Archive for the ‘Testing’ Category

Tick-borne Diseases & Coinfection: Current Considerations

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1877959X20304775

Tick-borne diseases and co-infection: Current considerations

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101607Get rights and content

Abstract

Over recent years, a multitude of pathogens have been reported to be tick-borne. Given this, it is unsurprising that these might co-exist within the same tick, however our understanding of the interactions of these agents both within the tick and vertebrate host remains poorly defined. Despite the rich diversity of ticks, relatively few regularly feed on humans, 12 belonging to argasid and 20 ixodid species, and literature on co-infection is only available for a few of these species. The interplay of various pathogen combinations upon the vertebrate host and tick vector represents a current knowledge gap. The impact of co-infection in humans further extends into diagnostic challenges arising when multiple pathogens are encountered and we have little current data upon which to make therapeutic recommendations for those with multiple infections. Despite these short-comings, there is now increasing recognition of co-infections and current research efforts are providing valuable insights into dynamics of pathogen interactions whether they facilitate or antagonize each other. Much of this existing data is focussed upon simultaneous infection, however the consequences of sequential infection also need to be addressed. To this end, it is timely to review current understanding and highlight those areas still to address.

__________________

**Comment**

Timely is an understatement.  Long over due is more appropriate.

For more:

Category:

Lyme, research, Testing, Ticks

Bartonella With Dr. Brian Plante, ND

https://www.betterhealthguy.com/episode165

Episode #165: Bartonella with Dr. Brian Plante, ND

Last Updated: May 11 2022

Why You Should Listen

In this episode, you will learn about the vector-borne infection Bartonella.

Watch The Show

Listen To The Show
About My Guest

My guest for this episode is Dr. Brian Plante. Brian Plante, ND is a licensed naturopathic doctor with extensive training in integrative healthcare approaches. He specializes in working with patients suffering from complex immune dysfunction such as Lyme disease, chronic viral infections, environmental toxicity (such as from mold and heavy metals), autoimmune disease, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. Additionally, Dr. Plante helps patients recover from functional gastrointestinal conditions, adrenal and thyroid disorders, and neuropsychiatric disorders. With each patient Dr. Plante meets, he conducts a comprehensive evaluation in order to get a complete picture and then creates individualized treatment plans to address that patient’s specific concerns. Dr. Plante is a graduate of the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, OR, as well as a member of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS). He believes that one integral step in helping patients heal from complex chronic illness is by empowering them with knowledge and understanding. He facilitates this by patiently taking however much time is needed to investigate a patient’s symptoms and concerns thoroughly. Through compassionate listening, thoughtful instruction, and a steadfast commitment to helping patients experience lasting, positive change, Dr. Plante can combat the frustration patients often experience in their struggle to find answers. His goal with every patient with whom he interacts is to provide support and guidance in their journey toward achieving optimal health.

Key Takeaways

  • What symptoms provide clues for the potential of Bartonella?
  • Could Bartonella be an explanation for many neuropsychiatric conditions?
  • Might Bartonella play a role in SIBO?
  • What are the vectors through which Bartonella may be acquired?
  • What labs are useful for exploring the potential presence of Bartonella?
  • How often does mold exposure play a role in Bartonella patients?
  • Can Bartonella be a trigger for MCAS?
  • Can Bartonella be a driver of autoimmunity and immune dysregulation?
  • Might Bartonella play a role in hypermobility syndromes and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome?
  • What role does Bartonella play in Morgellons?
  • What is the foundation for treating Bartonella?
  • What modalities can be helpful for terrain optimization?
  • What role do nutritional IVs play in Bartonella treatment?
  • Are antibiotics necessary in treating Bartonella?
  • What herbs may be helpful for addressing Bartonella?
  • How might oxidative therapies such as ozone, EBOO, and ozone plasmapheresis be used?
  • How often do biofilms need to be addressed?
  • What antimicrobial and immune-modulating peptides have a role?
  • Can Bartonella be fully eradicated?
  • Once a patient has recovered, can treatment be stopped? Or is there a maintenance strategy for longer-term support?

