Archive for the ‘research’ Category

FREE Tick Testing – Adds Bartonella Pathogen Assay

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bay-area-lyme-foundation-tick-testing-program-adds-bartonella-pathogen-assay-300883339.html

Bay Area Lyme Foundation Tick Testing Program Adds Bartonella Pathogen Assay

– Nationwide Free Tick Testing Initiative Will Inform Citizen-Science Studies to Better Understand the Spread of Ticks Carrying Diseases Throughout U.S. –

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Bay Area Lyme Foundation

Jul 11, 2019,

SILICON VALLEY, Calif., July 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Bay Area Lyme Foundation, a leading sponsor of Lyme disease research in the U.S., today announced the relaunch of its nationwide free tick testing program, which will include an assay for Bartonella, a disease-causing pathogen carried by ticks. Based on the success of the Free Tick Testing Citizen Science program, Bay Area Lyme Foundation has significantly increased funding for the 2019 nationwide collection effort, adding an automated submission process and increased research support. Researchers anticipate this citizen- science program will enable the organization to unearth further discoveries.

Results of the first citizen-scientist study were published in the peer-review journals PLOS ONE in 2018, and International Journal of Health Geographics in 2019. The study, which evaluated the prevalence of disease-carrying ticks throughout the United States, and included a massive sample of more than 16,000 ticks collected from 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, led to the discovery of ticks capable of carrying Lyme and other tick-borne diseases in 83 counties, in 24 states, where these ticks had not been previously recorded. The program received a six-fold increase in tick submissions over initial estimates, representing unprecedented national coordination of a ‘citizen science’ effort and diagnostic investigation.

“The tremendous response to our initial collection program from residents all across the country has demonstrated a national desire for a greater understanding of tick-borne diseases, compelling our increased commitment,” said Linda Giampa, executive director at Bay Area Lyme Foundation. “Through a greater understanding of tick-borne disease risk across the U.S., we hope to better arm patients, clinicians and researchers with valuable insight in hopes of improved education, faster diagnosis, and more informed research toward making Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses easy to diagnose and simple to cure.”

As the only national free tick testing service, the program is designed to offer insights into the pathogens carried by ticks, and the results, in addition to any symptoms, should be discussed with a healthcare provider. Results from the tick test are not intended to be a diagnostic and individuals should discuss any symptoms or changes in health status with their physicians, as some tick bites will not transmit agents that cause disease.  Since the founding of the program in 2016, institutions and local government entities across the U.S. have been inspired to initiate similar free tick testing programs for the purpose of diagnostics and/or research.

Testing is available through a partnership with the Nieto Lab at Northern Arizona University, which will accept ticks from any state in the U.S.

  • Borrelia burgdorferi, which causes Lyme disease
  • Borrelia miyamotoi, which causes hard tick-borne relapsing fever
  • Anaplasma phagocytophilum, which causes human granulocytic anaplasmosis
  • Rickettsia rickettsii, the agent of Rocky-mountain spotted fever
  • Babesia microti, a protozoan pathogen
  • Bartonella spp.

Results will be available within twelve business days of receipt based on estimated volumes. The data will be reported to the sender by email, as well as added to our national database, to better understand ticks and tick-borne diseases.

“We are investigating changing trends in tick-borne diseases, and hope that improved understanding of the geography of human exposures to ticks and pathogens will revamp current perceptions of disease risk and the ticks’ spatial distributions,” said Dan Salkeld, PhD, research scientist, Colorado State University, who will be involved in evaluating data obtained from this program for potential future research publications.

U.S. residents seeking more information should visit: https://www.bayarealyme.org/lyme-disease-prevention/tick-testing/

About Bartonella
Bartonella are intracellular parasites that are transmitted by the bite of infected Ixodes ticks to humans, and infect red blood cells, macrophages, and endothelial cells. Symptoms of bartonella may consist of swollen or enlarged lymph nodes and may cause fevers and, more rarely, eye disorders, or infections of the liver, spleen, or bones. Many patients also experience an inflamed blemish at the transmission site which looks like a red bump on the skin and then may develop into a large pimple. Neurological involvement may also occur. There is a great need for an effective diagnostic and treatment for bartonella, and currently the most reliable assay for bartonella infection is through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in blood, spinal fluid, and tissue.

