Archive for the ‘research’ Category

Cat Ownership and Rural Residence Are Associated With Lyme Disease Prevalence in the Northeastern United States

https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/9/5618/htm

Cat Ownership and Rural Residence Are Associated with Lyme Disease Prevalence in the Northeastern United States

by Amanda Roome1,2,*, Katherine Wander2 and Ralph M. Garruto2
1Bassett Research Institute, Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital, Cooperstown, NY 13326, USA
2Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (State University of New York), Binghamton, NY 13902, USA
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editor: Paul B. Tchounwou
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(9), 5618; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095618
Received: 14 March 2022 / Revised: 22 April 2022 / Accepted: 27 April 2022 / Published: 5 May 2022
(This article belongs to the Section Infectious Disease Epidemiology)
Abstract

Lyme disease (LD) is the most common vector-borne disease in the USA. Beyond its tick-borne nature, however, risk factors for LD are poorly understood. We used an online questionnaire to compare LD patients and non-LD counterparts and elucidate factors associated with LD. We investigated demographic, lifestyle, and household characteristics and use of prevention measures. Associations with LD were modeled using logistic regression, and average marginal effects were estimated. In total, 185 active or past LD patients and 139 non-patients participated. The majority of respondents were white (95%) and female (65%). Controlling for age, sex, and type of residential area, pet ownership was associated with an 11.1% (p = 0.038) increase in the probability of LD. This effect was limited to cat owners (OR: 2.143, p = 0.007; dog owners, OR: 1.398, p = 0.221). Living in rural areas was associated with a 36% (p = 0.001) increase in the probability of LD compared to living in an urban area. Participants who reported knowing someone with Lyme Disease were more likely to wear insect repellant and perform tick checks. This study suggests opportunities for improved LD prevention, including advising cat owners of their increased risk. Although patterns in adoption of LD prevention methods remain poorly understood, concern about LD risk does motivate their use.
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Category:

Activism, Prevention, research, Ticks

Prior Trauma May Worsen Symptom Severity of Lyme Disease

https://danielcameronmd.com/trauma-worsen-symptom-severity-lyme-disease/

Prior trauma may worsen symptom severity of Lyme disease

trauma-lyme-disease

Lyme disease can lead to severe symptoms in some individuals. In their study, “Psychological factors in the prediction of Lyme disease course,” Mustafiz and colleagues examined whether prior trauma may worsen the severity of symptoms for Lyme disease. [1]

By

The authors cited earlier research by Solomon and colleagues on the role of prior trauma in Lyme disease.²  “The investigators noted that patients who reported a higher number of lifetime traumatic events (i.e., a higher trauma score) at initial presentation were more likely to report a painful, disabling symptom course at follow-up.”

Mustafiz and colleagues described the history of prior trauma in 60 individuals with Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS). Twenty-five patients met the criteria for highly probable PTLDS and 35 for definite PTLDS.

PTLDS is a term used to describe individuals who fail initial treatment for Lyme disease and remain ill with impaired cognitive function, pain, fatigue, and poor function.

The history of trauma life events was assessed by The Trauma History Screen (THS). “This self-report assesses exposure to 14 types of high-magnitude stressor events that could be traumatic (e.g., natural disasters, sexual or physical abuse, military trauma, loss of a loved one),” wrote the authors.²

They observed that prior trauma may worsen symptom severity of Lyme disease on every measure except for pain and fatigue. “A greater number of traumatic events were significantly associated with greater symptom severity on the scales of mood (stress, depression, and anxiety), cognition, multisystem symptom burden, and functional status (mental and physical), but not on measures of pain and fatigue,” wrote the authors.

“The investigators concluded that traumatic psychologic experiences predating disease onset may play an important etiologic role in symptom severity for chronic conditions like Lyme disease.”¹

The impact of prior trauma on the symptom severity of Lyme disease was modest. Therefore, the authors suspected that other factors were responsible for the symptom severity of Lyme disease. “These factors range from characteristics of the Borrelia strain to the biological characteristics and clinical history of the human host.”

Editor’s note: Some doctors have used PTLDS for individuals with Lyme disease who remain ill despite antibiotic treatment. I have not used the term PTLDS until they have a validated test to rule out a persistent infection.

References:
  1. Mustafiz F, Moeller J, Kuvaldina M, Bennett C, Fallon BA. Persistent Symptoms, Lyme Disease, and Prior Trauma. J Nerv Ment Dis. May 1 2022;210(5):359-364. doi:10.1097/NMD.0000000000001452
  2. Solomon SP, Hilton E, Weinschel BS, Pollack S, Grolnick E. Psychological factors in the prediction of Lyme disease course. Arthritis Care Res. Oct 1998;11(5):419-26. doi:10.1002/art.1790110514

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**Comment**

I have seen this personally with patients and it’s an important aspect to consider.  For far too long we have separated the mental & spiritual from the physical when they are all interconnected. 

I also appreciate Dr. Cameron’s refusal to call these PTLDS patients until there is a validated test to rule out persistent infection because that is also crucial to address – persistent infection(s).

Category:

Lyme, Psychological Aspects, research

Ticks Killed Nearly 90% of Moose Calves & Maine Farmer is Burning Her Property to Rid it of Ticks

https://bangordailynews.com/2022/05/18/news/piscataquis/ticks-killed-nearly-90-percent-of-moose-calves-tracked-by-scientists-in-2-maine-counties-last-year/

Ticks killed nearly 90 percent of moose calves tracked by scientists in 2 Maine counties last year

by Kevin Miller, Maine Public and Esta Pratt-Kielley, Maine Public

Maine is home to the largest moose population in the lower 48 states. But in one of the moosiest corners of the state, nearly 90 percent of the calves tracked by biologists last winter didn’t survive their first year.

