Archive for the ‘Testing’ Category

If You’re Testing For Lyme Disease, Here’s What You Should Know

https://www.bustle.com/p/if-youre-testing-for-lyme-disease-heres-what-you-should-know-17937868

If You’re Testing For Lyme Disease, Here’s What You Should Know

By SUZANNAH WEISS

ESB Professional/Shutterstock

Lyme disease is a growing epidemic, with cases more than doubling in the U.S. from 22,000 in 2004 to 48,000 in 2016. But even more people than that likely have Lyme disease and don’t know it. The typical Lyme disease tests — the Western Blot and ELISA blood tests — are believed to miss many infections, leading some doctors to use other methods for Lyme disease diagnosis.

The most common way of testing for Lyme is a two-tier approach, where people do a Western Blot test if the ELISA test is positive, Elena Frid, MD, a board-certified neurologist who specializes in Lyme disease, tells Bustle.

This approach is only 56 percent sensitive, which means it misses 44 of every 100 cases, she says.

Some patients may also receive a spinal tap to check for Lyme in the cerebrospinal fluid, but this is also not sensitive enough for a negative test to rule out Lyme.

One big problem with standard Lyme testing is that it looks for antibodies the immune system creates to fight Lyme. Since Lyme evades and suppresses the immune system, a patient’s body may not create these antibodies, Kristin Reihman, MD, family medicine doctor and author of Life After Lyme, tells Bustle.

They also don’t test for every strain of bacteria that can cause Lyme, Marna Ericson, PhD, assistant professor at University of Minnesota Medical School, who is currently developing a new Lyme test that detects DNA and RNA, tells Bustle. Plus, many Lyme bacteria form collections called biofilms in tissue where they become dormant, so they may not be in the blood. In addition to producing false negatives for all these reasons, antibody tests can product false positives because someone can have antibodies from a past infection, Ericson says.

Some alternative tests that have not yet been adopted by most doctors use other methods in attempt to circumvent these problems. IGeneX makes more sensitive ELISA and Western Blot tests, though they still miss many infections. DNA Connexions, another Lyme test provider, detects DNA of microbes known to cause Lyme and co-infections in a patient’s urine. Even then, though, the urine sample is only a snapshot, so the microbes could be hiding out elsewhere in a patient’s body, Dr. Reihman says. And if the microbe is found, there’s no guarantee that the person has an active Lyme infection, as many people keep these microbes latent and are healthy.

One of the most promising tests is from ArminLabs, where antigens are put into a blood sample to see if the immune cells secrete inflammatory markers that indicate they’re being whipped into action, Dr. Reihman says. However, she adds, “they’re not going to be 100% sensitive.” Ericson believes the most accurate tests are ones like those from Galaxy Diagnostics and TLAB that test for genetic material visualization of bacteria in tissue from blood samples.

But many doctors diagnose patients with Lyme based on their symptoms alone, which is known as a clinical diagnosis. The CDC states that the main criteria for a Lyme diagnosis are symptoms and history of exposure to ticks.
“I don’t rely exclusively on testing. Even the new ones are not 100 percent sensitive, so when the test is negative, it comes down to a clinical diagnosis in the end,” Dr. Reihman says.

Dr. Frid believes in making a clinical diagnosis but using blood tests from providers like IgeneX and Galaxy to support that diagnosis, with the understanding that a negative test doesn’t rule it out. She also advocates testing for Lyme co-infectionsincluding Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia, Tularemia, Mycoplasma, Strep, and Epstein-Barr virus.

The moral of the story is that figuring out whether you have Lyme is not as simple as going to any old doctor and taking a blood test. And if you have done that but have been told that you’re fine or that your symptoms are in your head, you don’t have to take that answer at face value.

Your best bet is to go to a doctor with experience diagnosing, treating Lyme disease, and exploring all the different markers of Lyme, including symptoms, exposure history, and possibly test results or responses to treatment.

