Archive for the ‘research’ Category

Prevalence of Bartonella sp. in United States Military Working Dogs With Infectious Endocarditis: A Retrospective Case-Control Study

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31830708/

Prevalence of Bartonella sp. in United States military working dogs with infectious endocarditis: a retrospective case-control study

A Z Davis 1, D A Jaffe 1, T E Honadel 2, W D Lapsley 1, J L Wilber-Raymond 3, R W Kasten 1, B B Chomel 4

Abstract

Objectives: Bartonella infection has been associated with endocarditis in humans, dogs, cats and cattle. In order to evaluate the importance of this pathogen as a possible source of endocarditis in United States military working dogs (MWDs), we performed a retrospective case-control study on 26 dogs with histological diagnosis of culture negative endocarditis (n = 18), endomyocarditis (n = 5) or endocardiosis (n = 3) and 28 control dogs without any histological cardiac lesions.

Methods: DNA was extracted from paraffin embedded cardiac valves and tissues from case and control dogs and submitted to PCR testing with primers targeting the Bartonella gltA gene. PCR-RFLP using four restriction endonucleases and partial sequencing was then performed to determine the Bartonella species involved.

Results:

  • Nineteen (73%) cases were PCR positive for Bartonella, including B. henselae (8 dogs), B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii (6 dogs), B. washoensis (2 dogs) and B. elizabethae (1 dog).
  • Only one control dog was weakly PCR positive for Bartonella.
  • Based on the type of histological diagnosis, 13 (72.2%) dogs with endocarditis, 3 (60%) dogs with endomyocarditis and all 3 dogs with endocardiosis were Bartonella PCR positive.

Conclusions: Bartonella sp. Infections were correlated with cardiopathies in US military working dogs. Systemic use of insecticides against ectoparasites and regular testing of MWDs for Bartonella infection seem highly appropriate to prevent such life-threatening exposures.

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**Comments**

Dogs are sentinels for human tick-borne diseases and should be a warning shot over the bow. This study clearly shows Bartonella is a huge player in heart issues and should always be considered.  Mainstream medicine continues to falsely believe this is a benign infection that will resolve on its own.  

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Category:

Bartonella, Heart Issues, research

Three Deaths Associated With Lyme Carditis

https://danielcameronmd.com/podcast-3-deaths-associated-with-lyme-carditis/

THREE DEATHS ASSOCIATED WITH LYME CARDITIS

Hello, and welcome to another Inside Lyme Podcast. I am your host Dr. Daniel Cameron. In this podcast, I will be discussing three deaths associated with Lyme carditis.

By

Podcasts here:  https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS83NzIxNjAucnNz  Lyme Carditis podcast is approx. 12 min.

I first read about these cases in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The authors described three deaths associated with Lyme disease. All three were diagnosed with Lyme carditis on autopsy.

Patient 1

“In November 2012, a Massachusetts resident was found unresponsive in an automobile after it veered off the road,” wrote the authors.  He had no cardiac activity by the emergency responders. He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

We know very little about the patient. “Interviews with next-of-kin revealed that the patient had described a nonspecific illness with malaise and muscle and joint pain during the 2 weeks preceding death,” wrote the authors. The authors added, “The patient lived alone with a dog that was reported to have ticks frequently.”

He was diagnosed with Lyme carditis on autopsy.

Patient 2

“In July 2013, a New York state resident experienced chest pain and collapsed at home,” wrote the authors. The patient was pronounced dead after failing cardiopulmonary resuscitation.  The patient had a history of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW).  In WPW is condition characterized by abnormal electrical pathways that can causes a rapid heartbeat.  There was no history of a tick bite or a rash.

The patient was also diagnosed with Lyme carditis on autopsy.

Patient 3

“In July 2013, a Connecticut resident collapsed while visiting New Hampshire and was pronounced dead at a local hospital,” wrote the authors.

“The patient had complained of episodic shortness of breath and anxiety during the 7–10 days before death,” wrote the authors.  He was prescribed the anti-anxiety medication clonazepam the day prior to death.  There was no EKG performed.

