Archive for the ‘research’ Category

Can Anaplasmosis Cause Heart Issues?

https://danielcameronmd.com/can-anaplasmosis-cause-heart-problems/

CAN ANAPLASMOSIS CAUSE HEART PROBLEMS?

anaplasmosis-heart-problems

The number of cases of human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) is rising in the United States, with more than a three-fold increase over the past several years. The tick-borne illness is not often associated with conduction problems and myocardial disease. But a new study highlights a case in which anaplasmosis triggered mycopericarditis.

By 

In their article, “Case report: human granulocytic anaplasmosis causes acute myopericarditis with atrial fibrillation,” Levy et al. describe the case of a 65-year-old man who presented to the emergency room with fever and malaise, which had persisted for one week.¹ An electrocardiogram showed new atrial fibrillation and conduction abnormalities.

The man resides in a suburb of Boston in a home surrounded by wooded areas. “He reported being outdoors regularly for kayaking trips in the few months prior to presentation,” the authors wrote.

“Anaplasma serologies were positive for IgM and negative for IgG, and subsequent PCR detected anaplasma phagocytophilum DNA,” the author wrote. “CMR imaging revealed findings consistent with myopericarditis.”

According to the authors, the man had “an isolated HGA infection, and cardiac workup showed evidence of myopericarditis as well as conduction system disease.”

Conduction and rhythm abnormalities are frequently associated with Lyme disease but have not been previously reported with [anaplasmosis] HGA.

“This case highlights that conduction and rhythm disturbance can be a feature of myocarditis in the setting of isolated [anaplasmosis] HGA infection,” the authors wrote.

“In our patient HGA was the sole identifiable culprit,” the authors point out. “This is an uncommon finding; isolated HGA myocarditis or myopericarditis has been reported only once previously.”

The authors conclude:

  • “myopericarditis and serious haemodynamic compromise are potential severe complications of HGA infection, without the need for a concomitant Lyme infection.
  • “anaplasma phagocytophilum infection, in the absence of any concomitant Lyme disease, can cause acute myopericarditis”
  • “HGA myopericarditis can present with electrical disturbances including atrial fibrillation and conduction system disease.”

It is important to include anaplasmosis in patients presenting with clinical symptoms consistent with myopericarditis and continuing doxycycline treatment until both Lyme disease and HGA are ruled out, the authors explained. This is particularly relevant to those patients living in endemic regions who present with symptoms during the late Spring through early Fall.

Related Articles:

Babesia and anaplasmosis in a child with B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Anaplasmosis leading to neurological symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia

Podcast: Anaplasmosis in the brain

References:
  1. Levy AM, Martin LM, Krakower DS, Grandin EW. Case report: human granulocytic anaplasmosis causes acute myopericarditis with atrial fibrillation. Eur Heart J Case Rep. 2023 Jan 17;7(1):ytad026. doi: 10.1093/ehjcr/ytad026. PMID: 36727140; PMCID: PMC9883714.

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**Comment**

It’s important to remember the distinction between rarely reported and rarely occurring.  Big diff.

For more:

Category:

Anaplasmosis, Heart Issues, research

Migratory Songbirds Transport Amblyomma Ticks to Canada

https://www.jelsciences.com/articles/jbres1659.pdf

Migratory Songbirds Transport Amblyomma longirostre and Amblyomma maculatum Ticks to Canada

John D Scott1 *, Jaclyn TA McKeown2 and Catherine M Scott1 1 Upper Grand Tick Centre, 365 St. David Street South, Fergus, Ontario N1M 2L7, Canada 2 Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada *Corresponding author(s) John D Scott, Upper Grand Tick Centre, 365 St. David Street South, Fergus, Ontario N1M 2L7, Canada Email: jkscott@bserv.com DOI: 10.37871/jbres1659

Submitted: 23 January 2023 Accepted: 02 February 2023 Published: 06 February 2023 Copyright: © 2023 Scott JD, et al. Distributed under Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0