About Bay Area Lyme Foundation
Bay Area Lyme Foundation, a national organization committed to making Lyme disease easy to diagnose and simple to cure, is the leading public not-for-profit sponsor of innovative Lyme disease research in the US. A 501c3 non-profit organization based in Silicon Valley, Bay Area Lyme Foundation collaborates with world-class scientists and institutions to accelerate medical breakthroughs for Lyme disease. It is also dedicated to providing reliable, fact-based information so that prevention and the importance of early treatment are common knowledge. A pivotal donation from The LaureL STEM Fund covers overhead costs and allows for 100% of all donor contributions to Bay Area Lyme Foundation to go directly to research and prevention programs. For more information about Lyme disease or to get involved, visit www.bayarealyme.org or call us at 650-530-2439.

SOURCE Bay Area Lyme Foundation

Related Links

http://www.bayarealyme.org

___________________

**Comment**

YES! This is wonderful news. Now, it’s up to us to flood them with ticks.

The more data they have, the better. Let’s show authorities just how common Bartonella, Babesia, Lyme, RMSF, Anaplasmosis, and relapsing fever really are and why people in Lyme-land are so sick.

For more information on the diseases mentioned in this article, type the disease into the search bar on this website. Treatment suggestions are given as well.

Category:

Anaplasmosis, Babesia, Bartonella, Lyme, research, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Testing, Tickborne Relapsing Fever, Ticks

Lyme Neuroborreliosis is a Severe & Frequent Neurological Disease in Mexico

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30554857/

2018 Aug;49(6):399-404. doi: 10.1016/j.arcmed.2018.11.007. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Lyme Neuroborreliosis is a Severe and Frequent Neurological Disease in Mexico.

Gordillo-Pérez G1, Solorzano F2, Cervantes-Castillo A3, Sanchez-Vaca G4, García-Ramirez R4, Díaz AM5, Muñoz O2, Torres J3.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To describe clinical cases with neurological manifestations associated with Borrelia burgdorferi infection in a large cohort of children and adults from Mexico.

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

Patients with neurological manifestation (cranial neuritis, radiculoneuritis, meningitis and encephalomyelitis) were recruited in one pediatric and two general hospitals, during January 2006-December 2015. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were drawn from each patient at inclusion. IgM and IgG antibodies against B. burgdorferi were detected using a commercial ELISA test, and confirmed by Western-Blot test (WB) using three different antigens from Borrelia burgdorferi complex. Following CDC criteria were considered true cases with both positive tests.

RESULTS:

Of 606 patients recruited, 403 (66.5%) were adults and 203 (33.4%) children, 50.5% were male.

  • B. burgdorferi infection was diagnosed in 168 patients (27.7%), 97 adults, mean age 42 ± 14.7 years and 71 children, mean age 9.6 ± 5 years;
  • early disseminated disease occurred in 130 cases (77.4 %) and
  • chronic stage in 38 (22.6 %)
  • A previous tick bite was reported by 21% cases, and
  • 5% recalled an erythema migrans lesion
  • Polyradiculoneuropathy and encephalomyelitis were the most common manifestations, whereas
  • 14.8% presented an initial Guillain-Barré Syndrome
  • B. burgdorferi sensu stricto was identified in 142 (84%) cases,
  • B. garinii in 14 (8%),
  • B. afzelii in three, and
  • nine cases presented coinfection with two species

CONCLUSION:

Lyme neuroborreliosis is a frequent condition in patients with neurological diseases in Mexico.

_________________

**Comment**

Although a year old, utilizing even older data, this is HUGE, and I’m sure has only gotten worse. Most don’t even consider Lyme disease in South America, much less a severe and frequent disease.

