Archive for the ‘research’ Category

How Long Does It Take To Get Lyme Disease?

https://danielcameronmd.com/long-take-infected-tick-transmit-lyme-disease/

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET LYME DISEASE?

how-long-does-it-take-to-get-lyme-disease

The risk that a deer tick may transmit Lyme disease rises the longer the tick is attached, according to a review by Eisen from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published in the January 2018 journal Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases. [1]

By Dr. Daniel Cameron

A study by Eisen and colleagues addressed a frequently asked question: “How long does it take to get Lyme disease?” According to their findings,  the probability of an individual becoming infected with Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), the pathogen which causes Lyme disease, increases the longer the tick is attached. [1]

Researchers found the risk increases:

  • Approximately 10% after a tick has been attached for 48 hours;
  • 50% after 63 – 67 hours;
  • 70% by 72 hours;
  • 90% for a complete feed.

The time it takes to become infected with the Lyme disease bacteria has “generated lively debate in the United States,” writes Eisen.

Several mouse studies indicate that a single tick bite from a nymph tick cannot transmit Lyme disease in less than 24 hours. But others disagree.

“The possibility that transmission of Lyme disease spirochetes could occur within 24 hours of nymphal attachment under unusual circumstances should not be discounted,” writes Eisen.

While the tick is attached, the Bb spirochete have time to multiply in the gut, escape into the hemocoel and invade and multiply in the salivary glands before transmitting the Lyme bacteria.

In a review article, Cook writes, “It is frequently stated that the risk of infection is very low if the tick is removed within 24–48 hours, with some claims that there is no risk if an attached tick is removed within 24 hours or 48 hours.” [2]

In animal models, transmission can occur in less than 16 hours, and “the minimum attachment time for transmission of infection has never been established.”

Spirochetes in tick salivary glands 

Additionally, studies have found the presence of spirochetes in the tick salivary glands prior to the tick feeding, which could result in a rapid transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria.

Studies suggest, “in cases where the spirochetes are present in the tick salivary glands, they can be injected into the host during the preparatory transfers of antihistamines and anticoagulants prior to the commencement of feeding, ie, immediately after attachment of the tick to the host,” Cook writes.

There is also evidence that the transmission times and virulence varies depending upon the tick and Borrelia species, he adds.

Are you the tick’s 2nd meal?

A tick that is partially fed may be able to transmit diseases faster, Eisen explains.

“Partially fed ticks able to re-attach could result from detachment from dead animals or possibly by host grooming.”

Researchers have shown that infected I. scapularis nymph ticks which had been previously attached to a host for 24 – 48 hours, then removed and placed onto a new host, can effectively transmit B. burgdorferi spirochete within 24 hours of their re-attachment, Eisen writes.

Ticks harbor multiple diseases 

Blacklegged ticks may be harbor multiple pathogens, leading to Lyme disease and/or other tick-borne infections.

In fact, studies have found that ticks can harbor up to a dozen different types of bacteria. And, some of these pathogens can be transmitted in less than 24 hours.

Several studies have shown that the Powassan virus can be transmitted within 15 minutes of tick attachment, while Anaplasmosis and Borrelia miyamotoi can be transmitted within the first 24 hours of attachment, explains Eisen.

Meanwhile, partially fed Amblyomma aureolatum ticks have been shown to transmit Rickettsia rickettsii in as little as 10 minutes after attachment.

Underestimating tick attachment time

There is, however, pitfalls in relying on tick attachment time to determine your risk of infection.

“Bites by I. scapularis nymphs often go entirely undetected and tick-bite victims typically underestimate how long a nymph was attached before it was detected and removed,” writes Eisen.

One study found that people “consistently underestimate the actual time the tick was attached prior to being discovered.”

Lastly, an individual would not know if they had been bitten by a partially fed tick, which would increase their chances of becoming infected and infected faster.