Connect With My Guest

http://BioResetMedical.com

See top link for transcript.

For more:

Category:

Bartonella, Herbs, Psychological Aspects, Testing, Treatment

Gundersen Still Giving Wrong Advice About Tick Bites

Please see my comment after the article.

https://www.gundersenhealth.org/health-wellness/be-well/how-to-remove-an-embedded-tick/

Removing ticks: The right way and the wrong way

Tick season is here! While most tick bites are harmless, some ticks can carry diseases, such as Lyme disease. Knowing what steps to take following a tick bite can reduce your risk of infection.

Remove the embedded tick as soon as possible. The longer a tick is attached, the higher the risk of transmitting tick-borne illnesses.

Follow these steps:

  • Gently pull the tick out with tweezers by grasping its head as close to the skin as possible.
  • If the head remains, try to remove with a sterile needle.
  • Wash the bite site with soap and water. Rubbing alcohol may be used to disinfect the area.
  • Apply an ice pack to reduce pain.

Avoid the following:

  • Do not grab the tick at the rear of the body
  • Do not twist or jerk tick while pulling it out
  • Do not use alternative methods to remove it; such as fingernail polish, alcohol, petroleum products, or a hot match.

Identify the tick. Take note of the size and color of the tick, whether it was attached to the skin (ticks must bite you to spread their germs), if it was engorged (full of blood) and about how long it was attached. A healthcare provider may ask you these questions if you begin to experience symptoms.

Watch for symptoms. If signs of infection, rash or flu-like symptoms occur within 30 days of the tick bite, seek medical attention.

Remember, a tick that is crawling on you but has not attached to your skin cannot infect you. However, if you find one tick, there could be more. Check your body carefully and use these tips to prevent future bites. Prevention is the best medicine.

If you have questions regarding tick bites or bug bites, contact our 24/7 Nurse Advisor Line at (608) 775-4454.

____________________

**Comment**

Taking the “wait and see” approach has doomed thousands to a life-time of misery.  Wisconsin has a high rate of infected ticks, which simply means you have a higher likelihood of becoming infected. Any risk involved with taking a few weeks of antibiotics is well worth it.  This 5 year old article states:

On average, about 22 percent of deer tick nymphs in Wisconsin have been found to be infected with Borrelia burgdorferi. The infection rate for adults is about twice as high, around 40-45 percent. In some locations, though, researchers have found infection rates as high as 75 percent of the tick population.

I assure you, it’s only getting worse.

ILADS recommends at least 20 days of doxycycline for an acute tick-bite. It’s important to remember that this mono therapy will not cover many of the confections so it’s important to track symptoms and keep in close contact with your doctor – preferably an ILADS-trained doctor who understand the nuances of treatment.  And coinfections are just as bad if not worse than Lyme disease.  Some of these infections can be transmitted within minutes and have a high mortality rate, so each and every tick bite needs to be taken as seriously as a heart attack.

This article is much more thorough.  Please file it away for future reference if you get a tick bite.

Also, go here for prevention methods.

Category:

Lyme, Prevention, Testing, Ticks, Transmission

The Bartonella Discovery Program

http://  Approx. 2 Min

The Bartonella Discovery Program

Global Lyme Alliance (GLA) Chief Scientific Officer, Timothy Sellati, PhD

Learn about an exciting research project that Global Lyme Alliance is fundraising for. It will uncover the “stealth” pathogen known as Bartonella that many Americans may carry. This study can help children, parents, and grandparents who suffer from psychiatric & neurological problems, among other physical illnesses. Learn more and donate at GLA.org/bartonella

https://www.globallymealliance.org/videos/dr.-sellati-explains-the-bartonella-discovery-program

Global Lyme Alliance (GLA) has launched a crowdfunding campaign in honor of Lyme Disease Awareness Month in May. GLA will use this campaign to bring attention to another debilitating illness that also affects many people with Lyme disease. The study will look at hidden bacteria known as Bartonella, a vector-borne pathogen that many Americans may carry. Bartonella can cause Bartonellosis, an infectious disease that can affect the brain, eyes, heart, and other organs. Bartonellosis can cause depression, anxiety, OCD, and encephalitis (which can result in seizures and coma). 