**Comment**

Great article.  Please remember that a large chunk of patients also struggle with coinfections, which Lyme testing will never pick up:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/10/30/study-shows-lyme-msids-patients-infected-with-many-pathogens-and-explains-why-we-are-so-sick/  Key quote:

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

Please notice the emphasis on a “clinical” diagnosis based on exposure and symptoms.  Mainstream medicine is completely ill equipped for this and needs serious education.  If you are a practitioner wanting this or if you are a patient with a doctor open-minded and willing to learn about Lyme/MSIDS, please see:

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/02/19/calling-all-doctors-please-become-educated-regarding-tick-borne-illness-heres-how/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/06/06/lyme-education-for-healthcare-professionals/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/03/15/global-lyme-alliance-announces-new-partnership-with-delaware-lyme-board-to-help-educate-physicians-about-lyme-disease/

For WI doctors:  https://wisconsinlymenetwork.z2systems.com/np/clients/wisconsinlymenetwork/survey.jsp?surveyId=1&

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Testing, Treatment

Review of PSI Joint Infections in Pediatrics – All With Negative Blood Cultures: Bartonella & Brucella, Among Others

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31130517

2019 May 23. pii: S1695-4033(18)30548-4. doi: 10.1016/j.anpedi.2018.07.017. [Epub ahead of print]

[Pyogenic sacroiliitis: Lessons learned from an atypical case series].

[Article in Spanish]
Arcângelo J1, Norte Ramos S2, Alves P3, Tavares D2, Gouveia C4.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Pyogenic sacroiliitis (PSI) is a rare condition that amounts to 1% to 2% of all joint infections in the paediatric age group. Its diagnosis is often difficult and delayed due to its nonspecific signs, symptoms and physical findings. Also, the identification of the causative microorganism is frequently challenging due to a high proportion of negative blood cultures and the risks involved in joint aspiration in this site.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

We performed a retrospective review of the health records of all patients aged less than 18 years admitted to a tertiary children’s hospital due to PSI between 2008 and 2016.

RESULTS:

We identified 6 cases of paediatric PSI. The blood cultures were negative, and the identification of the causative agent required joint fluid aspiration in one patient with infection by Aggregatibacter aphrophilus, and specific screening tests for less frequent agents in the other patients: Kingella kingae (n=2), Brucella melitensis (n=1) and Bartonella henselae (n=1). The patients were treated with specific antimicrobial regimens, and all had favourable clinical outcomes and were free from sequelae during the follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS:

Despite the small sample size, our study evinced the low effectiveness of blood cultures for diagnosis of paediatric PSI. It also highlights the need for a high level of suspicion for atypical agents and the early use of adequate diagnostic methods, including imaging and serological testing or polymerase chain-reaction (PCR) analysis of blood samples, as well as prescription of effective antimicrobial therapy.

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**Comment**

Pyogenic sacroiliitis = puss forming joint infection in the sacroiliac joint.

iu-16

Brucella melitensis, a gram negative rod-shaped bacteria, is a human pathogen (Malta fever), B.abortus (Bang’s disease), and in rare cases, B. suis and B. canis. Transmission occurs through animal contact (birth) or animal products, inhalation of infected particles, STD, breastfeeding, bone marrow transplants, blood products, and yes, ticks.  Pathogens are found in macrophages which are transported to lymph nodes, then spread throughout the body.  Treatment consists of doxycycline, rifampicin, & gentamicin.  Also, Ciprofloxin 500mg twice a day for 7-14 days.  http://brucellamelitensis.com

http://drsusanmarra.com/patient-resources/lyme-disease/brucella/ It has been found in eggs, larvae and engorged females of Dermacentor marginatus ticks (that bite humans)  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X17303990

Hosts are most mammals including humans.  http://www.bristoluniversitytickid.uk/page/Dermacentor+marginatus/13/#.XPgbgS2ZPSc

Symptoms are very non-specific:  https://www.cdc.gov/brucellosis/symptoms/index.html

http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/brucellosis_melitensis.pdf  Actually the best information is found here.

And…according to the CDC:  https://www.cdc.gov/brucellosis/clinicians/brucella-species.html

*Three types of the bacteria that cause brucellosis – Brucella abortus, Brucella melitensis and Brucella suis – are designated as select agents. This means that they have the potential to be developed as bioterrorism agents due to their ability to undergo aerosolization.

Oh goody, another potential bioweaponized agent spread by ticks.

For more on the history of brucella as a bioweapon:  https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/intro/bio_brucellosis.htm

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8425348?dopt=Abstract  Acute Lyme arthritis in the hip mimicking acute pyogenic arthritis in 5-year old girl.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3358077/  Bartonella & all sorts of rheumatic symptoms in patients from Lyme endemic regions with histories of cat, dog, mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and biting fly exposure.