UPDATED: June 7, 2021

Related Articles:

The risk of a tick bite for pet owners

Tick bite prevention methods are failing our children

One bite, six diseases

References:
  1. Eisen L. Pathogen transmission in relation to duration of attachment by Ixodes scapularis ticks. Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 2018.
  2. Cook MJ. Lyme borreliosis: a review of data on transmission time after tick attachment. Int J Gen Med. 2014;8:1-8. Published 2014 Dec 19. doi:10.2147/IJGM.S73791

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For more:

  1. Clinical evidence for rapid transmission of Lyme disease following a tick bite: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0732889311004159?via%3Dihub
  2. B. Patmas, MA, Remora, C. Disseminated Lyme Disease After Short-Duration Tick Bite. JSTD 1994; 1:77-78: https://www.lymedisease.org/hard-science-on-lyme-ticks-can-transmit-infection-the-first-day/
  3. Lyme borreliosis: a review of data on transmission time after tick attachment: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4278789/  The claims that removal of ticks within 24 hours or 48 hours of attachment will effectively prevent LB are not supported by the published data, and the minimum tick attachment time for transmission of LB in humans has never been established.
  4. Regarding Tick Attachment Times –  https://history.nih.gov/display/history/Burgdorfer%2C+Willy+1986

There are about 5 to 10 percent of infected ticks that have a generalized infection, including salivary glands and saliva at the time of attachment. In such cases, transmission of spirochetes would and does occur immediately at time of attachment.” —Willy Burgdorfer

Category:

Lyme, research, Ticks

Interview with Lyme Literate Pathologist Dr. Alan MacDonald

http://  Approx. 2 Hours

Interview with Dr. Alan MacDonald

Tick Boot Camp
June 1, 2021
  • Dr. Alan MacDonald is an Ivy League educated medical doctor and the first Lyme Literate Pathologist.
  • Dr. MacDonald practiced as a “Doctor’s Doctor” on Long Island, New York at the onset of the Lyme disease pandemic.
  • He pioneered the use of pathological techniques to prove that untreated Lyme disease can result in a patient’s death.
  • He also perfected direct diagnostic testing to prove seronegative chronic active Lyme disease.
  • Additionally, Dr. MacDonald proved Lyme disease caused fetal deaths, stillbirths, and sudden infant deaths.
  • Lastly, he was the first to link Alzheimer’s disease to Lyme infections.

If you would like to learn more about how America’s first Lyme Literate Pathologist pioneered many of the mainstream diagnostic and treatment techniques used by medical practitioners and Lyme researchers, then tune in now!

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For more:

  • https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/02/22/why-mainstream-lyme-msids-research-remains-in-the-dark-ages/  I highlight a “must see” video of Dr. Burrascano where he explains the history of Lyme disease.  He worked with Dr. MacDonald and found:
    • patients can test negative but still be infected (seronegative Lyme).
    • They also cultured EM biopsies for antibiotic sensitivity studies to determine the most effective antibiotics.
    • They also did drug level studies and found CDC/IDSA recommendations don’t work for many as they don’t give detectable blood levels of antibiotics (which means the antibiotics aren’t effective).  Some people need higher doses and treatment is not a “one size fits all.”  This is important because the CDC/IDSA guidelines are setting patients up for severe chronic Lyme as these surviving pathogens mutate into something that will become treatment resistant.

Category:

Activism, Lyme, research

Plotting the End of Lyme Disease

https://now.tufts.edu/articles/end-lyme-disease

Plotting the End of Lyme Disease

For years, Tufts researchers have been on the cutting edge of investigating and treating the mysterious illness known as Lyme disease. Now, a new initiative seeks to eradicate the disease once and for all.
Two men drag white flags though the undergrowth of a forest, dragging for ticks. Tufts University researchers have made it a goal to eradicate Lyme disease by 2030.
Internationally known Lyme researchers Sam Telford, a Cummings School professor, and Linden Hu, a professor at the School of Medicine, demonstrate how fabric flags are used to collect ticks for studies. Photo: Alonso Nichols
By Michael Blanding
May 6, 2021

As people weary of being cooped up during a pandemic winter look forward to a summer outside, residents across the northeastern United States are once again confronted with a familiar virulent pathogen lurking in the woods and fields. Unlike coronavirus, however, this dangerous microorganism doesn’t float through the air—it enters the body through the bite of a tick.

Lyme disease has been a constant scourge since it was identified five decades ago on the Connecticut coastline, before spreading across the New England and Mid-Atlantic states. Caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi (and its cousin Borrelia mayonii), the disease has long baffled scientists with its strangely stealthy manifestations.

