Archive for the ‘research’ Category

Prison Study Shows Boosted More Likely to Get COVID Than Unvaccinated

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37680261/

Cureus
2023 Sep 4;15(9):e44684.

 doi: 10.7759/cureus.44684. eCollection 2023 Sep.

COVID-19 Infection Rates in Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Inmates: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Luke Ko 1, Gary Malet 2, Lisa L Chang 3, Huu Nguyen 2, Robert Mayes 2

Free PMC article

Abstract

Background

In 2023, breakthrough COVID-19 infections among vaccinated individuals and reinfections in previously infected people have become common. Additionally, infections are due to Omicron subvariants of the virus that behave differently from those at the onset of the pandemic. Understanding how vaccination and natural immunity influence COVID-19 infection rates is crucial, especially in high-density congregate settings such as prisons, to inform public health strategies.

Methods

We analyzed COVID-19 surveillance data from January to July 2023 across 33 California state prisons, primarily a male population of 96,201 individuals. We computed the incidence rate of new COVID-19 infections among COVID-bivalent-vaccinated and entirely unvaccinated groups (those not having received either the bivalent or monovalent vaccine).

Results

Our results indicate that the infection rates in the bivalent-vaccinated and entirely unvaccinated groups are 3.24% (95% confidence interval (CI): 3.06-3.42%) and 2.72% (CI: 2.50-2.94%), respectively, with an absolute risk difference of only 0.52%. When the data were filtered for those aged 50 and above, the infection rates were 4.07% (CI: 3.77-4.37%) and 3.1% (CI: 2.46-3.74%), respectively, revealing a mere 0.97% absolute risk difference. Among those aged 65 and above, the infection rates were 6.45% (CI: 5.74-7.16%) and 4.5% (CI: 2.57-6.43%), respectively, with an absolute risk difference of 1.95%.

Conclusion

We note low infection rates in both the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups, with a small absolute difference between the two across age groups. A combination of monovalent and bivalent vaccines and natural infections likely contributed to immunity and a lower level of infection rates compared to the height of the pandemic. It is possible that a degree of ‘herd immunity’ has been achieved. Yet, using p<0.05 as the threshold for statistical significance, the bivalent-vaccinated group had a slightly but statistically significantly higher infection rate than the unvaccinated group in the statewide category and the age ≥50 years category. However, in the older age category (≥65 years), there was no significant difference in infection rates between the two groups. This suggests that while the bivalent vaccine might offer protection against severe outcomes, it may not significantly reduce the risk of infections entirely. Further research is needed to understand the reasons behind these findings and to consider other factors, such as underlying health conditions. This study underscores the importance of developing vaccines that target residual COVID-19 infections, especially in regard to evolving COVID-19 variants.

Please see video:  https://www.theepochtimes.com/epochtv/study-hits-newly-vaccinated-with-bad-news-facts-matter  Video Excerpt:

  • 96,201 inmates
  • 2,835 COVID cases
  • 1,187 of those cases were boosted
  • 1,080 of those cases were “vaccinated”
  • 568 of those cases were unvaccinated showing yet again the superior advantage of natural immunity

The study showed the boosted have a 20% higher risk (statistically significant) of getting COVID compared to the unvaccinated.

While the authors state boosters might offer protection against severe outcomes, they offer zero data to support this notion.  It is also worth mentioning that the federal government approved the latest booster formulation without ANY clinical trial data or ANY data on efficacy.  All that exists at this point are some observational studies that do not follow up for any significant length of time.

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**Comment**

Interestingly, another prison study in Nature used to promote COVID shot effectiveness has been thoroughly dismantled as it removes 99% of the data.

The Cleveland Clinic study looking at over 51,000 people found that the more “vaccine” doses, the higher the risk of infection.

More research continues to show that over time there is actually NEGATIVE effectiveness:

But does any of this matter in the topsy-turvy world of COVID?  Nope.

Category:

Activism, research, vaccines, Viruses

Review: Borrelia Miyamotoi

https://danielcameronmd.com/review-borrelia-miyamotoi/

REVIEW: BORRELIA MIYAMOTOI

borrelia-miyamotoi

Borrelia miyamotoi is an emerging tick-borne illness that is transmitted by the deer tick. The most common symptoms of a B. miyamotoi infection include fever, fatigue, headache, chills, myalgia, arthralgia, and nausea.