OPEN ACCESS

VOLUME: 4 ISSUE: 2 – FEBRUARY, 2023 BIOLOGY GROUP PARASITOLOGY MOLECULAR BIOLOGY INFECTIOUS DISEASES

ABSTRACT

Birds transport ticks into Canada during northward spring migration, and some of these ticks are infected with tick-borne zoonotic pathogens. Some Amblyomma species harbour pathogens that cause debilitating diseases that can be fatal to humans, and domestic and wildlife animals. At least 65 Amblyomma spp. are indigenous in the Western Hemisphere, and approximately half bite humans. Amblyomma longirostre carries Rickettsia amblyommatis which causes spotted fever group rickettsiosis, a febrile disease in humans. Additionally, Amblyomma maculatum harbors and transmits Rickettsia parkeri, a spotted fever group rickettsiosis, and this tick bites humans. In the present study, we use two technologies to identify ticks. To confirm identification, we took microphotographs followed by DNA barcoding of the cytochrome c oxidase I gene. Based on molecular analysis, we confirmed that the two Amblyomma spp. were Amblyomma longirostre, a neotropical tick and Amblyomma maculatum, the Gulf Coast tick. Based on our tick-bird findings, we confirm that migratory songbirds transport Amblyomma ticks into Canada, and have the potential, either directly or indirectly, to transmit tick-borne zoonotic pathogens to humans.

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**Comment**

Amblyomma ticks, like other ticks, have many species.  The best known in the U.S. is Amblyomma americanum, commonly known as the lone star tick, which is fast and aggressive and clusters in groups of 2,000-8,000 until they are nymphs which means those who brush up  against a cluster could have hundreds to thousands attaching simultaneously.  Females are distinguished by a white dot, hence “star” on her back. They have swarmed a town in Martha’s Vineyard and are typically associated with Southern states; however, this important work shows that once again ticks commonly defy the narrative that they only exist in certain geographical locations.  This is a huge problem that needs to be addressed and not blamed on climate change, the latest cash cow for researchers, which will only divert precious research dollars into the hands of those who will not help sick patients one iota.

Patients to this day are denied a diagnosis and treatment due to some bone-headed doctor looking at a map.

Other species of Amblyomma ticks are common in Africa, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Most attach to birds, and migration of avian hosts has been unfortunately downplayed in favor of “climate change,” but is far more implicated in dissemination of tick-borne diseases than “experts” admit.

Recently established populations of Amblyomma maculatum (Gulf Coast) ticks were discovered in New York, further demonstrating that ticks don’t seem to bother with maps.

While rodents, particularly the white footed mouse, get all the air-play regarding tick proliferation, many birds travel great distances and are transporting ticks into new locations.  Rather than focusing on research that will truly help sick patients, researchers have focused on releasing hordes of GMO mice into the wild.  Similarly to the experimental gene therapy COVID injections, nobody has a clue about the unintended consequences.  Funding for said research becomes crystal clear when you discover that DARPA has a defense advanced research project called “Insect Allies” which is designed to genetically modify mature plants in a live environment by releasing insects infected with GMO viruses. They have also developed “remote-controlled insects.”  This type of research is all the rage now.

Their goal: release all this into the wild and repeat, “It’s safe and effective.”

Category:

Activism, research, Ticks, Transmission

Bartonella in Malignant Melanoma, A Preliminary Study

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7998106/

 2021 Mar; 10(3): 326.
Published online 2021 Mar 10. doi: 10.3390/pathogens10030326
PMCID: PMC7998106
PMID: 33802018

Bartonella henselae Detected in Malignant Melanoma, a Preliminary Study

Marna E. Ericson,1 Edward B. Breitschwerdt,2 Paul Reicherter,3 Cole Maxwell,4 Ricardo G. Maggi,2 Richard G. Melvin,5 Azar H. Maluki,4,6 Julie M. Bradley,2 Jennifer C. Miller,7 Glenn E. Simmons, Jr.,5 Jamie Dencklau,4 Keaton Joppru,5 Jack Peterson,4 Will Bae,4 Janet Scanlon,4 and Lynne T. Bemis5,*
Lawrence S. Young, Academic Editor and Olivier Sparagano, Academic Editor

Abstract

Bartonella bacilliformis (B. bacilliformis), Bartonella henselae (B. henselae), and Bartonella quintana (B. quintana) are bacteria known to cause verruga peruana or bacillary angiomatosis, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-dependent cutaneous lesions in humans. Given the bacteria’s association with the dermal niche and clinical suspicion of occult infection by a dermatologist, we determined if patients with melanoma had evidence of Bartonella spp. infection. Within a one-month period, eight patients previously diagnosed with melanoma volunteered to be tested for evidence of Bartonella spp. exposure/infection. Subsequently, confocal immunohistochemistry and PCR for Bartonella spp. were used to study melanoma tissues from two patients. Blood from seven of the eight patients was either seroreactive, PCR positive, or positive by both modalities for Bartonella spp. exposure. Subsequently, Bartonella organisms that co-localized with VEGFC immunoreactivity were visualized using multi-immunostaining confocal microscopy of thick skin sections from two patients. Using a co-culture model, B. henselae was observed to enter melanoma cell cytoplasm and resulted in increased vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGFC) and interleukin 8 (IL-8) production. Findings from this small number of patients support the need for future investigations to determine the extent to which Bartonella spp. are a component of the melanoma pathobiome.