And the culprit? A tiny critter that is thriving in parts of Maine as the climate warms.

“You look at one data sheet after another of what we found in the woods on these moose and it’s the same profile every time: it is winter tick,” said Lee Kantar, the lead moose biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Winter ticks, which are sometimes called moose ticks, have been pestering Maine moose for about a century and likely longer. But their numbers have exploded in parts of Maine, New Hampshire, Minnesota and southern Canada. It’s not uncommon for biologists or hunters to find moose infested with 40,000, 75,000 or even 90,000 ticks. Some infested moose rub themselves virtually bald trying to scrape off the irritating ticks, creating the phenomenon known as “ghost moose.”

Many adult cows can survive such a massive tick load. Calves are another story, however. (See link for article)

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SUMMARY:

  • Winter or moose ticks hunt in packs unlike deer and dog ticks.  Another tick that is becoming more of a problem and also forms clusters is the Asian Longhorned tick.
  • While the article focuses on shortened winters and longer falls and calls this “climate change,” an independent tick researcher has shown that ticks are virtually impervious to weather conditions.  Further, nobody wants to discuss the very real climate engineering our government and nefarious players are doing that is to blame.
  • They are studying whether reducing the adult moose populations in the same areas where the calves were collared can improve overall health by lowering tick numbers.
  • Research suggests ticks are leading to fewer moose births.
  • One moose Kantar did a field necropsy on showed bony hips, patches of missing hair, bone marrow devoid of fat, and white organs suggesting severe anemia caused by the lack of blood due to tick infestation.  Even while being dead 4 days, the carcass is covered with ticks. Her unborn calf never would have made it due to being malnourished.

A Maine Farmer’s Tick Is So Bad, She’s Going to Burn Up Her Property

May 2, 2022
A Maine Farmer’s Tick Is So Bad, She’s Going to Burn Up Her Property

After relocating from Florida last year to start an organic farm in Maine, Elizabeth Jimenez is on a mission to rid her land of ticks.

Part of his tick management plan is getting scorched.

Jimenez, along with Guy Johnson and Adrian Sotropa, are turning the three-acre farm in Friendship into organic parks and orchards. She and a team of volunteers are also starting a Karuna Healing Center on the property. (See link for article)

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SUMMARY:

  • Jimenez stated he was surprised from the amount and the aggressiveness of ticks.
  • He decided to conduct a series of controlled burns using a propane torch as he wanted to avoid chemicals.
  • The manager of The University of Maine’s tick lab states that it was even worse last year.
  • Local farmers are talking to fire department officials on how to safely and effectively burn.
  • After the burn, Jimenez plans to build a wide buffer of wood chips to discourage them from going back inside. The wood chips are not tick deterrents; however, and really only serve as a visual cue to humans.
  • Research shows that burning underbrush in woodland settings to be very effective in reducing tick populations short term.  The problem is once vegetation reproduces it creates a perfect tick habitat, requiring ongoing tick management techniques
  • Once winter arrives Jimenez plans to keep the field plowed and snow free so the ticks are exposed to the cold which may kill dog ticks but will probably have little to no effect on deer ticks that tend to be in more woodland areas.
  • The best way to target ticks is a multidisciplinary approach using multiple methods.

Category:

Activism, Prevention, research, Ticks

Tick-borne Diseases & Coinfection: Current Considerations

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1877959X20304775

Tick-borne diseases and co-infection: Current considerations

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101607Get rights and content

Abstract

Over recent years, a multitude of pathogens have been reported to be tick-borne. Given this, it is unsurprising that these might co-exist within the same tick, however our understanding of the interactions of these agents both within the tick and vertebrate host remains poorly defined. Despite the rich diversity of ticks, relatively few regularly feed on humans, 12 belonging to argasid and 20 ixodid species, and literature on co-infection is only available for a few of these species. The interplay of various pathogen combinations upon the vertebrate host and tick vector represents a current knowledge gap. The impact of co-infection in humans further extends into diagnostic challenges arising when multiple pathogens are encountered and we have little current data upon which to make therapeutic recommendations for those with multiple infections. Despite these short-comings, there is now increasing recognition of co-infections and current research efforts are providing valuable insights into dynamics of pathogen interactions whether they facilitate or antagonize each other. Much of this existing data is focussed upon simultaneous infection, however the consequences of sequential infection also need to be addressed. To this end, it is timely to review current understanding and highlight those areas still to address.

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**Comment**

Timely is an understatement.  Long over due is more appropriate.

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Category:

Lyme, research, Testing, Ticks

Parents Fear Post-COVID Mental Health Epidemic

https://www.bridportnews.co.uk/news/national/20126361.parents-fear-post-covid-mental-health-epidemic/

May 9, 2022

By PA News Agency
Mental health

Mental health
Three in four parents say they are worried about their child’s mental health following the pandemic, a new survey has found.

The survey of more than 2,000 parents, commissioned by BBC Bitesize and Netmums, found that 74% of parents are concerned about their child’s mental health, with the same proportion reporting that their child’s mental health had become a greater priority for them since the pandemic.

Nearly half, 44%, said that their child had experienced mental health challenges, and 46% said their child had been lonely because of the pandemic.

The results also showed the impact of lockdowns on children’s social skills and confidence.

Parents have told us since the earliest days of the pandemic that their children’s mental health was becoming a growing concern  Anne-Marie O’Leary, Netmums

(See link for article)

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Important quote:

“The statistics speak for themselves, concerns about child mental health and the overall well being of families post-pandemic are reaching a crunch point.” ~ Helen Foulkes, head of content production from BBC

She added that the latest research “evidences just how severe the cumulative impact of two years of interrupted schooling and social distancing measures has been”.

Category:

Activism, Psychological Aspects, research