/University of Richmond, CC BY-SA

If Lyme disease is identified and treated quickly, two to four weeks of antibiotics can usually knock out Borrelia burgdorferi, the species of spirochete bacteria that causes it.

But delays in the treatment of Lyme disease can lead to more severe and persistent symptoms. If Lyme disease goes untreated, neurological and cognitive problems and potentially fatal heart problems can develop, and painful arthritis that is much more difficult to treat can set in.

Lyme disease isn’t the only tick problem

Lyme disease is most common in the Northeast and North Central U.S., but that does not mean that people in areas without Lyme disease are free from worry about tick-transmitted disease. Ticks throughout North America can spread a wide range of diseases, many of which also present with flu-like symptoms, leading to the potential for misdiagnosis, especially when these diseases are not especially common in the general population.

A closeup of a tick’s head under an electron microscope. Fernando Otalora-Luna/University of Richmond, CC BY

Spotted fevers are another group of tick-transmitted diseases. The most severe of these is Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which can be fatal. Spotted fevers, as the name suggests, are typically associated with a rash. But the rash may not show until after fever and other flu-like symptoms, creating the same risk of being mistaken for COVID-19. Like Lyme disease, spotted fevers can be treated with anitibiotics, and early treatment can head off more severe infections, so quick, accurate diagnosis is critical.

Is COVID-19 increasing chances of tick bites?

Recent reports from across the nation and around the globe suggest that wildlife have become more bold this spring, wandering into suburbs and cities where human and vehicle traffic are reduced because of COVID-19.

Whether this phenomenon is being driven by changes in animal behavior or is simply an artifact of humans spending more time in their homes and becoming more aware of their surroundings is not clear, but changes in wildlife behavior and habitat use could affect tick-transmitted disease. For example, white-tailed deer are important hosts to multiple human-biting tick species in eastern North America, including black-legged ticks, and more deer around our homes and in our neighborhoods could lead to more ticks that have a chance to bite humans.

A closeup of a tick’s mouth parts under an electron microscope shows the barbs that allow it to hang on after it penetrates skin. Fernando Otalora-Luna/University of Richmond, CC BY-SA

Ticks do not move very far by themselves – perhaps about a foot per day for some species – but can be dispersed dozens of miles or more while hitching a ride on a highly mobile host like a deer, coyote or bird. Thus, the wildlife we observe exploring our neighborhoods while we are encouraged to stay at home may be leaving behind ticks that are carrying pathogens, or that could acquire infection from the more common wildlife already near our homes.

Staying safe

Awareness is a key component of preventing and treating tick-borne disease. People should be aware of the activities that could expose them to ticks, and physicians should consider the possibility of tick-borne disease, especially given the potential overlap in symptoms with COVID-19.

As with COVID-19, mitigation efforts can substantially reduce the risk of tick-borne diseases. Wear long sleeves and long pants and use an EPA-registered repellent when you are in tick habitat, and check yourself thoroughly for ticks when you get home.

It is important to be aware of ticks when spending time outside, but fear of ticks should not stop people from enjoying nature.

____________________

**Comment**

Overall – good read.  A few points:

  1. Far fewer patients get the EM rash:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/02/22/why-mainstream-lyme-msids-research-remains-in-the-dark-ages/  In the first ever patient group in Connecticut only 25% had it:  Another source in the article states it’s between  25-80%. https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/06/12/formidable-evidence-for-sexual-transmission-of-lyme-disease-first-study-to-document-aca-rashes-in-canadian-patients/ This study states only 9-39% get it. Authorities have put entirely too much emphasis on the rash. While the rash clearly indicates you have Lyme disease, absence of the rash does not mean you don’t have Lyme disease.  
  2. Delays in treatment have been and continue to be a serious problem. 
  3. The author’s point that Lyme could be mistaken for COVID is important.
  4. Lyme/MSIDS has been and continues to be mistaken for just about everything. Testing is abysmal (just like antibody and PCR testing for COVID) and shouldn’t be solely relied upon.

Category:

Lyme, Ticks

Lyme Disease: The Slow, Subtle Knockdown

https://medium.com/@bridgethylak/lyme-disease-the-slow-subtle-knockdown-

Lyme Disease: The Slow, Subtle Knockdown

Bridget Hylak

Jun 25, 2020 

Early symptoms of Lyme and tick-borne illness should not be ignored

It started innocently enough — maybe I had the flu, maybe all the joint pain was age-related, maybe the drenched bed sheets, the severe hot and cold flashes were menopause.

My life was busy, my kids were in high school, I work full time in public and on a computer, and I had a lot to do.

So I put it off.

