Archive for the ‘Lyme’ Category

Do You Still Need to Worry About Ticks in the Winter? (YES)

https://www.southernliving.com/are-ticks-dormant-in-winter

Do You Still Need To Worry About Ticks In The Winter?

Here’s what to know about these parasites.
By Arricca Elin SanSone
Published on February 1, 2026
A close-up shows a tick moving across light-colored pants,
Credit: Getty Images

You typically don’t encounter as many insects while you’re outdoors in winter as you do the rest of the year. But that doesn’t mean everything  that bites is hunkered down until spring. “Many tick species will have adults active during the winter months,” says Sonja L, Swiger, PhD, professor, medical entomologist and extension specialist with Texas A&M AgriLife. “Since ticks are blood feeders, they do quite well throughout the winter months because they are on a host.”

Of course, ticks don’t just bite; they also carry diseases that make people and pets sick. “The most commonly encountered tickborne pathogen in the Southeast is Rocky Mountain spotted fever,” says Swiger. But Lyme disease is also a threat, though it’s not transmitted at the same rate as it is in places such as the Northeast. Other diseases that ticks can pass to people and pets include ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis.

In addition, if you think a cold or snowy winter will knock down ticks, that’s just wishful thinking. Harsh weather doesn’t really impact the tick population as a whole. “Ticks have been around for millions of years and are very good at what they do. They know how to survive,” says Eric Benson, PhD, professor emeritus and extension entomologist with  Clemson University. “During winter, many species of ticks go into diapause, a state when they reduce their metabolism to conserve energy to survive.”

 Here’s what else you should know about ticks in winter:  (See link for article)

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**Comment**

Great reminder to stay vigilant.

The article points out what this website has been publishing for years: ticks are marvelously ecoadaptive and will simply hide under leaf litter or snow when weather becomes harsh. This also proves that the climate and/or ‘climate change‘ has nothing to do with tick survival and disease propagation.  They are simply built to survive.  About the only thing they can’t handle is fire!

The article then lists ways to prevent tick bites.  Go here for a multi-pronged approach.  Pet owners have nearly two times the risk of finding ticks, so multiple areas need to be addressed.

For more:

More on the ‘climate change’ agenda:

Category:

Anaplasmosis, Climate, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme, Prevention, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ticks

The Often Overlooked Link Between Oral Health and Lyme Disease

https://www.lymedisease.org/oral-health-lyme-disease/

The often overlooked link between oral health and Lyme disease

By Terri McCormick

1/19/26

Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses are often discussed in terms of joints, nerves, and immune dysfunction. One critical area is frequently overlooked: the mouth.

That gap was the focus of a recent clinical lecture on oral–systemic health and its relevance to tick‑borne disease, presented by Dr. Alexander Volchonok, a board‑certified periodontist with advanced training in biologic dentistry. He collaborated with Dr. Susan Marra, a physician who treats complex chronic illness, including Lyme disease and co‑infections.

Their central message was clear: oral health extends beyond the teeth and gums. From a whole-body perspective, the mouth plays an active role in immune regulation, inflammation, and systemic signaling. In some patients with tick-borne disease, unresolved oral inflammation may contribute to ongoing immune activation and stalled recovery.

This is especially relevant for the Lyme community, where many patients hit treatment plateaus despite appropriate antimicrobial and supportive care. Identifying hidden sources of persistent inflammation may help explain why progress sometimes slows.

How the mouth connects to the rest of the body

The mouth is a primary gateway between the outside world and the immune system. Microbes, nutrients, toxins, and inflammatory signals pass through the oral cavity and can influence immune activity throughout the body.

The oral cavity hosts one of the body’s most active microbiomes, made up of hundreds of bacterial species along with fungi and viruses. When balanced, this ecosystem helps regulate immune function, support digestion, contribute to healthy blood flow through nitric oxide production, and protect the body’s natural barriers.