Like Lyme disease, Bartonellosis is increasing in prevalence and can also go undiagnosed due to lack of awareness. Current antibiotic therapy for complicated Bartonellosis does not always eradicate the disease, and patients continue to suffer. The Bartonella Discovery Program is a project designed to help achieve the following:

  • To identify how Bartonella species interact with a patient’s immune cells, and how the intracellular, extracellular and biofilm lifestyles of Bartonella influence antibiotic susceptibility
  • To lay the foundation for drug discovery efforts to find antibiotic options that are more effective in killing and clearing these bacteria from patients
  • To use cutting edge tools to look for the bacteria in kids and young adults who suffer from an acute neuropsychological condition called PANS, and in older adults with dementia.

 “The importance of this study cannot be overstated because of the severe neuroinflammation and neuropsychiatric disorders some patients can suffer when infected with Bartonella bacteria,” says GLA’s Chief Scientific Officer Tim Sellati, PhD.

The U.S.-focused study is multinational and multi-site at premier academic institutions using top Bartonella and biofilm experts. Associate Professor Monica Embers, PhD, a microbiologist and immunologist at the Tulane National Primate Research Center who has studied the persistence of tick-borne infectious diseases despite antibiotic therapy, is The Bartonella Discovery Program Director. When asked about the impact this program could have on patients,

Dr. Embers said, “With this project, we aim to use sensitive detection methods to directly find the bacteria in patients who are suffering from clinical disease consistent with Bartonellosis.   This could tremendously impact patients who suffer from chronic disease that has been difficult to diagnose because if we can reliably detect the bacteria, it would offer direct evidence to support the diagnosis.”

Learn more and donate by clicking the link button below.

Admin at Global Lyme Alliance

Global Lyme Alliance

Email: info@globallymealliance.org

For more:

Category:

Activism, Bartonella, Psychological Aspects, research, Testing

Lyme Disease Call to Action

https://www.truthcures.org/post/call-to-action

Call to Action

By Laura Hovind, TRUTHCURES

Are you looking for a way you can help spread Lyme disease awareness this month? Look no further!

TRUTHCURES has made significant progress in proving that Lyme diagnostics have not been valid for 27 years. This has caused immense suffering due to missed diagnoses and denial of care. We met with FDA investigators in person on October 18, 2021. We told them they have a responsibility to protect the public by recalling every Lyme disease test currently on the market by way of FDA clearance.

The FDA has confirmed there is an open investigation but they are withholding all other information. Therefore we have asked our U.S. Senators for assistance. The most likely path forward is a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee. Support among the other members, and especially the Committee Chair (Patty Murray-WA) and Ranking Member (Richard Burr-NC) is critical to obtain a hearing.

If you are a constituent of any of the Senate HELP Committee members, please contact them immediately. See the list here, and click through for their contact information.

Tell them:

  • I am requesting Senator _______’s support for a HELP Committee hearing on faulty Lyme disease diagnostics. The issue has been forwarded to the Committee by Senator Ed Markey’s office, and Senator Roger Marshall’s office can provide details.

  • The FDA last October was given data proving that there is not a single valid FDA-cleared Lyme disease test. There hasn’t been one for 27 years because the diagnostic standard was manipulated by corporate interests and then perpetuated by the FDA’s 510(k) clearance pathway. Refer to our press release and feel free to forward it. Six months after our meeting the FDA is supposedly investigating but has done nothing to rectify the problem, and seem to be withholding information. Meanwhile, we are kicking off another horrendous tick season.

  • If you need guidance, additional information, or our contact info to pass along, please email Laura at truth@truthcures.org. I am happy to speak with your elected representatives and their staffers if they would like firsthand information. We can also connect them with our Senators’ staffers who are working on this issue.

Thank you, and happy May!

___________________

**Comment**

Senator Tammy Baldwin is on this committee representing Wisconsin. 

For more on testing:

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Testing