While Lyme can sometimes be diagnosed early from its telltale bullseye-shaped rash, it often goes unnoticed for weeks in a person before it starts leading to complications including arthritis and—in severe cases—attacks on heart and brain tissue. While it can often be resolved with antibiotics, some 10 to 20 percent of patients see infections persist, with fatigue, joint pain, and mental impairment lasting months and even years. Sometimes doctors who treat such long-suffering patients aren’t even able to definitively pinpoint Lyme as the cause. All of those complications make the mission of the new Tufts Lyme Disease Initiative even bolder: “Eliminate Lyme Disease by 2030.”  (See link for article)

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**Comment**

Articles like these give me gray hair.

Points to consider:  Isn’t it sad when little has changed in 5 decades?  Hopefully the following comments will explain the ongoing logjam.

  • The touted myth of 10-20% with persistent symptoms is FALSE. It’s more like 60%.
  • The jury’s out on whether it can ‘often be resolved with antibiotics’. I would argue that perhaps some can but nobody’s been studied for any length of time, and relapses will be blamed on something else by mainstream medicine and researchers due to the CDD/IDSA/NIH juggernaut.
  • The ongoing issue is pathogen  persistence. Until this is agreed upon, acknowledged, and acted upon, we are going nowhere.
  • Many of the pedestalized Tufts pioneers are part of The Cabal which has myopically fixated on the acute stage of Lyme, ignoring a large subset of patients, which has caused untold suffering.
  • Researcher Linden Hu has developed a technique to give mice vaccine-infused food which contains a virus, which he insists is safe.  Thankfully the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture is leery.
  • Hu has also proposed putting an antibiotic into mouse food at bait stations. The article admits that the science it’s all based on was done more than a decade ago. This project was also stalled due to fears of antibiotic resistance.
  • Hu and Telford just received nearly 4 MILLION from the NIH to study a more narrow-spectrum antibiotic. Please keep that dollar amount in mind when you read the article.
  • Telford states the most important species carrying borrelia is the white-footed mouse, but even his wife (a researcher) recognizes dogma based on assumptions and notes that shrews, voles, squirrels, chipmunks, and of course birds play a large role.  Further, reptiles are involved.
  • Half-way through it becomes clear they are pushing another Lyme vaccine. Telford was involved with Steer back in the early 1990’s with LYMErix which caused Lyme-like symptoms and was shelved.  Telford appears indifferent to this fact and states it was 80% effective – which is quite reminiscent of the current COVID injections claiming to be 90% effective but are less than 1% effective when absolute risk is taken into account.  There have also been thousands of reports of deaths and severe reactions.
  • Telford has gone on record dismissing concerns between Lyme and US government biowarfare research. Telford also takes every opportunity to correct doctors (using antiquated & biased science) who depart from the CDC/IDSA accepted narrative. This is also being experienced with COVID.  Telford attacks anyone defying the accepted narrative.  He discredited Kris Newby’s book but never actually read it.
    • Interestingly, Telford teaches biosecurity and has written many studies about tularemia, a known bioweapon.
    • Telford wast he director of a bio-level 3 lab in Groton, Massachusetts, that works on dangerous, tick-borne diseases on the government’s select agent list.
    • Telford is funded by the NIH and the military-industrial complex.
  • The article states once Lyme is diagnosed it’s usually treatable with doxycycline in 10-14 days.  FALSE! This myth is also causing untold suffering and needs to be terminated, as well as the FALSE Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS).
  • Hu and Klemen Stole of Wadsworth Institute just obtained over 3 MILLION from NIH to study how genetic mutations affect the body’s ability to develop tolerance for borrelia.  Please also keep this monetary figure in mind while reading the article.
  • While they admit borrelia uses ‘clever tricks’ to skirt the immune system’s defenses (from disarming leukocytes and utilizing rapid antigenic variation, to invading blood vessel walls so it can take root anywhere in the human body) they can not seem to imagine it persisting or relapsing. (A bizarre disconnect) 
  • Tanja Petnicki-Ocwieja, also at Tufts, just obtained $160,000 from Global Lyme Alliance to look into ozone intravenously (note the paltry amount compared to the others which is due to the fact the government funded NIH doesn’t want research on ozone which will interfere with Big Pharma profit).  So far her findings show it calms the immune response.  Once again the issue of persistence crops up because there’s more going on than just an immune response in many patients.
  • The statement is made that Lyme carditis is seen in less than 1% of patients.  This data was most probably taken from the CDC website which is notoriously wrong.  How can you know percentages on anything when the test for it misses anywhere from 70% to 86% of cases?  People are being misdiagnosed at alarming rates. Until they do autopsies on every carditis patient, percentages are a complete guess.
  • While the article states practitioners need to validate suffering patients they essentially state the need to give them an alternate explanation other than Lyme disease for their suffering!   If they only knew how often this horrific advice is followed.
  • And probably the worst part of the article (hard to judge as so much of it is atrocious) is the statement there is no clear treatment for long-term cases.  Unfortunately, this is true due to the fanatical polarization within public health and the research and medical communities who care more about profits than they do about patients.
  • Recent work has shown longer treatment durations were associated with better treatment response; however, this hasn’t even caused a ripple in the research & medical world due to the fact it isn’t a double blinded, placebo controlled, randomized trial – Anthony Fauci’s favorite animal (when it suits his purpose).  
  • Lastly, the article mentions former Tufts Medical Center doctor, Dr. Mark Klempner, now executive vice chancellor of MassBiologics at UMass Medical School, who has developed ‘pre-exposure prophylaxis’ (PrEP), which is supposedly not a vaccine. Klempner not only has ties to biodefense but is behind research that is still being used to keep chronically sick Lyme/MSIDS patients from extended treatment. Klempner recruited Linden Hu. 
Who to believe?  Researchers receiving MILLIONS in grant money or sick patients losing their jobs?
 I’ll stick with the patients thank you.