The gums are an important part of the body’s defense system. When they’re healthy, they help keep germs and irritants from entering the bloodstream. But if that balance is disrupted, inflammation in the mouth can worsen and send signals that affect the immune system throughout the body.

Oral microbiome dysbiosis and chronic inflammation

Oral disease develops when the microbiome shifts from a healthy balance (symbiosis) to an imbalanced state (dysbiosis). In dysbiosis, protective bacteria decline, harmful species expand, inflammatory biofilms form, and the immune system remains chronically activated.

This shift can be accelerated by factors commonly seen in people with Lyme disease and other complex chronic illnesses, including immune dysregulation, medication effects, reduced saliva flow, nutrient deficiencies, chronic stress, and autonomic dysfunction.

Once dysbiosis takes hold, oral inflammation may become self-sustaining, contributing not only to local problems in the mouth but also adding to the body’s overall inflammatory load.

Periodontal disease as a chronic inflammatory driver

A major focus of the lecture was periodontal disease, an infection-driven inflammatory condition affecting the tissues that support the teeth. It can progress from mild gum inflammation to deep pockets, bone loss, and eventual tooth loss.

Importantly, periodontal disease often advances quietly. Pain is not always present, especially in early or moderate stages. Chronic inflammation at the gum line creates a persistent wound with direct access to the bloodstream, allowing inflammatory mediators and microbial byproducts to influence the body’s wider immune response.

In patients with tick-borne disease, where immune regulation is already impaired, this ongoing inflammatory input may compound symptoms and hinder recovery.

Dental and jawbone pathology that may go unrecognized

The lecture also addressed dental and jawbone problems that may not be immediately apparent during routine dental exams. These include infections associated with teeth that have lost their blood supply (sometimes called necrotic teeth) and areas of impaired bone healing following dental procedures.

One example was jawbone that fails to heal properly after extractions, wisdom tooth removal, or other dental trauma. Reduced blood flow and low oxygen levels in these areas can limit the body’s ability to detect and resolve inflammation.

Because these issues are often silent, patients may have no symptoms even while underlying problems persist and add to the body’s overall immune load.

Why antibiotics alone may not resolve the issue

In tick‑borne disease, some tissue environments are notoriously difficult for systemic treatments to reach. The lecture noted that the oral cavity can share these same challenges—such as biofilm formation, low‑oxygen pockets, and reduced blood flow in diseased areas.

As a result, antimicrobial therapy may reduce symptoms without fully resolving underlying inflammatory drivers if oral disease remains unaddressed. This does not suggest antibiotics are ineffective, but rather that persistent oral inflammation may continue to stimulate immune responses even when systemic treatment is appropriate.

How oral health fits into Lyme disease care

From a whole-body perspective, oral health is not a stand-alone issue. It’s part of an interconnected network involving the immune system, nervous system, vascular system, and inflammatory signaling pathways.

Addressing oral disease is not a replacement for medical treatment of Lyme disease. Instead, it may serve as an important adjunct within an integrated care model, particularly for patients who struggle to make lasting progress despite appropriate treatment.

Why this information matters to the Lyme community

This lecture did not claim that oral disease causes Lyme disease. Rather, it highlighted how unresolved oral inflammation and hidden dental pathology may contribute to ongoing immune activation and complicate recovery in some individuals.

For people living with Lyme disease and associated co-infections, the mouth may be an overlooked source of inflammatory stress. Integrating oral health into a whole-body evaluation may help clinicians and patients identify contributors to illness that would otherwise remain hidden.

The key takeaway is not to assume dental issues are the root of chronic illness, but to recognize that oral health may be an important piece of the puzzle when healing stalls.

About the speakers

This discussion on oral–systemic health and its relevance to tick-borne disease was led by Dr. Alexander Volchonok and Dr. Susan Marra, two clinicians working at the intersection of complex chronic illness and whole-body care.