Staph is usually the culprit, but this case report highlights that Lyme, Bartonella, Brucella, and mycoplasma should be tested for as well.  Things to watch for in children/babies – pain with diaper changes, limping, fever, irritability, decreased range of motion in the pelvic area.  This review stated the highest incidence was in adolescents:  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00431-019-03333-8, but that it’s an under recognized entity in infants with an unidentified bacterial source.  Could this be a manifestation of congenital Lyme/MSIDS that’s flying under the radar?

 

 

 

 

Category:

Bartonella, Lyme, research, Testing, Ticks, Transmission, Treatment

High Titers of Bartonella Found in Patients With Musculoskeletal Complaints

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31115789

2019 May 22. doi: 10.1007/s10067-019-04591-5. [Epub ahead of print]

The seroprevalence of Bartonella spp. in the blood of patients with musculoskeletal complaints and blood donors, Poland: a pilot study.

Łysakowska ME1, Brzezińska O2, Szybka M3, Konieczka M3, Moskwa S3, Brauncajs M3, Makowska J2, Pastuszak-Lewandoska D3, Grzegorczyk J3.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Bartonella spp. can cause a variety of diseases, such as lymphadenopathies, cat scratch disease, and trench fever, but can also give rise to many non-specific symptoms. No data exists regarding the prevalence of Bartonella spp. in patients with musculoskeletal complaints, nor among blood donors in Poland.

METHODS:

The presence of anti-Bartonella IgM and IgG in the serum of blood donors (n = 65) (Lodz, Poland) and in the patients of the Department of Rheumatology Clinic (n = 40) suffering from musculoskeletal symptoms was tested by immunofluorescence. Blood samples were cultured on enriched media. Epidemiological questionnaires were used to identify key potential risk factors, such as sex, age, contact with companion animals, and bites from insects or animals.

RESULTS:

Altogether,

  • 27 of the 105 tested subjects were seropositive for Bartonella henselae IgG (23%)
  • 3 for Bartonella quintana IgG (2.85%)
  • IgMs against B. henselae were found in 3 individuals (2.85%)
  • IgMs against B. quintana were found in one (1.54%)

No statistically significant difference was found between the prevalence of B. henselae in the blood of donors or patients and the presence of unexplained musculoskeletal complaints (23% vs 30%). Individuals who had kept or been scratched by cats were not more likely to be B. henselae seropositive (p > 0.01). Tick bites were more commonly reported in patients, but insignificantly (p > 0.01).

CONCLUSION:

This is the first report of a high seroprevalence of anti-Bartonella IgG in patients with musculoskeletal symptoms and in blood donors in Poland. The obtained results indicate that such seroprevalence may have a possible significance in the development of musculoskeletal symptoms, although it should be confirmed on a larger group of patients. Asymptomatic bacteremia might occur and pose a threat to recipients of blood from infected donors. Hence, there is a need for more detailed research, including molecular biology methods, to clarify the potential risk of Bartonella spp. being spread to immunocompromised individuals.

KEY POINTS:

•This is the first study presenting high seroprevalence of Bartonella spp. in Poland. • IgG and IgM antibodies against B. quintana were found in blood samples of blood donors.

 

Category:

Bartonella, research, Testing, Ticks

Another Tick-Borne Disease To Worry About – Alongshan virus (ALSV)

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/06/01/728375159/another-tick-borne-disease-to-worry-about

Another Tick-Borne Disease To Worry About

June 1, 20197:00 AM ET

SUSAN BRINK

This photo depicts two Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks, commonly known as the longhorned tick. It has been linked to the spread of a hemorrhagic fever in China. The smaller of the two ticks on the left is a nymph. The larger tick is an adult female.

Science Source

When a tick bores into your skin, anchoring itself for what can be a leisurely meal while often spreading germs, it isn’t just Lyme disease that you have to worry about.

Various kinds of ticks have been shown to carry at least 16 diseases in the U.S alone that can infect humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now add one more to the global list of ills that a tick bite can bring about, according to a study in the May 30 New England Journal of Medicine.

The study, identifying a new tick-borne disease, shows that we still don’t know how many more diseases ticks can carry. “We continue to discover new viruses,” says Dr. Bobbi Pritt, director of the Clinical Parasitology Laboratory and co-director of the Vector-Borne Disease Lab Services at Mayo Clinic. She was not involved in the study.

The newly discovered disease was found in Inner Mongolia, an autonomous region of China. In April 2017, a 42-year-old female farmer from the Mongolian town Alongshan went to a county hospital complaining of fever and headache. She had a history of tick bites. In searching for the cause of the patient’s fever, researchers ruled out the usual tick-borne diseases found in the area. Using genome sequencing, a process of determining the makeup of an organism’s DNA, they isolated a new disease-causing agent, which they called Alongshan virus, or ALSV, after the patient’s hometown.