Please note that they only considered people positive IF they tested positive on the abysmal 2-tiered CDC testing that misses over half of all cases:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/09/12/lyme-testing-problems-solutions/  It’s interesting to me that they describe “clinical” cases of neurological symptoms, yet continue to utilize abysmal testing as their means of diagnosis. What a shame.

How many infected Mexican patients were missed due to poor testing?

Also, please note only 5% recalled an EM rash. This criteria also needs to be thrown to the way-side as a standard for diagnosis:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/03/26/formally-challenging-cdc-advice-on-lyme-disease-rashes/  Again, if you are lucky enough to get the EM rash, YOU HAVE LYME DISEASE; however, even if you don’t have the EM rash, you might STILL HAVE LYME DISEASE.

Notice nearly 15% presented with an initial Guillain-Barre Syndrome as well as the fact 9 cases had coinfection with TWO species of borrelia.

For more on Lyme in South America:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/02/06/lyme-in-the-southern-hemisphere-sexual-transmission/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/12/07/first-report-of-bb-antibodies-in-south-american-veterinarians/

Also, please remember Lyme (borrelia) is only one of many. Patients are typically coinfected with numerous other pathogens:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/10/30/study-shows-lyme-msids-patients-infected-with-many-pathogens-and-explains-why-we-are-so-sick/  If all they used was CDC 2-tiered Lyme testing, not only did they miss tons of patients who weren’t “positive enough,” yet still infected, they also missed the fact many were probably infected with other pathogens.

 

Category:

Lyme, research, Testing

Disulfiram-breakthrough drug for Lyme & Other Tick-borne Diseases?

https://www.lymedisease.org/disulfiram-kinderlehrer/

Disulfiram–breakthrough drug for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases?

By Daniel A. Kinderlehrer MD

I have been practicing medicine long enough to be very skeptical of “breakthroughs.” But disulfiram may be the real thing. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

Anyone who reads the financial pages has heard of Steven Cohen, the multi-billionaire hedge fund manager and philanthropist. Cohen lives in Connecticut where his wife, Alexandra, became ill with Lyme disease.

The Cohens established the Cohen Lyme and Tick-borne Disease Initiative, a division within their philanthropic organization focused on supporting Lyme and tick-borne disease research. The Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation has committed over $60 million dollars to support more than 25 Lyme disease research projects.

In 2016, the Cohen Foundation sponsored the first annual “Lyme Disease in the Era of Precision Medicine Conference” at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.

Those of us who actually treat Lyme disease know there is nothing precise about it. Treating chronic infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, complicated by any number of co-infections, is often hit or miss. Nevertheless, we who practice where the rubber meets the road are grateful for whatever clues basic researchers provide that can help our patients.

At that conference, Kim Lewis, leader of Northeastern University’s Antimicrobial Discovery Center, presented data on the relative effectiveness of different antibiotics against Borrelia burgdorferi in his laboratory.[1] Lewis was testing different pharmaceuticals against Bb, and one of the drugs he tested was disulfiram, also known as Antabuse.

Disulfiram

What is disulfiram? Let’s take a step back. If you drink alcohol, your body converts it to acetaldehyde via the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase. Acetaldehyde is then broken down to acetic acid via the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase:

Disulfiram inhibits the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, leading to a buildup of acetaldehyde.

This is bad news if you drink alcohol, because acetaldehyde is responsible for the symptoms we know of as hangovers. This drug is prescribed to alcoholics as a deterrent to drinking alcohol, since having just one drink will result in a vicious headache.

It turns out disulfiram has known activity as an antimicrobial. Studies have demonstrated its action against gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus and Streptococcusspecies[2] as well as Plasmodium falciparum, a.k.a. malaria.[3]

Number one against Bb

In 2016, Venkata Raveendra Pothineni and colleagues at Stanford reported on new drug candidates against Borrelia burgdorferi using a technique known as high-throughput screening.[4] They ranked disulfiram as number one in activity against Bb among their top 20 hits.