Dr. Volchonok is a board-certified periodontist with advanced training in biologic dentistry. His clinical work focuses on the relationship between oral health, inflammation, and systemic disease, with particular attention to dental and jawbone conditions that may go unrecognized during routine care. During the presentation, Dr. Marra noted that his combination of specialty training and biologic dentistry expertise is rare in the United States.

Dr. Marra is a physician who treats patients with complex chronic illness, including Lyme disease and associated co-infections. Her work centers on immune dysregulation, chronic inflammation, and integrative care approaches for patients who struggle to achieve sustained improvement.

Terri McCormick is a writer and advocate with LymeDisease.org. She is author of the forthcoming book Being Misdiagnosed: Stories That Reveal the Hidden Epidemic of Lyme Disease.

For more:

Category:

Dentistry, Inflammation, Lyme

Lyme Disease Co-Infections: What You Need to Know

https://danielcameronmd.com/coinfections-backup/

Lyme Disease Loneliness
Jan31

Lyme Disease Co-infections: What You Need to Know

Posted By: Dr. Daniel Cameron

Lyme disease co-infections occur when a single tick bite transmits multiple pathogens. Up to 40% of Lyme patients in some regions also carry Babesia, Bartonella, Anaplasmosis, or Ehrlichia—yet these infections are frequently missed.

When co-infections go unrecognized, patients don’t fully recover. Standard Lyme treatment won’t clear a parasite like Babesia or intracellular bacteria like Anaplasmosis. Understanding lyme disease co-infections is essential for anyone who isn’t getting better despite treatment.

Why Co-infections Matter

Ticks don’t carry just one pathogen—they can harbor several at once. A single bite can transmit:

  1. Bacteria — Borrelia (Lyme), Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Bartonella
  2. Parasites — Babesia species
  3. Viruses — Powassan, others

Co-infections typically make symptoms more severe, treatment more complicated, and recovery longer. Patients with multiple infections often experience symptoms that don’t fit neatly into one diagnosis—which leads to confusion, misdiagnosis, and delayed care.

If you’ve been treated for Lyme disease but still feel sick, a co-infection may be the reason.

Babesia

Babesia is a malaria-like parasite that infects red blood cells. It’s the most common Lyme disease co-infection in the Northeast and Midwest, with up to 40% of Lyme patients in some areas also testing positive.

Key symptoms:

  1. Drenching night sweats
  2. Air hunger (shortness of breath with normal oxygen)
  3. Profound fatigue beyond typical Lyme exhaustion
  4. Cycling fevers and chills

Why it’s missed: Standard Lyme antibiotics don’t work against Babesia. Patients improve on doxycycline, then relapse—because the parasite was never treated.

Treatment: Requires antiparasitic medications (typically atovaquone + azithromycin), not standard Lyme antibiotics.

Babesia Resources

→ Babesia and Lyme: What Patients Need to Know — Comprehensive guide with 57 articles covering symptoms, testing, treatment, and more.

Bartonella

Bartonella species cause several human diseases, most famously “cat scratch fever.” While traditionally associated with flea bites and cat scratches, Bartonella has been found in ticks—including black-legged ticks that transmit Lyme.

Key symptoms:

  1. Streak-like rash (in some patients)
  2. Swollen lymph nodes
  3. Neuropsychiatric symptoms — anxiety, irritability, rage
  4. Fatigue, headaches, fever

Why it’s missed: Testing is unreliable, and many physicians don’t consider tick-borne Bartonella. Psychiatric symptoms may be attributed to stress or mental illness rather than infection.

Related Reading: Bartonella

  1. Case Reports: Bartonella Associated with Psychiatric Symptoms
  2. ALS and MS Suspected in Woman Later Diagnosed with Bartonella and Lyme
  3. Babesia Bartonella: Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Children

Anaplasmosis

Anaplasmosis (formerly Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis) is caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum. It’s transmitted by the same black-legged tick that carries Lyme disease.