By 

In their article, “Human Borrelia miyamotoi Infection in North America,” Burde and colleagues discuss the frequency and location of infection in ticks and people, clinical presentation and complications, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

Prevalence of B. miyamotoi

B. miyamotoi-infected ticks have been reported throughout the northeastern, northern Midwestern, and western United States. They’ve also been detected in all Canadian provinces except Newfoundland and Labrador.

The prevalence of Borrelia miyamotoi infections is difficult to determine, since the illness is not nationally reportable in the U.S. but reportable in only a few states including Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Vermont, and Wisconsin. And, confirmation of the diagnosis depends upon laboratory testing, which is not always available.

Furthermore, diagnosis can be challenging. “The discrepancy between diagnosed and undiagnosed infection is probably even greater for B. miyamotoi, a tick-borne disease that lacks an easily identifiable clinical marker, such as the erythema migrans rash, and is less well known by health care workers and the general public,” the authors write.

Transmission

B. miyamotoi can be transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected black-legged (deer) tick. Several studies have found that it may be transmitted through blood transfusions, as well.

The B. miyamotoi pathogen can be transmitted from an infected female tick to her eggs, which may result in some larval ticks harboring the infection and transmitting it to a host. “Other larvae become infected after taking a blood meal on an infected mouse reservoir host, molt to the nymphal stage, and then transmit infection to another mouse or human,” they write.

Symptoms & Treatment

B. miyamotoi symptoms can be non-specific and an individual may appear to have a viral-like illness with fever, chills, headache, myalgia, fatigue, arthralgia, and gastrointestinal complaints, according to the authors.

“The most striking clinical feature of B. miyamotoi is relapsing fever with an initial febrile episode followed by a period of wellness and then one or more additional febrile episodes,” the authors write.

Some studies have found that the “average time between relapses was 9 days with a range of 2 days to 2 weeks.”

However, not all individuals develop relapsing fever. “In the largest case series of B. miyamotoi cases in the US, only 2 of 51 cases (4%) developed relapsing fever.”

READ: Don’t Rely on Relapsing Fever to Diagnose B. miyamotoi 

Treatment of B. miyamotoi disease typically involves using the same antibiotics to treat Lyme disease: doxycycline, tetracycline, erythromycin, penicillin, and ceftriaxone. However, there have been no trials to evaluate the effectiveness of these treatments.

Co-infections worsen disease

Co-infections can worsen the illness. There have been reported cases of B. miyamotoi co-infection with B. burgdorferi and/or Babesia microti.

“Previous studies have found that coinfection of B. burgdorferi with either Babesia microti or with Anaplasma phagocytophilum are often associated with more severe disease compared with that caused by B. burgdorferi infection alone,” the authors write.

Testing for the infection can include blood smear, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and/or antibody detection.

Authors’ Conclude:

“The possibility of B. miyamotoi infection should be considered in any patient with a febrile illness who resides in or has recently traveled to a region where Lyme disease is endemic, especially during the late spring, summer, or early fall.”

Related Articles:

B. miyamotoi can be transmitted from mother ticks to offspring

Could B. miyamotoi infections explain persistent Lyme disease symptoms?

References:
  1. Burde J, Bloch EM, Kelly JR, Krause PJ. Human Borrelia miyamotoi Infection in North America. Pathogens. 2023 Apr 3;12(4):553. doi: 10.3390/pathogens12040553. PMID: 37111439; PMCID: PMC10145171.

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For more:

Since Borrelia miyamotoi is not a reportable illness to the CDC, no one has any clue about prevalence but reports are coming in continually that it’s highly likely to be a much bigger problem than ‘authorities’ believe.
It was recently discovered that:

Also, Borrelia miyamotoi has been in California ticks for a long time:

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/02/15/b-miyamotoi-in-ca-ticks-for-a-long-time/

The following case shows how you can become infected while traveling:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/10/24/a-case-of-borrelia-miyamotoi/

Category:

Activism, Borrelia Miyamotoi (Relapsing Fever Group), research, Testing, Ticks, Transmission, Treatment, Uncategorized

Chronic Pain Reprograms Our Immune Systems & Our Brains

https://popularrationalism.substack.com/p/chronic-pain-reprograms-our-immune?