Category:

Lyme, research, Treatment, vaccines

Abdominal Pain, Ileus & Constipation Due to Lyme Disease

https://danielcameronmd.com/abdominal-pain-constipation-lyme-disease/  Podcast here

ABDOMINAL PAIN, ILEUS AND CONSTIPATION DUE TO LYME DISEASE

doctor examining woman with abdominal pain due to lyme disease

Welcome to another Inside Lyme Podcast. I am your host Dr. Daniel Cameron. In this episode, I will be discussing the case of a 65-year-old woman with abdominal pain, ileus/pseudo-obstruction and constipation due to Lyme disease.

By

Zulfiqar and colleagues first described this case in an article entitled “The many manifestations of a single disease: neuroborreliosis,” published in the Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives.¹

A 65-year-old woman on hormonal therapy for estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer presented to the Emergency Department with sudden seventh nerve palsy, commonly referred to as Bell’s palsy.

One week prior, she began having burning back pain radiating to the abdomen, which had grown worse and over the past several months had suffered from constipation.

Stroke, herpes virus or Lyme disease?

The woman was admitted to the hospital for a suspected stroke. However, there was no evidence of a stroke by brain CT or MRI.

Doctors also suspected she had a herpes zoster infection and prescribed valacyclovir, an anti-viral medication.

The patient worked frequently in her backyard and was exposed to wooded areas. She also recalled having a rash on her stomach 11 days before being admitted to the hospital.

“Lyme serum antibody (IgG and IgM) was positive with confirmatory Western blot resulting in multiband reactivity,” the authors write. Spinal tap test results were also positive for Lyme disease.

The woman was diagnosed with neuroborreliosis, or Lyme disease and treated with oral doxycycline.

However, while hospitalized the patient developed diffuse abdominal pain, abdominal distension, and worsening constipation.

An abdominal x-ray showed mild ileus. “CT abdomen with contrast was done which suggested constipation without obstruction or ‘significant’ ileus,” the authors explain. A colonoscopy was also normal.

The woman was also diagnosed with Syndrome of Inappropriate Anti-diuretic Hormones (SIADH) based on a sodium of 129 and typical urine findings.

Abdominal pain, gastrointestinal problems in Lyme disease

The authors highlight several studies demonstrating a range of gastrointestinal problems, including abdominal pain, associated with Lyme disease.

“There have been many case reports in the past highlighting the atypical presentation of Lyme disease including, but not limited to pseudo-obstruction, constipation, back pain radiating to abdomen (radiculoneuritis) known as Bannwarth Syndrome as a manifestation of autonomic dysfunction related to neuroborreliosis,” the authors explain.

This patient also suffered from anorexia with a loss of 14 pounds. One study found that 23% of 314 patients with early Lyme disease suffered from anorexia.

Meanwhile, Shamim et al. reported two cases of patients who presented with severe constipation and hyponatremia in addition to other features of Lyme disease.

Lyme neuroborreliosis has also been reported as “the culprit of chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction” in other studies, the authors explain. “The patients can develop worsening constipation and obstipation as diagnosis and treatment is delayed, leading to diffuse bowel dilation in the absence of mechanical obstruction.”