Key symptoms:

  1. High fever, chills
  2. Severe headache
  3. Muscle aches
  4. Fatigue, malaise

Why it’s missed: Symptoms overlap with Lyme and other flu-like illnesses. Without specific testing, Anaplasmosis is often overlooked—especially when Lyme is already diagnosed.

Treatment: Responds to doxycycline, the same antibiotic used for Lyme. However, treatment duration and monitoring may differ when co-infection is present.

Related Reading: Anaplasmosis
  1. Babesia Anaplasmosis: Cognitive Impairment in Co-infection
  2. Tick Bite Multiple Co-infections: One Bite, Many Pathogens

Ehrlichia

Ehrlichiosis is caused primarily by Ehrlichia chaffeensis and transmitted by the Lone Star tick. It attacks white blood cells, potentially causing severe illness if untreated.

Key symptoms:

  1. Fever, headache
  2. Fatigue, muscle aches
  3. Nausea, vomiting
  4. Confusion (in severe cases)

Why it’s missed: Similar presentation to Anaplasmosis and other tick-borne diseases. Geographic distribution differs—Ehrlichiosis is more common in the Southeast and South-Central U.S.

Treatment: Doxycycline is the treatment of choice. Delayed treatment can lead to hospitalization.

Other Tick-Borne Infections

The list of tick-borne diseases continues to grow:

  1. STARI (Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness) — EM-like rash from Lone Star tick, causative agent unknown
  2. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever — Severe, potentially fatal if untreated
  3. Powassan Virus — Rare but serious neurological infection
  4. Borrelia miyamotoi — Relapsing fever-like illness
  5. Rickettsiosis — Various spotted fever group infections

When to Suspect Co-infections

Consider lyme disease co-infections if:

  1. Symptoms are unusually severe
  2. You’re not improving with standard Lyme treatment
  3. You relapse after completing antibiotics
  4. Night sweats, air hunger, or high fevers are prominent
  5. Neuropsychiatric symptoms don’t fit the typical Lyme pattern

Co-infections don’t always show up on tests. Clinical judgment—based on symptoms, exposure history, and treatment response—often guides diagnosis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you get multiple infections from one tick bite?

Yes. A single tick can carry several pathogens simultaneously, transmitting them all in one bite. This is why co-infections are so common in Lyme patients.

Why don’t standard Lyme antibiotics work for all co-infections?

Lyme disease is bacterial, but Babesia is a parasite—it requires antiparasitic medications. Bartonella may need different antibiotics than those used for Lyme. Each pathogen requires targeted treatment.

How are co-infections diagnosed?

Testing exists for most co-infections, but sensitivity varies. Blood smears, PCR, and antibody tests each have limitations. Clinical diagnosis based on symptoms is often necessary.

Do co-infections make Lyme disease worse?

Yes. Studies show that patients with co-infections experience more severe symptoms, longer illness duration, and slower recovery than those with Lyme alone.

What if I’ve been treated for Lyme but still feel sick?

Undiagnosed co-infection is one of the most common reasons for persistent symptoms after Lyme treatment. Evaluation for Babesia, Bartonella, and other pathogens should be considered.

Related Resources

  1. Babesia and Lyme: What Patients Need to Know — Complete Babesia hub
  2. Lyme Disease Symptoms
  3. Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS)
  4. Autonomic Dysfunction in Lyme Disease
  5. Lyme Disease Misconceptions

If you’re struggling with persistent symptoms despite Lyme treatment, co-infections may be part of the picture. Identifying and treating all tick-borne pathogens is often the key to recovery.

For more:

Category:

Anaplasmosis, Babesia, Bartonella, Borrelia Miyamotoi (Relapsing Fever Group), Ehrlichiosis, Lyme, Rickettsia, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Viruses

More Evidence Lyme Disease Can Persist After Treatment

https://www.lymedisease.org/lyme-can-persist/

Even more evidence that Lyme disease can persist after antibiotics

1/27/26

A review of the medical literature has found long-term infection in animal models and persistent infection despite antibiotic therapy in humans with ongoing symptoms of Lyme disease. The study was published in the open access journal Advances in Infectious Diseases.