On the basis of Pothineni’s work, Lewis compared the activity of disulfiram against a few other well-known drugs used in the treatment of Lyme disease. In his talk at the Precision Medicine conference, Lewis showed a slide that looked like this:

This bar graph depicts the number of colonies remaining after treating Bb with the following four drugs: doxycycline, ceftriaxone, vancomycin, and disulfiram. It is clear that vancomycin is a powerful drug to treat Lyme disease. But disulfiram completely sterilized the culture—there were no persisters! The mechanism of action of disulfiram as an antimicrobial is still unclear.

The effectiveness of an antibiotic in the laboratory does not always translate to its effectiveness in people. Furthermore, there have been no animal or human studies researching the efficacy of disulfiram in the treatment of Lyme disease.

A willing patient

But a patient of Dr. Ken Liegner of Pawling, New York, saw the lecture by Dr. Kim Lewis on YouTube and asked to be treated with disulfiram. This patient had been infected in May 2008, and diagnosed with Lyme disease and babesiosis. He was treated aggressively with oral antibiotics as well as intravenous gamma globulin (IVIG), since his serum level of IgG antibodies was low.

After nine years of treatment, the patient had improved substantially. However, any attempt to decrease or discontinue his antibiotics resulted in a relapse of his multi-systemic symptoms within two weeks.

Dr. Liegner explained to the patient that there were no studies investigating disulfiram in the treatment of Lyme disease. But he agreed to treat the patient with appropriate monitoring of his lab tests. The patient began disulfiram 500mg daily and simultaneously discontinued his previous antibiotic regimen. After four months on this regimen, the patient declared, “I’m cured!” and stopped treatment.

Interestingly, the patient had had a psychiatric hospitalization during treatment, which he related to significant situational stress. Dr. Liegner was concerned because there have been rare reports of disulfiram causing psychiatric problems. The patient did not think it was the drug, and said, “Even if it was responsible, it was worth it! Don’t fail to offer it to people just because of that!” The patient has continued to be symptom-free over two years later.

Highly effective

Dr. Liegner has reported the results of treating his first three patients with disulfiram in a recent article published in the journal “Antibiotics.”[5]  I encourage readers to check it out. He now has over 30 patients on this treatment, and he is impressed with how highly effective it is for both Lyme disease and babesiosis.

Since disulfiram has been shown to kill Plamodium falciparum (malaria) in the laboratory, it is not surprising that it would also be effective against Babesia. Dr. Lewis is planning to do a study on mice infected with Bb. In addition, Dr. Brian Fallon at Columbia University has announced his intention to undertake a controlled trial using disulfiram in well-characterized patients with Lyme disease. (Click here for more information about the clinical trial.)

Bartonella too?

There is a possibility that disulfiram is also active against Bartonella. Anecdotally, I have two patients who appear to have had Bartonella Herxheimer reactions when they began disulfiram. Additionally, there is a Facebook group among people who are on this medication, and the experience of some members has led them to believe that disulfiram hits Bartonella[6].

Thus far, my clinical experience with disulfiram is not extensive, but I am clearly seeing benefits as well as Herxheimer reactions. Because of the Herxheimer reactions, it is best to start slowly. The medication comes in tablets that are 250 mg and 500 mg. Starting doses are usually 67.5mg or 125 mg every three days, with increasing doses every two weeks if well tolerated. The full dose for an average adult is 500 mg daily.

The exciting news is that Dr. Liegner has found that many patients can stop the medication after four to six months and continue to stay in remission. It is recommended to check liver tests periodically, but disulfiram has a relatively low risk profile and few drug interactions. It is also inexpensive.

I am still skeptical about breakthroughs, but there is reason to be optimistic that disulfiram may be a game changer. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

Dr. Dan Kinderlehrer is an internal medicine physician with a private practice in Denver, Colorado, devoted to treating patients with tick-borne illness. He is the author of the forthcoming book, “Recovery From Lyme: The Integrative Medicine Guide to the Diagnosis and Treatment of Tick-Borne Illness.” It will be released next year.