Chronic Pain Reprograms Our Immune Systems and Our Brains

A fascinating study from McGill University suggests that parallel changes methylation occur in both our brains and in our T-cells

James Lyons-Weiler

Oct. 13, 2023

A study from McGill University, titled “Chronic pain changes our immune systems,”, published in the journal Scientific Reports, reveals that chronic pain can alter the way genes function in the immune system. Specifically, the research found that chronic pain changes the DNA marking not only in the brain but also in T cells, which are a type of white blood cell essential for immunity.

The study used rat models and examined DNA from their brains and white blood cells. The researchers mapped DNA marking by a chemical called a methyl group, which is crucial for regulating gene function. This area of study falls under the growing field of epigenetics, which involves modifications that turn genes ‘on’ or ‘off,’ effectively reprogramming how they work.

The researchers were surprised by the extensive number of genes that were marked by chronic pain, ranging from hundreds to thousands. These findings could have implications for other systems in the body that are not normally associated with pain. The study suggests that understanding these epigenetic changes could open new avenues for diagnosing and treating chronic pain.  (See link for article)

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Important excerpt from the study:

This study supports the plausibility of DNA methylation involvement in chronic pain and demonstrates the potential feasibility of DNA methylation markers in T cells as noninvasive biomarkers of chronic pain susceptibility.

For more:

Category:

Pain Management, research

Analysis of Bacteria in Tropical Cattle Tick

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10493-023-00851-x

ResearchPublished: 

Analysis of the bacterial community in female Rhipicephalus microplus ticks from selected provinces in Luzon, Philippines, using next-generation sequencing

Sheane Andrea V. Hernandez, Saubel Ezrael A. Salamat & Remil L. Galay

Experimental and Applied Acarology (2023)Cite this article

Abstract

Analysis of the tick microbiome can help understand tick–symbiont interactions and identify undiscovered pathogens, which may aid in implementing control of ticks and tick-borne diseases. The tropical cattle tick Rhipicephalus microplus is a widespread ectoparasite of cattle in the Philippines, negatively affecting animal productivity and health. This study characterized the bacterial community of R. microplus from Luzon, Philippines, through next-generation sequencing of 16s rRNA. DNA was extracted from 45 partially engorged female ticks from nine provinces. The DNA samples were pooled per province and then sequenced and analyzed using an open-source bioinformatics platform. In total, 667 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified. The ticks in all nine provinces were found to have Coxiella, Corynebacterium, Staphylococcus, and Acinetobacter. Basic local alignment search tool (BLAST) analysis revealed the presence of known pathogens of cattle, such as Bartonella, Ehrlichia minasensis, and Dermatophilus congolensis. The tick samples from Laguna, Quezon, and Batangas had the most diverse bacterial species, whereas the tick samples from Ilocos Norte had the lowest diversity. Similarities in the composition of the bacterial community in ticks from provinces near each other were also observed. This is the first study on metagenomic analysis of cattle ticks in the Philippines, providing new insights that may be useful for controlling ticks and tick-borne diseases.

For more:

Category:

Bartonella, Ehrlichiosis, research, Ticks

Babesia Concurrent With Multiple Abscesses From Staph Infection: A Case Report

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023057717

Aug. 2023, e18563

Babesiosis concurrent with multiple abscesses from Staphylococcus aureus infection: A case report

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18563Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open access

Abstract

Background

Babesiosis is a tick-borne illness. These patients may have signs of a systemic inflammatory response, but abscess formation is unusual. Multiple abscesses in a patient with confirmed babesiosis is very rare, so concurrent infection by another pathogen should be considered.

Case presentation

We report a 42-year-old male patient who had fever, chills, joint pain, abdominal pain, and altered mental status after a possible tick bite on his right foot while fishing in a river. The laboratory tests, including a blood smear, suggested babesiosis. Imaging studies showed multiple brain and spleen abscesses due to Staphylococcus aureus based on the results of a blood culture and next-generation sequencing. The patient eventually recovered after treatment with azithromycin, fosfomycin, and vancomycin.

Conclusion

Concurrent bacterial infection can occur in a patient with babesiosis. Additional tests should be performed when a babesiosis patient presents with signs inconsistent with Babesia infection. Prompt and appropriate treatment is necessary and may be life-saving for these patients.

For more:

Category:

Babesia, research, Testing, Treatment