Lyme disease is a tick-borne infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a type of corkscrew-shaped bacteria known as a spirochete.

In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that Lyme disease is much more common than previously thought, with over 476,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the United States.

That makes Lyme disease seven times more common than hepatitis C virus infection, 15 times more common than HIV/AIDS and 49 times more common than tuberculosis in the United States.

The current study was conducted by nurse practitioner Melissa Fesler and internist Raphael Stricker from Union Square Medical Associates, a multispecialty medical practice in San Francisco, and Lorraine Johnson, chief executive of the patient support group LymeDisease.org.

Review identifies long-term infection in both people and animals

“Our findings address a major controversy over persistent symptoms in Lyme disease,” said Fesler, an author of the published study. “The results suggest that infection with the Lyme spirochete persists in some patients despite supposedly adequate antibiotic therapy.”

Previous studies have shown that the Lyme spirochete could survive antibiotic therapy in monkeys and humans. In the present study, researchers analyzed 56 studies from the medical literature.

In 10 animal studies and 25 human studies (see table below), Lyme spirochetes were able to survive antibiotic therapy as shown by culture, tissue microscopy and xenodiagnosis (transfer of infection via tick bites).

Borrelia burgdorferi was detectable for 2-46 months after antibiotic therapy in rodents, dogs, monkeys, horses and humans.

“The presence of live spirochetes in symptomatic patients supports the role of ongoing infection in these patients,” said Lorraine Johnson. “When patients remain ill after antibiotic therapy, clinicians need to consider the possibility of persistent infection and the need for continued treatment.”

Dr. Stricker pointed to the implications for Lyme disease treatment raised by the study.

“This study is bad news for Lyme disease patients and their doctors,” he said. “We need to develop better antimicrobial treatments for these suffering patients, and we need to do it now.”

In the journal article’s acknowledgements, the authors wrote, “This article is dedicated to the memory of Pat Smith and Alan MacDonald.” Both individuals spent decades advancing understanding of the persistence of Lyme bacteria after antibiotic treatment, each contributing in their own distinct way.

SOURCE: Union Square Medical Associates

Category:

Activism, Lyme, research

Yet Another Mainstream Media Hit Piece Minimizing Lyme Disease

https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.7048962

Why do so many celebrities have Lyme disease?

January 17, 2026

Celebrity claims are fueling confusion about the risks of Lyme disease. For The National, CBC’s senior health reporter Christine Birak investigates what’s really behind the boom in high-profile cases and uncovers a big-money industry profiting off chronic illness. [Correction: A previous version of this video included images of American dog ticks. It’s been updated to include images of blacklegged ticks.]

(See link for article & video)

_____________

**Comment**

Trust me when I say that there is far more than images of ticks that require correcting!  Senior health reporter Christine Birak has a lot to answer for in this extremely biased and faulty piece.  The controversy regarding tick-borne illness is most probably older than the journalist herself, yet she doesn’t spend even one minute on it.

While we are told that the story uncovers a ‘big-money industry profiting off chronic illness,’ such as Lyme disease, no such thing occurs.  The truly big money is controlled by Big Pharma and the Government with patent royalties, and research grants, but is never mentioned. See: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/conflictreport.pdf

The journalist only interviews people who deny chronic, persistent infection. Never once does a Lyme literate doctor from ILADS get to present the controversy in detail, with global research demonstrating persistent infection, time and time again.

The story paints a picture that sick celebrities are taken at face value, are never questioned, and are simply poor, sorry sods who are simply wrong and not to be taken seriously.  Imagine for a moment if this same tactic was used with sick celebrities who have cancer…..