References

[1] Lewis, K.K.S. Lyme Disease in the Era of Precision Medicine. Available online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUlKTnrGPgc (Accessed July 7, 2019)

[2] Long TE. Repurposing Thiram and Disulfiram as Antibacterial Agents for Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infections. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2017;61(9):e00898-17.

[3] Scheibel LW, Adler A, Trager W. Tetraethylthiuram disulfide (Antabuse) inhibits the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979;76(10):5303-7.

[4] Pothineni VR, Wagh D, Babar MM, et al. Identification of new drug candidates against Borrelia burgdorferi using high-throughput screening. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2016;10:1307-22.

[5] Liegner KB. Disulfiram (Tetraethylthiuram Disulfide) in the Treatment of Lyme Disease and Babesiosis: Report of Experience in Three Cases. Antibiotics (Basel). 2019 May 30;8(2). pii: E72. doi: 10.3390/antibiotics8020072.

[6] https://www.facebook.com/groups/246058769631937

_________________

For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/06/03/disulfiram-in-the-treatment-of-lyme-babesiosis-3-case-reports/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/04/17/global-lyme-alliance-doing-kick-butt-research/

 

Category:

Babesia, Bartonella, Lyme, research, Treatment

Suspected Insect and Arthropod Vectors for Bartonella Species – Galaxy

https://www.galaxydx.com/suspected-bartonella-vectors/

written on

Suspected Insect and Arthropod Vectors for Bartonella species

Vector-borne diseases like bartonellosis and Lyme borreliosis require the transfer of pathogens from a reservoir to humans by a “competent” vector.

A competent vector can acquire, carry, and pass on the living pathogen. The vector is generally an insect or arthropod that picks up the pathogen(s) while feeding from a reservoir species, such as deer or mice, and later infects an accidental host (a host that is not the usual reservoir) such as a human via a bite or excretions (feces).

Despite what may seem like an obvious cause and effect relationship, it can be very difficult to prove that a vector is competent. Some scientists have heroically proven vector competency by infecting themselves. You can read more about scientists who died as a result of making themselves their own Bartonella experiments here.

Because of the work of those scientists and others, we know that

  • Bartonella bacilliformis is transmitted by keds (biting flies)
  • Bartonella quintana is transmitted by body lice
  • Bartonella henselae is transmitted by fleas

After that the science becomes more uncertain.

The most controversial vector for Bartonella species is hard-bodied ticks of the genus Ixodes. PCR-based assays that detect fragments of DNA have shown that Bartonella bacteria can be found in their gut. However, the research on how viable bacteria are transmitted is still incomplete.

In one study of Ixodes ricinus collected in France, the authors were able to show that Bartonella henselae could be transmitted using an artificial feeding method. If one were to question whether this were adequate proof, the question would center around the fact that the transmission was observed in a controlled laboratory setting and not in nature.

Patients with Bartonella and other tick-borne infections sometimes recall a single tick bite that may have allowed for multiple pathogens to be transferred. Some scientists see this evidence as circumstantial as well and suggest more research is necessary before ticks are considered a competent vector for Bartonella.

Research and case studies have suggested additional arthropod vectors such as ants, mites, spiders, and more. They are not typically suspected in bartonellosis cases due to the very limited number of cases, but the potential is there. See below for some interesting cases:

  • Spiders
    • A family that lived in a house infested with woodlouse spiders became ill from Bartonella infections. Researchers suggested that the spiders were feeding on woodlice, which are also known as roly-polies or pill bugs but are actually land-dwelling crustaceans and not bugs at all. Woodlice have been shown to carry Bartonella species. Researchers suspected that the spiders fed on the infected woodlice and then transmitted the bacteria to the patients via bites.
  • Red ants
    • A man was hospitalized for encephalopathy due to a Bartonella henselae infection following red ant bites. While in the hospital, he experienced two episodes of cardiac arrest. He recovered after receiving systemic anticoagulatory medications and antimicrobials.
  • Triatomines or “Kissing bugs”
    • These biting insects are known to transmit the protozoa Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes Chagas disease. The authors of this paper discuss the role of the sand fly in transmitting Bartonella bacilliformis and suggest Bartonella species could be similarly transmitted in the saliva of other biting insects.
  • Mites
    • Some studies suggest various species of mites as possible vectors of Bartonella species. DNA from Bartonella quintana was incidentally discovered in Demodex mites of a patient with rosacea. Furthermore, mites found on tropical rats and bats showed evidence of carrying Bartonella species as well.