Further testing found 86 additional patients in the same Inner Mongolia region who were infected with ALSV. “Neither permanent clinical complications nor death occurred among patients with confirmed infection,” wrote the authors, from various universities and laboratories in China, in the journal article.

How Worried Should You Be About A Disease You’ve Never Heard Of?

The patients in the study had symptoms of headache and fever coming an average of three to seven days after a tick bite, according to an email response to questions from Quan Liu, an author of the study from the School of Life Sciences and Engineering at Foshan University in Foshan, China. They were treated with ribavirin, an antiviral, and benzylpenicillin sodium, an antibiotic, for three to five days, he wrote.

“The symptoms usually resolved after six to eight days of treatment, and all patients had complete recovery.”

Diseases from a variety of ticks are seen around the world, but there are regional differences depending on the virus or bacteria carried by the ticks in the area. So far, ASLV has been found only in Inner Mongolia, in Ixodes persulcatus ticks, according to the study. It has also been found in mosquitoes in the same area, so researchers can’t be certain whether the patients got sick from a tick bite or a mosquito bite.

Like the victims of ASLV, most patients recover from the diseases caused by tick bites — although some tick-borne diseases can result in enduring joint pain, impaired muscle movements and fatigue.

Finding a new disease can only reinforce the need for people to take precautions to avoid tick bites.

Did You Get Bit By A Lyme-Infested Tick? Here's What To Do

Did You Get Bit By A Lyme-Infested Tick? Here’s What To Do

In the U.S., where more than 59,000 cases of tick-borne diseases were reported in 2017, tick season is just beginning.

“Once the snow melts, the ticks come out. Stay away from tall grasses and forested areas,” says Pritt. “If you go into those areas, wear protective clothing and use an insect repellent with DEET.”

The CDC also suggests treating clothing and camping gear with the repellent permethrin, walking in the center of paths to avoid brushing against plants and leaves, and bathing and checking your body for ticks after an outdoor excursion.

And if you do come down with a fever that isn’t easily explained or diagnosed, make sure you tell your physician about any travel or recent outdoor experiences, says Pritt.

“The overarching theme is the more we look at ticks, the more we find,” says Wendy Adams, research grant director, Bay Area Lyme Foundation, who was not involved in the study. “We find parasites, viruses, bacteria. We just found worms in ticks in New York.”

It means that when humans are bitten by ticks, there are many diseases and infections they can contract — even a disease carried by a parasite within a tick.

Susan Brink is a freelance writer who covers health and medicine. She is the author of The Fourth Trimester: Understanding, Protecting, and Nurturing an Infant through the First Three Months, and co-author of A Change of Heart.

CorrectionJune 1, 2019

A previous version of this story incorrectly referred to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the Centers for Disease Control and Infection.

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**Comment**

OK, another virus discovered in ticks…..and in none other than the Asian Longhorned tick that’s galavanting it’s way across the U.S.:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/05/30/invasive-longhorned-tick-found-in-east-tennessee/  According to this recent article, it’s in 11 states so far and shows no signs of slowing down.

To date this tick which causes significant havoc in Asia, has not transmitted any diseases in the U.S. yet, but the concern is palpable due to its ability to clone itself and replicate quickly.  It also lines up on a stalk of grass like a cluster bomb waiting to be touched by something to detonate.  When you study this tick for 5 min. it becomes clear why this particular tick infestation can drain cattle of their blood.  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/09/12/three-surprising-things-i-learned-about-asian-longhorned-ticks-the-tick-guy-tom-mather/

three_surprising_4.png

Notice the article states that ticks are full of all manner of things: bacteria, viruses, parasites, and yes, even worms – which is not a new thing, BTW.  Willy Burgdorfer found worms in ticks decades ago. Here we see filarial nematodes (worms) in N.Y. ticks:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/05/10/study-shows-many-different-pathogens-in-deer-ticks-from-ny-ct/

Worms have been found to harbor spirochetes. This is a big deal because it will take anthelmintics to kill the worms to be able to get to the spirochetes (Lyme). Some patients only get better after anti-worm treatment:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/10/03/removing-parasites-to-fix-lyme-chronic-illnesses-dr-jay-davidson/  If you’ve reached a plateau, discuss this with your practitioner as a consideration.