Lastly, “There have been a few case reports of SIADH associated with neuroborreliosis,” writes Zulfiqar.

Authors’ Conclusion: Lyme disease should be suspected in patients who are from Lyme endemic areas and present with abdominal pain, constipation and SIADH with or without cranial nerve palsy.

The following questions are addressed in this podcast episode:  

  1. Why was a stroke initially considered?
  2. Why was herpes zoster suspected?
  3. What are the causes of 7th nerve palsy?
  4. What is SIADH?
  5. What is ileus?
  6. What is Bannwarth Syndrome?
  7. How are GI issues related to autonomic dysfunction?
    Thanks for listening to another Inside Lyme Podcast. You can read more about these cases in my show notes and on my website @DanielCameronMD.com. As always, it is your likes, comments, reviews, and shares that help spread the word about Lyme disease. Until next time on Inside Lyme.

Please remember that the advice given is general and not intended as specific advice to any particular patient. If you require specific advice, then please seek that advice from an experienced professional.

Inside Lyme Podcast Series

This Inside Lyme case series will be discussed on my Facebook page and made available on podcast and YouTube.  As always, it is your likes, comments, and shares that help spread the word about this series and our work. If you can, please leave a review on iTunes or wherever else you get your podcasts.

References:
  1. Zulfiqar S, Qureshi A, Dande R, Puri C, Persaud K, Awasthi S. The many manifestations of a single disease: neuroborreliosis. J Community Hosp Intern Med Perspect. Jan 26 2021;11(1):56-59. doi:10.1080/20009666.2020.1831746

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For more:

Category:

Gut Health, Lyme, research

Study Shows Babesia Odocoilei is Pathogenic to Humans

https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/11/6/947

Detection of Babesia odocoilei in Humans with Babesiosis Symptoms

by John D. Scott1,*,Muhammad S. Sajid1,2, Emily L. Pascoe1 and Janet E. Foley1
 
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editors: Raphael B. Stricker and Raul Colodner
Diagnostics 2021, 11(6), 947; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11060947
Received: 21 March 2021 / Revised: 13 May 2021 / Accepted: 24 May 2021 / Published: 25 May 2021
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lyme Disease: Companion Diagnostics and Precision Medicine)

Abstract

Human babesiosis is a life-threatening infectious disease that causes societal and economic impact worldwide. Several species of Babesia cause babesiosis in terrestrial vertebrates, including humans. A one-day clinic was held in Ontario, Canada, to see if a red blood cell parasite, which is present in blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis, is present in humans. Based on PCR testing and DNA sequencing of the 18S rRNA gene, we unveiled B. odocoilei in two of 19 participants. DNA amplicons from these two patients are almost identical matches with the type strains of B. odocoilei in GenBank. In addition, the same two human subjects had the hallmark symptoms of human babesiosis, including night sweats, chills, fevers, and profound fatigue. Based on symptoms and molecular identification, we provide substantive evidence that B. odocoilei is pathogenic to humans. Dataset reveals that B. odocoilei serologically cross-reacts with Babesia duncani.
Clinicians must realize that there are more than two Babesia spp. in North America that cause human babesiosis. This discovery signifies the first report of B. odocoilei causing human babesiosis.
View Full-Text
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**Comment**
 
Perfect example of how Lyme/MSIDS doesn’t fit into any box but perhaps Pandora’s.  
 
Strain diversity is a large reason why people aren’t being diagnosed.  You can only find what you specifically test for.  This study shows there are undoubtedly people struggling with Babesia symptoms that remain undiagnosed and therefore untreated due to the fact B. odocoilei isn’t believed to be pathogenic to humans and isn’t being tested for.  
 
Now we know for sure.
 
Earlier this year Scott et al. found 71% of black legged ticks were infected with Babesia odocoilei.  In 2019, Scott et al. also provided the first report of black legged ticks co-infected with BBsl and B.odocoilei in Canada, as well as transstadial passage (remains with the tick throughout its life-cycle) of this species of Babesia in ticks found in birds. They also found 3 members of the Bbsl complex (Borrelia lanai-like spirochete, Bbss, and a distinct strain that may represent a separate Bbsl genospecies).
 
Their latest study now has proven Babesia odocoilei infects humans.  

For more on Babesia:

 
 
 
 

Category:

Babesia, Lyme, research, Ticks