The development of novel molecular techniques like PCR and its variations have allowed researchers to detect Bartonella species in a wide range of insects, arthropods and crustaceans around the world.

Our ePCR technology is used by research partners around the world to better understand the One Health relationship between people, animals and the environment. Mapping the relationship between reservoirs, vectors and human and animal hosts is an important step in making prevention the best treatment.

References

Bradley, J. M. et al. (2014). Bartonella henselae infections in an owner and two Papillon dogs exposed to tropical rat mites (Ornithonyssus bacoti). Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 14(10), 703-709. doi:10.1089/vbz.2013.1492 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25325313

Cotté, V. et al. (2008). Transmission of Bartonella henselae by Ixodes ricinus. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 14(7), 1074-1080. doi:10.3201/eid1407.071110 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2600320/

do Amaral, R. B. et al. (2018). Molecular detection of Bartonella spp. and Rickettsia spp. In bat ectoparasites in Brazil. PLoS One, 13(6), e0198629. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0198629 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29870549

Guru, P. K. et al. (2018). A miraculous recovery: Bartonella henselae infection following a red ant bite. BMJ Case Reports, 2018, bcr-2017-222326. doi:10.1136/bcr-2017-222326 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29728431?fbclid=IwAR0hoMRFwoz5jVPlepkpigJ6A0zuHWrRoRy4vhNIHxNPtEotjXwqrj6NRa4

Hofmeester, T. R. et al. (2018). Role of mustelids in the life-cycle of ixodid ticks and transmission cycles of four tick-borne pathogens. Parasites & Vectors, 11(1). doi:10.1186/s13071-018-3126-8 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30458847

Mascarelli, P. E. et al. (2013). Bartonella henselae infection in a family experiencing neurological and neurocognitive abnormalities after woodlouse hunter spider bites. Parasites & Vectors, 6, 98. doi:10.1186/1756-3305-6-98 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23587343

Murillo, N. et al. (2014). Bartonella Quintana detection in Demodex from erythematotelangiectatic rosacea patients. International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 29, 176-177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2014.07.021 https://www.ijidonline.com/article/S1201-9712(14)01606-3/fulltext

Viera, C. B. et al. (2018, November). Triatomines: Trypanosomatids, bacteria, and viruses potential vectors? Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology [Online]. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2018.00405 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30505806

__________________

**Comment**

One thing’s for sure – patients in Lyme-land OFTEN have Bartonella as well. Mainstream medicine/research doesn’t even contemplate or consider this well established fact and continues to treat this as a one-pathogen, one-drug disease when nothing could be further from the truth: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/10/30/study-shows-lyme-msids-patients-infected-with-many-pathogens-and-explains-why-we-are-so-sick/  This recent paper sums it up nicely:

“Our findings recognize that microbial infections in patients suffering from TBDs (tick borne diseases) do not follow the one microbe, one disease Germ Theory as 65% of the TBD patients produce immune responses to various microbes.”

For the first time, Garg et al. show a 85% probability for multiple infections including not only tick-borne pathogens but also opportunistic microbes such as EBV and other viruses.

And, according to this review, 83% of all commercial tests focus only on Lyme (borrelia), despite the fact we are infected with more than one microbe.  The review also states it takes 11 different visits to 11 different doctors, utilizing 11 different tests to be properly diagnosed.  https://www.news-medical.net/news/20181101/Tick-borne-disease-is-multiple-microbial-in-nature.aspx?