Then, the more insidious symptoms started. Anxiety, panic attacks, food allergies…. (See link for article)

__________________

**Comment**

Unfortunately, this story is played out by thousands of patients. They notice symptoms but put them off until they become undeniable and unbearable.

Everyone knows that prompt treatment is key – yet we rarely get it.

The “wait and see” approach has failed for 40 years.  Spread the word.

Category:

Lyme

Disseminated Lyme Disease More Likely In Those With Weakened Immune System

https://danielcameronmd.com/impaired-immunity-increases-risk-of-disseminated-lyme-disease/

DISSEMINATED LYME DISEASE MORE LIKELY IN THOSE WITH WEAKENED IMMUNE SYSTEM

Sick woman sitting on couch with disseminated Lyme disease

Individuals with a weakened immune system are more susceptible to developing infections, such as COVID-19. A review study has also found that people with compromised immune systems are at a greater risk of developing disseminated Lyme disease. The authors of “Erythema Migrans: Course and Outcome in Patients Treated With Rituximab” investigated patients diagnosed with Lyme disease, who were also taking Rituximab, a medication known to impair immunity. [1]

By

The small study examined the risk of developing disseminated Lyme disease for people with weakened immune systems. Researchers enrolled 7 patients with an EM (erythema migrans) rash who were diagnosed with Lyme disease. All of the patients were receiving Rituximab for another underlying medical condition. Out of the 7 patients, 4 were also being treated with additional immunosuppressant drugs (e.g., corticosteroids, methotrexate, and bortezomid).

“Rituximab is the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody that influences B cells and consequently impairs secretion of antibodies, antigen presentation, and secretion of cytokines,” writes Maraspin and colleagues.

Rituximab is used for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener granulomatosis).

Signs of disseminated Lyme disease

According to the authors, 43% of the patients treated with Rituximab showed unusually high signs of disseminated Lyme disease, compared to 8% of immunocompetent individuals.

The isolation rates of Borrelia from the blood before antibiotic treatment were also unusually high (40%) when compared with immunocompetent patients (<2%).

“Impaired immunity might be an explanation for the complicated course of LB (signs of disseminated LB or unfavorable outcome after antibiotic treatment) present in 57% of our patients, but rarely seen in immunocompetent adult patients with EM, of whom only about 8% have disseminated disease and approximately 10% have treatment failure, most often the presence of LB-associated symptoms,” the authors write.

In their study, 3 of the patients with multiple EM rashes were treated with intravenous antibiotics. The remaining individuals received oral antibiotics.

READ MORE: Lyme disease manifests as autoimmune disorder

One patient, a 65-year-old woman, failed initial treatment. “Her skin lesion persisted for >2 months after the start of treatment with doxycycline,” explains Maraspin. “However, it disappeared after retreatment with amoxicillin and the subsequent clinical course was uneventful.”

At their 1-year follow-up, none of the patients had any objective (or physical) signs of Lyme disease. However, the authors did not mention the presence of other symptoms, such as fatigue, pain, and cognitive problems.

Retreatment for immunocompromised patients 

Meanwhile, a study by Maraspin and colleagues reports that 25% of Lyme disease patients who had received immunosuppressive drugs, such as adalimumab, infliximab, etanercept, golimumab, failed treatment for Lyme disease. Three of the four patients required retreatment.

Patients with weakened immune systems were also more likely (18.8%) to develop signs of disseminated Lyme disease when compared to Lyme disease patients who were immunocompetent.

Editors note: The increased chance of disseminated Lyme disease in patients with impaired immunity needs further study. I would also address the risk of treatment failures on other outcomes including fatigue, pain, and cognitive problems.

Related Articles:

People re-infected with Lyme disease may develop strain-specific immunity 

Can Lyme disease trigger an autoimmune disease?

Persistent Lyme infection or inflammatory immune response?

References:
  1. Maraspin, V., et al. (2019). “Erythema Migrans: Course and Outcome in Patients Treated With Rituximab.” Open Forum Infect Dis 6(7): ofz292.

__________________

**Comment**

The one question that hasn’t been answered fully is what exactly is causing this impaired immunity?  While many would love to solely blame the patient’s immune system, many have yet to consider the interplay between how over time these pathogens directly impact the immune system negatively.  From experience I can state that most Lyme/MSIDS patients, prior to becoming infected, are some of the healthiest people I know.  They eat right, exercise, love the outdoors, and take their health seriously.

Until the answer to impaired immunity is determined (and it may vary from patient to patient), patients will not be treated appropriately.

For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/03/09/the-long-term-persistence-of-borrelia-burgdorferi-antigens-dna-in-the-tissues-of-lyme-disease-patient/

Category:

Lyme, research, Treatment