The patient was diagnosed with Lyme carditis.

All three of these individuals tested positive for Lyme disease on autopsy.

What questions do these cases raise?

  1. What is Lyme carditis?
  2. How often does Lyme carditis occur?
  3. How is Lyme disease diagnosed?
  4. Can Lyme carditis be prevented?
  5. How often are autopsies performed on patients with sudden death?
  6. Why is the second patient’s history of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW) important?
  7. How reliable are tests for Lyme disease in patients with sudden death?
  8. Could the third patient still be alive if he had an EKG 7 to 10 days earlier when he presented with episodic shortness of breath and anxiety?
  9. What is the significance of the dog in the first case?
  10. What would you recommend?

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 as 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 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. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Three sudden cardiac deaths associated with Lyme carditis – United States, November 2012-July 2013. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2013 Dec 13;62(49):993-6.

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For more:  

Category:

Heart Issues, Lyme, research

Management of Tick Bites & Lyme Disease During Pregnancy

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32414479/

Practice Guideline
J Obstet Gynaecol Can

. 2020 May;42(5):644-653.

doi: 10.1016/j.jogc.2020.01.001.

Committee Opinion No. 399: Management of Tick Bites and Lyme Disease During Pregnancy

Graeme N Smith 1, Kieran M Moore 1, Todd F Hatchette 2, Jennifer Nicholson 3, William Bowie 4, Joanne M Langley 2

Abstract

Objective: Lyme disease is an emerging infection in Canada caused by the bacterium belonging to the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species complex, which is transmitted via the bite of an infected blacklegged tick. Populations of blacklegged ticks continue to expand and are now established in different regions in Canada. It usually takes more than 24 hours of tick attachment to transfer B. burgdorferi to a human. The diagnosis of early localized Lyme disease is made by clinical assessment, as laboratory tests are not reliable at this stage. Most patients with early localized Lyme disease will present with a skin lesion (i.e., erythema migrans) expanding from the tick bite site and/or non-specific “influenza-like” symptoms (e.g., arthralgia, myalgia, and fever). Signs and symptoms may occur from between 3 and 30 days following the tick bite. The care of pregnant patients with a tick bite or suspected Lyme disease should be managed similarly to non-pregnant adults, including the consideration of antibiotics for prophylaxis and treatment. The primary objective of this committee opinion is to inform practitioners about Lyme disease and provide an approach to managing the care of pregnant women who may have been infected via a blacklegged tick bite.

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**Comment**

Payment is required to see the full article.

A few points:

  • I’m glad they acknowledge that ticks are expanding everywhere – and that goes for ALL ticks.
  • In my opinion, as these ticks expand, biting animals/people outside of their typical range, more transmission studies need to be done to determine if they are also picking up new pathogens not common to them previously.  This would help explain the expansion of pathogens as well as ticks. Unfortunately, researchers are content with 35+ year old studies with an inch of dust on them.
  • It DOES NOT take 24 hours to become infected and a minimum time has never been established:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/04/14/transmission-time-for-lymemsids-infection/
  • I’m glad they acknowledge that Lyme/MSIDS is a clinical assessment.  Unfortunately, due to top down education from the CDC/IDSA, doctors are woefully unprepared to make this assessment.  There needs to be an overhaul on this aspect of medical training and they should listen to Lyme literate doctors with decades of experience rather than vilify them:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/11/25/what-makes-a-doctor-lyme-literate/
  • Most patients will NOT present with a skin lesion:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/02/22/why-mainstream-lyme-msids-research-remains-in-the-dark-ages/
  • I’m extremely grateful they recommend considering prophylactic treatment.  Unfortunately, again due to top down education from the CDC/IDSA, doctors are scared to death to use antibiotics for this, further revealing the need for education on the severe nature of this disease(s) and the potential for congenital transmission affecting the life of the newborn forever. This detail makes it clear any risk is worth the benefit, but only if you are knowledgable about the severity of the disease(s).
  • No mention of coinfections is given, and this is another important issue mainstream medicine is clueless about. Patients that are coinfected are sicker for longer and require far more than the typical mono treatment.