Thousands of patients are flying under the radar.

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/01/03/bartonella-treatment/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/06/06/high-titers-of-bartonella-found-in-patients-with-musculoskeletal-complaints/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/03/21/bartonella-sudden-onset-adolescent-schizophrenia-a-case-study/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/05/07/fox-news-bartonella-is-the-new-lyme-disease/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/03/15/risk-of-transmission-of-bartonella-via-blood-transfusion-chile/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/05/09/bartonella-transmitted-to-children-at-birth-causing-chronic-infections/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/04/24/human-bartonellosis-an-underappreciated-public-health-problem/

Category:

Bartonella, research, Testing, Ticks, Transmission

When Lyme Kills

https://elemental.medium.com/when-lyme-kills

Illustration by Anuj Shrestha

When Lyme Kills

The extremely rare complication you should know about
Jun 24 2019

This story is part of “Tickpocalypse,” a multi-part special report.

Joseph Elone just felt tired at first, like he wasn’t sleeping well. Soon, however, Joseph developed cold symptoms — a cough, a sore throat, head and body aches, digestive problems, and a low-grade fever.

The doctor saw little reason for concern. Joseph likely had the flu, he said. He prescribed the standard regimen — rest, fluids, and the like — and suggested they give it time.

But a few days later, Joseph’s symptoms worsened. He was feeling light-headed and said he was sensitive to bright light. He returned to the same doctor, who ordered blood tests for strep throat, Lyme disease, and another tick-borne illness called anaplasmosis. The results were all negative.

It would take at least four months and several incorrect diagnoses to determine the cause of Joseph’s death, but ultimately, examinations revealed the presence of Lyme bacteria in several of his organs, including his heart.

(See link for entire article)

This story is part of “Tickpocalypse,” a multi-part special report.

__________________

**Comment**

Well, if this isn’t heartbreaking, I don’t know what is.

There are numerous points that should be mentioned:

  1. The media, researchers, and doctors need to refrain from the word “RARE” on pretty much anything regarding tick-borne illness. Notice out of one side of his mouth, the author states the same year Elone died, the CDC released a report of three other deaths related to Lyme, “which led to further inquiries that uncovered numerous additional instances in New York state…leading experts to wonder if Lyme deaths might actually be more common than previously thought.”  Then, out of the other side of his mouth he announces with certainty that it’s rare. This is illogical and undermines the seriousness of this. All I can say is Zika was handled very differently.
  2. Please take note that spirochetes riddled his body. They were all over. How many dead bodies have to pile up before the CDC/IDSA/NIH believe Lyme is serious and that those with persistent symptoms just might be chronically infected, with spirochetes riddling our bodies? Instead, we have bone-heads saying we have MUS (medically unexplained symptoms), which essentially means he believes we are psychosomatic:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/06/11/dr-eugene-shapiro-medically-unexplained-symptoms/  Video of Shapiro stating he believes our symptoms are completely unrelated to Lyme, i.e. – MUS. He also states the parents weren’t happy with his findings….gee, I wonder why?
  3. Again, regarding only 20% of patients being in the PTLDS group: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/02/25/medical-stalemate-what-causes-continuing-symptoms-after-lyme-treatment/, microbiologist Holly Ahern states that number is incorrect and only includes those patients diagnosed and treated early. When you add the 10-20% in this category with the 30-40% NOT diagnosed and treated, you get a whopping potential 60% of ALL patients who go on to develop chronic/persistent symptoms.  This is HUGE and downplayed. Little to no research exists on this patient group and yet they are in the majority.
  4. If you want to take a peek at the number of people DYING from Lyme: http://whatislyme.com/rip-lyme-friends-memorial/  Collected by Lyme patient and advocate Lisa Hilton, she’s also made a chart and listing of Lyme deaths: http://whatislyme.com/is-lyme-disease-fatal/, based upon 219 Lyme deaths.  
Is that still considered rare?

 

 

Category:

Activism, Heart Issues, Lyme, research, Ticks