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For more:

Category:

Bartonella, research

Acute Psychosis After COVID Shot, Moderna Booster Singled Out for Chronic Hives, Merck COVID Drug Linked to New Virus Mutations

https://petermcculloughmd.substack.com/p/acute-psychosis-after-covid-19-vaccination

Acute Psychosis after COVID-19 Vaccination

Alarming Manuscripts Report Acute Neuropsychiatric Symptoms

Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPH™

By Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPH

Unvaccinated patients have mentioned half-jokingly that COVID-19 vaccination in friends and family makes some of them “crazy.” While I have always brushed this off as fear driven vaccine ideology taking over common sense in some zealots, the building literature on neuropsychiatric symptoms is alarming. There are now ~10 papers describing headache, fever, and a range of acute neuropsychiatric symptoms after both mRNA and adenoviral COVID-19 vaccination. The strong bias among editors and publishers has kept countless papers out of the mainstream medical media, hence one has to look far and wide to find information on the topic of vaccine safety. Borovina et al, from Croatia described three cases of acute headache followed by psychosis.  (See link for article and study)

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Important excerpt:

One of the cases progressed to attempted suicide with a knife stabbing to the abdomen requiring emergency abdominal surgery.

As a doctor I am disturbed by medical evidence demonstrating gene coded SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan Institute of Virology Spike protein in the human brain after vaccination. I wonder how many subtle changes go clinically unrecognized.

McCullough rightly states that every suicide after Dec. 2020 should be investigated and the brand, doses, and dates of “vaccination” should be recorded and noted.  Unfortunately, none of this will happen.  It’s all #ABV (anything but the vaccine).

For more:

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https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/covid19vaccine/102923

Moderna Booster Vaccine Singled Out for Chronic Hives

— Chronic spontaneous urticaria more frequent when compared with Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine

by Elizabeth Short, Staff Writer, MedPage Today February 1, 2023

A photo of a vial of the Spikevax COVID vaccine

The monovalent Moderna COVID-19 booster vaccine may be associated with an elevated risk for new-onset chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), or hives lasting more than 6 weeks, according to a Swiss study.

Among people who got an mRNA COVID vaccine booster and had new-onset hives reported to local allergists, 90% had vaccination precede CSU in the canton of Vaud during the study period, as did 81% of patients in the nationwide cohort, reported Yannick Daniel Muller, MD, PhD, of the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, and coauthors.  (See link for article)

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**Comment**

Predictably, the authors still want everyone to get “vaccinated,” and take the safe route by stating more research is needed.  They state that Moderna shots contain higher doses of mRNA and are more immunogenic than Pfizer shots, although both are clearly linked to a multitude of adverse events and death. The Vaccine advisory committee unanimously endorsed the FDA’s plan to harmonize the primary and booster shots to contain a bivalent composition with components targeting BA.4/5 and the original SARS-CoV-2 strain, eliminating the original monovalent products.  Both are deplorable and useless.

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https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-01/merck-s-mrk-covid-drug-linked-to-viable-spreading-mutants-study-says

Merck Covid Drug Linked to New Virus Mutations, Study Says

  • So far, new versions aren’t more lethal, immune-evasive
  • Merck disputes study’s claim, says drug is ‘valuable’
Lagevrio
Lagevrio  Photographer: Donato Fasano/Getty Images
Article Summary:
  • Preprint study found here
  • The study points out the risk of trying to alter the pathogen’s genetic code
  • The study found that the medication molnupiravir (Lagevrio) is giving rise to new mutations in some patients which has some researchers worried the drug may create more contagious or dangerous variations of COVID
  • One author of the study states the drug should be discontinued due to the risks

No Testing Required to Get Paxlovid & Molnupiravir/Lagevrio, Even Though They Are Dangerous

But in a slick move, the FDA has removed COVID testing requirements to make it even easier to obtain Pfizer (Paxlovid) and Merck (Molnupiravir/Lagevrio) COVID treatments.  Now, exposed individuals with signs and symptoms (that look like any other flu-bug), can simply waltz into their doctor’s office and be diagnosed with COVID, even if they have a negative test result: however, they still can not obtain cheap, safe, effective drugs like ivermectin, HCQ, or even vitamin C.

And low and behold, a new study finds that ivermectin is a promising cancer drug.

This should tell you everything you need to know.