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Category:

Lyme, Pregnancy, research, Treatment

Antiviral Defense From the Gut

https://hms.harvard.edu/news/antiviral-defense-gut

Antiviral Defense from the Gut

Study looks at gut bacteria role in resistance to viral infections
By EKATERINA PESHEVA Research
digital xray image of the gut

Image: ChrisChrisW/iStock/Getty Images Plus

The role of the gut microbiome in disease and health has been well established. Yet, how the bacteria residing in our guts protect us from viral infections is not well understood.

Now, for the first time, Harvard Medical School researchers have described how this happens in mice and have identified the specific population of gut microbes that modulates both localized and systemic immune response to ward off viral invaders.

The work, published Nov. 18 in Cell, pinpoints a group of gut microbes, and a specific species within it, that causes immune cells to release virus-repelling chemicals known as type 1 interferons.

The researchers further identified the precise molecule—shared by many gut bacteria within that group—that unlocks the immune-protective cascade. That molecule, the researchers noted, is not difficult to isolate and could become the basis for drugs that boost antiviral immunity in humans. (See link for article)

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Category:

Activism, Gut Health, research, Viruses

Evaluation of Disulfiram Drug Combinations & Identification of Other More Effective Combinations against Stationary Phase Borrelia burgdorferi

https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/9/9/542

Evaluation of Disulfiram Drug Combinations and Identification of Other More Effective Combinations against Stationary Phase Borrelia burgdorferi

by Hector S. Alvarez-Manzo, Yumin Zhang, Wanliang Shi and Ying Zhang 

Antibiotics2020, 9(9), 542; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics9090542 (registering DOI)Received: 7 August 2020 / Revised: 21 August 2020 / Accepted: 25 August 2020 / Published: 26 August 2020View Full-TextDownload PDFBrowse Figures

Abstract

Lyme disease, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, is the most common vector-borne disease in USA, and 10–20% of patients will develop persistent symptoms despite treatment (“post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome”). B. burgdorferi persisters, which are not killed by the current antibiotics for Lyme disease, are considered one possible cause. Disulfiram has shown to be active against B. burgdorferi, but its activity against persistent forms is not well characterized. We assessed disulfiram as single drug and in combinations against stationary-phase B. burgdorferi culture enriched with persisters.

  • Disulfiram was not very effective in the drug exposure experiment (survival rate (SR) 46.3%) or in combinations.
  • Clarithromycin (SR 41.1%) and nitroxoline (SR 37.5%) were equally effective when compared to the current Lyme antibiotic cefuroxime (SR 36.8%) and more active than disulfiram.
  • Cefuroxime + clarithromycin (SR 25.9%) and cefuroxime + nitroxoline (SR 27.5%) were significantly more active than cefuroxime + disulfiram (SR 41.7%).
  • When replacing disulfiram with clarithromycin or nitroxoline in three-drug combinations, bacterial viability decreased significantly and subculture studies showed that combinations with these two drugs (cefuroxime + clarithromycin/nitroxoline + furazolidone/nitazoxanide) inhibited the regrowth, while disulfiram combinations did not (cefuroxime + disulfiram + furazolidone/nitazoxanide).

Thus, clarithromycin and nitroxoline should be further assessed to determine their role as potential treatment alternatives in the future.View Full-Text

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For more:

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/12/07/repurposing-disulfiram-in-the-treatment-of-lyme-disease-and-babesiosis-retrospective-review-of-first-3-years-experience-in-one-medical-practice/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/11/30/patients-can-respond-very-differently-to-disulfiram-be-cautious/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/10/01/study-shows-dsm-works-for-lyme-reduces-inflammatory-markers-antibody-titers/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/11/19/if-disulfiram-is-the-cure-for-lyme-disease-should-it-be-prescribed-to-all-lyme-disease-patients/

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

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

Category:

Lyme, research, Treatment