According to microbiologist Tom Grier, great care needs to be taken with anti-wormers because the die off can create severe, perhaps deadly herxes:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/08/09/dr-paul-duray-research-fellowship-foundation-some-great-research-being-done-on-lyme-disease/

With the high rates of dementia, Alzheimer’s, ALS, etc., we should be considering tick borne illness with these patients as we’ve learned that many can regain their mental faculties with appropriate treatment:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/04/09/the-diagnosis-is-alzheimers-but-thats-probably-not-the-only-problem/  See comment section.

Category:

Activism, Lyme, mosquitoes, Parasites, research, Testing, Ticks, Treatment, Viruses

Dogs Help Spread a Dangerous Tick-Borne Disease (RMSF)

https://www.futurity.org/rocky-mountain-spotted-fever-mexicali-2074692-2/

DOGS HELP SPREAD A DANGEROUS TICK-BORNE DISEASE

May 30, 2019
By Amy Quinton-UC Davis
(Credit: Erik B/Flickr)

New research examines risk factors for Rocky Mountain spotted fever, one of the deadliest tick-borne diseases in the Americas, in Mexicali, Mexico.

In Mexicali, an uncontrolled epidemic of Rocky Mountain spotted fever has affected more than 1,000 people since 2008.

Researchers examined dogs, ticks, and surveyed households in 200 neighborhoods. Half of the neighborhoods in the study had diagnosed human cases of the disease. The team discovered that even though citywide only one in 1,000 ticks were infected, there were neighborhoods at very high risk where almost one in 10 ticks were infected.

“If you live in one of these high-risk neighborhoods and you get five brown dog tick bites, that means you have a pretty good chance of being exposed to Rocky Mountain spotted fever,” says lead author Janet Foley, with the department of medicine and epidemiology at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine.

The brown dog tick, which feeds on dogs and people, spreads Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The insect thrives in hot, arid climates. Previous studies have shown that poverty, numerous stray dogs, and brown dog ticks increased the risk of getting Rocky Mountain spotted fever. In Mexicali, risks were higher along the edges of poorer neighborhoods or outside of the city in rural areas.

Half of the 284 dogs the researchers examined were infested with ticks. Some dogs carried thousands of ticks.

“Almost three-quarters of the dogs we tested had been infected with the agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever at some point in their life,” says Foley. “That’s astronomical.”

People with Rocky Mountain spotted fever typically develop symptoms one to two weeks after an infected tick bites them. They can develop fever, nausea, headache, and muscle pain. As the bacteria infect blood vessel linings, blood begins to pool under the skin, resulting in a rash that can look like red splotches or spots. The longer people wait before seeing a doctor and starting treatment with antibiotics, the greater the chance of death.

The study, which appears in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, also gauged people’s knowledge about Rocky Mountain spotted fever. It found 80 percent of residents had heard of the disease, but fewer than half used pesticides to prevent bites.

Foley says a Rocky Mountain spotted fever epidemic on the scale of that in Mexicali is not as likely in the United States as long as dog ticks are well managed. But as temperatures warm with climate change, there are concerns that the particular human-feeding brown dog tick strain will continue to move north, resulting in more human cases. Some studies have suggested the hotter it gets, the more active and aggressive the ticks become.

The binational research team included academic researchers, health workers, epidemiologists, veterinarians, agency officials, medical doctors and students, who aided in the need to communicate in Spanish and English, address canine and human disease, understand fundamental epidemiological patterns, and protect public health. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, and the Autonomous University of Baja California funded the work.

Source: UC Davis

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**Comment**

Ticks are marvelous ecoadaptors and can survive anything. Climate change has been disproven regarding tick proliferation and the spread of Lyme/MSIDS:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/11/07/ticks-on-the-move-due-to-migrating-birds-and-photoperiod-not-climate-change/

“For blacklegged ticks, climate change is an apocryphal issue.” – John Scott M.Sc. Research Scientist
“The comments that an increase in tick numbers is ‘spurred on by climate change’ is strictly bias; this point is clearly unfounded.” John Scott

Why are we STILL talking about climate change?

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD THAT CLIMATE DATA WILL NOT HELP PATIENTS ONE IOTA.

For an excellent interview with John Scott:   https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/08/14/canadian-tick-expert-climate-change-is-not-behind-lyme-disease/ (He also explains the bogus Lyme vaccine as well)

 

Category:

Activism, research, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Testing, Ticks