Abstract

Ivermectin is a widely used antiparasitic drug and shows promising anticancer activity in various cancer types. Although multiple signaling pathways modulated by ivermectin have been identified in tumor cells, few studies have focused on the exact target of ivermectin. Herein, we report the pharmacological effects and targets of ivermectin in prostate cancer. Ivermectin caused G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, induced cell apoptosis and DNA damage, and decreased androgen receptor (AR) signaling in prostate cancer cells. Further in vivo analysis showed ivermectin could suppress 22RV1 xenograft progression. Using integrated omics profiling, including RNA-seq and thermal proteome profiling, the forkhead box protein A1 (FOXA1) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) repair executer Ku70/Ku80 were strongly suggested as direct targets of ivermectin in prostate cancer. The interaction of ivermectin and FOXA1 reduced the chromatin accessibility of AR signaling and the G0/G1 cell cycle regulator E2F1, leading to cell proliferation inhibition. The interaction of ivermectin and Ku70/Ku80 impaired the NHEJ repair ability. Cooperating with the downregulation of homologous recombination repair ability after AR signaling inhibition, ivermectin increased intracellular DNA double-strand breaks and finally triggered cell death. Our findings demonstrate the anticancer effect of ivermectin in prostate cancer, indicating that its use may be a new therapeutic approach for prostate cancer.

Well now, ‘the powers that be’ simply can not have this.
Better censor and ban it off the face of the earth.

Category:

Activism, Psychological Aspects, research, Treatment, vaccines, Viruses

Patient Contracts Babesia From a Blood Donor: Only 14 States Test For It

https://danielcameronmd.com/patient-contracts-babesia-blood-donor/

PATIENT CONTRACTS BABESIA FROM A BLOOD DONOR

babesia-blood-donor

Babesia is most commonly transmitted through a tick bite but it can also be transmitted through a blood transfusion. To minimize the risk to the public, blood banks now screen donors for Babesia in endemic states.

By 

In their article “Transfusion-transmitted babesiosis in a patient with sickle cell disease undergoing chronic red cell exchange,” Costa and colleagues describe a patient who contracted Babesia from a donor living in Ohio, a state that is not considered endemic for Babesia.¹

According to the authors, a 30-year-old man with sickle cell disease (SCD) required approximately 10 units of red blood cells every 3–4 weeks throughout his childhood.

Approximately 2 months after a red blood cell exchange, he presented with fever, neck pain, and photophobia. Several days later, he developed a persistent fever, chills, headache, fatigue, and loss of appetite.

He was diagnosed with Babesia through identification of parasites in his red blood cells and positive antibodies. He was also borderline positive on an antibody test for Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Ehrlichia chaffeensis.

“Prior to laboratory-based blood donor screening for Babesia, transfusion-transmitted babesiosis (TTB) was a leading infectious risk to the blood supply in the United States.”

The young man was treated for Babesia with azithromycin and atovaquone for 10 days with resolution of his symptoms. He was not treated for Anaplasma phagocytophilum or Ehrlichia chaffeensis.

The patient lived in a state endemic for Babesia but did not recall a tick bite.

“A donor lookback investigation was initiated with the blood supplier,” the authors wrote. They found that in the preceding 6 months, the patient had received 65 units of blood, with 58 units screened for Babesia.

Unfortunately, “One of the donors of the 7 untested units was B. microti seropositive,” the authors wrote. The donor lived in a state not requiring Babesia screening.

“Our case demonstrates the continued vulnerability of the US blood supply to Babesia.”

“The seropositive donor had not had any symptoms of babesiosis; he lived in Ohio and reported being very active over the past year, including hiking and camping in several states (Ohio, Tennessee, and North Carolina),” the authors wrote.

In 2019, the FDA recommended testing of blood donors for Babesia in the 14 states where almost all cases of Babesia have been reported. “The policy confined to 14 states (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin),” wrote the authors.

Authors Conclude:

“Heightened awareness and health care provider education are imperative, especially in non-endemic [states] where clinicians may not be accustomed to diagnosing community-acquired or TTB, placing transfusion recipients at risk of delayed diagnosis and severe disease.

References:
  1. Costa V, Mercure-Corriveau N, Gourneau J, et al. Transfusion-transmitted babesiosis in a patient with sickle cell disease undergoing chronic red cell exchange. Transfusion. Jan 13 2023;doi:10.1111/trf.17244

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**Comment**

Once again, the madness of limiting potential infection to certain geographical areas despite the ability of people, animals, and bugs to move around is completely asinine.  Yet, here we are – still in the madness.

For more:

Category:

Babesia, research, Testing, Treatment