The story is nine grueling, factually inaccurate minutes I’ve taken the time to correct below:

SUMMARY

  1. Pulling a tick off before 24 guarantees nothing. Pathogens can be in the salivary glands which means transmission can and does happen rapidly.  They should have interviewed independent Canadian tick researcher John Scott.  He immediately would have set them straight on all things tick related.
  2. Early antibiotic treatment has to be early enough, long enough, and smart enough, but again, does not a guarantee a person will not develop a chronic infection requiring years of complex, expensive, and savvy treatment, not to mention the fact untold numbers are misdiagnosed or undiagnosed – making their cases even tougher because they weren’t caught early.  This large subgroup is simply kicked to the curb.
  3. There are other pathogens complicating the picture besides multiple strains of borrelia that cause disease and are transmitted by ticks.  They each require different treatments but aren’t even mentioned in this piece.
  4. The ‘experts’ that say there are ‘no risk areas’ are full of beans. To date, ticks are marching into places they’ve never been before, yet because of Andrew Spielman‘s antiquated and faulty maps of where ticks supposedly are and are not, untold numbers are being denied diagnoses and treatment.  See: the-counfounding-debate-over-lyme-in-the-south-speilmans-maps.  The fact ticks travel globally on birds,  reptiles, and mammals, as well as the fact our government spread ticks via airplane hasn’t helped either.
  5. ‘Early Lyme’ being ‘straight forward’ to diagnose is laughable.  This website has recorded story after story of those who were misdiagnosed and sent home only worsen into chronic Lyme. Doctors are still telling people with an EM rash that it’s just a spider bite, and sending them packing. In my experience, most patients have to figure it all out themselves. Lyme/MSIDS has been called a ‘do it yourself plague.’
  6. The reporter states that in 2024, Canada had 5,700 reported cases of Lyme. In the U.S. even the corrupt CDC admits that the number of Lyme disease cases is likely much higher than reported, due to under-reporting and changes in surveillance methods. In 2024 in the U.S., reported cases of Lyme disease rose from an average of about 37,000 from 2017–2019 to 62,000 in 2022. That’s an increase of nearly 70%. In order to report a case, you must meet the strict and arbitrary CDC reporting criteria using a test that is only 50% sensitive in the early phase of disease. Further, each state has their own voluntary reporting standards and ‘low incidence’ states are held to a stricter standard by having to show not only positive lab evidence, but clinical info which puts a heavy burden on local health officials. Lack of awareness and under-diagnosis is still a known long-standing issue for many states including California. You can’t count something that hasn’t been reported and you can’t report something you aren’t educated about. Due to these issues, the CDC includes insurance claim data to estimate cases. In 2021, there were 24,611 cases reported but the CDC estimated the actual number to be 476,000.  In the past, the CDC has said that Lyme disease cases are underreported by a factor of 10, which if used for 2024 – would total 620,000 annual cases.  Source Hopefully, it’s clear to see all of this is very unclear!
  7. Chronic Lyme is recognized by science, but you have to depart from IDSA ‘approved’ science, look at the global science, and realize Lyme/MSIDS will never fit neatly into a large randomized controlled trial (RCT). RCTs were designed for standardized drug testing, not complex, multi-systemic conditions such as Lyme/MSIDS.  This is something ‘mainstream’ medicine refuses to acknowledge, and the media blindly follows. Lyme science has been rigged from the get-go and continues to entirely omit the sickest patients due to how they create the study design for research.
  8. The doctor who spoke in the news story, Dr. Paul Auwaerter of Johns Hopkins has a long, known history of denying chronic Lyme. He only presents one side of a very disputed coin. To only choose to represent one side and over emphasizing that there’s a ‘whole industry created for chronic Lyme that’s taking advantage of people’ is not only unethical from a journalistic perspective, it ignores people like me, my husband, and virtually every single patient I work with who very well might be dead without this life-saving treatment.  Unconscionable.  
  9. All independent testing is presented as quackery – a long used trick of the establishment to monopolize testing. Cabalists spout ‘unvalidated’ test, as if there’s a true gold standard.  Make no mistake, currently ALL testing for tick-borne disease is abysmal – and everyone knows it until biased pieces like this are presented and they revert back to regurgitating and not thinking.
  10. Since the report is made by CBC News in Canada, they should have at least interviewed Vett Lloyd, a biology professor at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, who says most Lyme cases are missed with the standard test. She co-authored a study  with Dr. Ralph Hawkins, a clinical associate professor at the University of Calgary, using data from New Brunswick where they found the two-tiered tests miss 90 per cent of real Lyme infections. In Ontario, she says about 80 per cent of cases are missed.
  11. Current testing relies upon measuring antibodies that take 4-6 weeks to develop, can not distinguish between active infection from prior exposure or measure response to treatment.  The window for accurate testing is so small that only a handful of those infected are getting positives.  Trust me, there’s few false negatives. As Dr. McDonald aptly states:

    “If false results are to be feared, it is the false negative result which holds the greatest peril for the patient.” –Alan McDonald, Pathologist

  12.  Cabalists admit early diagnosis and treatment is best as the infection worsens with time, so how does a test that takes over a month to work help at all?
  13. A gold standard culture method test did exist but was disappeared due to the CDC testing monopoly.  There’s been a long and concerted effort to suppress direct detection tests.  In 2025, a study showed two investigational diagnostics outperform current tests for early detection yet nothing changes.
  14. The same doctor would rather regurgitate the long-held Cabalist phrase of ‘medically unexplained symptoms,’ (MUS) as the cause of why people are unwell than dare to even consider tick-borne infections and learn from ILADS.
  15. The journalist continues following the Cabalist MO when she makes sure to politely empathize that there are sick people who feel dismissed by the system, but that ‘private testing’ comes with significant risk – and then cites a paper done with the same faulty study design by none other than Dr. Paul Auwaerter, the same doctor who denies chronic Lyme and uses the MUS diagnosis so freely.  Seeing a trend yet?
  16. Treatment for early Lyme disease is not so ‘simple,’ due to the fact that many continue with symptoms – proving it’s obviously not working! Not to mention treatment failures have been seen in nearly every antibiotic study ever done. 
  17. It is not rare to have chronic Lyme when you consider the fact researchers only count those who are diagnosed and treated early into this group. When you add in those diagnosed and treated late, a whopping 40-60% go on to suffer long-term symptoms.
  18. The piece uses the infamous Cabalist term ‘Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome’ (PTLDS) which is horribly inaccurate, and faulty to the core. Then, while stating it’s ‘incurable,’ the report bashes alternative treatments and gives the ancient yet faulty 2001 Klempner study as ‘proof’ long term antibiotics don’t work and carry significant risks. In other words, just accept your sad, sorry lot, stay sick, and die already.
  19. The piece finishes with stating the media needs to be more critical of extremely ill celebrities who claim they have Lyme disease – as if being sick isn’t hard enough! Imagine if this was posited for cancer patients!  Can you even imagine?  Yet, it’s perfectly fine to dismiss Lyme/MSIDS patients.
  20. Another issue completely bypassed by this piece is that due to the controversy, doctors are too afraid to diagnose and treat patients, giving yet another reason for massive underreporting. For decades doctors have had to close their practices or have been sanctioned and have had to pay hefty fines.  My own doctor went through this gauntlet, paying 50K to protect his practice.  This is why LLMD’s do not accept insurance.  It’s quite often the insurance companies turning them in.  All of this plays a part in this Shakespearian like tragedy and should be fairly represented.

It’s high time the media wakes up and smells the coffee.  There was once a time when journalists endeavored to be unbiased, present the various sides of a story, and let the reader/viewer come to their own conclusions.  Sadly, those days appear to be long gone.  My journalism profs are rolling over in their graves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Category:

Activism, Lyme, research, Testing, Ticks, Transmission, Treatment