Archive for the ‘Ticks’ Category

Interview About Lyme Disease on TNT Radio

I was recently interviewed on May 31, 2022 by Michael Parker on Deprogram, a TNT Radio news talk show. The topic was Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.

It was about a 40 minute interview and only covered the basics of testing, the polarization in the medical community, and the plight of patients.

Interview here (Scroll to 4:45 to bypass other news):

For more:

Category:

Activism, Babesia, Bartonella, Lyme, Testing, Ticks, Treatment

Tick Bites & Coinfections

https://www.globallymealliance.org/blog/dear-lyme-warrior-help-tick-bites-and-co-infections

Dear Lyme Warrior…Help! Tick Bites and Co-Infections

by Jennifer Crystal on May 27, 2022

<span id="hs_cos_wrapper_name" class="hs_cos_wrapper hs_cos_wrapper_meta_field hs_cos_wrapper_type_text" style="" data-hs-cos-general-type="meta_field" data-hs-cos-type="text" >Dear Lyme Warrior…Help! Tick Bites and Co-Infections</span>
Every few months, Jennifer Crystal devotes a column to answering your questions. Do you have a question for Jennifer? If so, email her at lymewarriorjennifercrystal@gmail.com.
Now that tick season is upon us, friends ask me what to do when they find an embedded tick. What should I tell them?

While this question seems like it should have a simple answer, people probably get conflicting information from the internet and even from physicians about what they should do if they find a tick. This is because there is debate about how long a tick needs to be attached to a human or pet in order to transmit the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. The old standard of 36-48 hours doesn’t necessarily apply anymore, now that we know that ticks can transmit bacteria faster if they were already partially fed before biting you, and that some tick-borne diseases can be transmitted much faster than Lyme disease—Powassan virus in as little as 15 minutes.

There are two general rules of thumb that I always tell people: the first is that the longer a tick is attached, the greater chance it has of transmitting pathogens. And unless you see the tick bite you, you can’t really know how long it’s been attached. If you notice it after a long day of hiking, you don’t know if it bit you early in the morning, or just as you were leaving. What if you don’t notice it until the next day, after you’ve done some gardening and walked through the grass? If a tick is engorged, you know it has been feeding, but it can be hard to pinpoint exactly where and when it became attached to you, which makes the certain-number-of-hours recommendation moot.

This leads to my second rule of thumb: with Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, it is always better to be safe than sorry. I tell people that if they find a tick, they should call their doctor and get right on antibiotics. Even if those antibiotics end up being prophylactic, it is safer than the alternative—finding out weeks, months or years later that they’re sick with Lyme and possibly with co-infections, too—and then needing far more extensive treatment than the initial antibiotic course. Waiting for test results (often faulty, especially early in infection), waiting for a rash (which doesn’t appear in up to 30% of people with Lyme), or waiting for other symptoms (different for everyone), is a dangerous approach to Lyme disease. (For more information, see my blog post “The Danger of ‘Waiting and Seeing’ with Lyme Disease”).

The next question is, how long a course of prophylactic antibiotics should you take? The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) recommendation of a single dose of prophylactic doxycycline is based on one study that showed good efficacy in preventing Lyme rash, but as we’ve established, not everyone with Lyme disease gets a rash. The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) recommends a 10-20 day course of antibiotics. For me personally, I’d rather have the coverage of a full treatment course that is used for actual Lyme infection, rather than take my chances that a single dose will keep me safe. Each person needs to make their own decision with their doctor, but it’s important that decision be an informed one!

Do other tick-borne diseases have the same treatment as Lyme disease?

This is a great follow-up question to the first, because some people might think, “Well, if I’m taking antibiotics for Lyme disease, then I’ve got other tick-borne diseases covered.” That’s true for some co-infections, but not for all, so this, too, is dangerous thinking. Some co-infections like anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis are treated with the same antibiotic as Lyme disease, but the length of treatment might be different. Other tick-borne diseases like babesiosis, which is a parasite that infects the red blood cells, require completely different treatment. And still another co-infection, bartonellosis, needs more urgent research for better treatments (learn more about GLA’s Bartonella Discovery Program here). I always tell people, “If you’re being treated for Lyme disease and don’t know you have babesiosis, you’re only fighting half the battle.” If you find a tick attached to you, it’s imperative that you talk to your doctor about other tick-borne diseases, not just Lyme, and know the signs of them (see “Common Tick-Borne Diseases”).

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The Bartonella Discovery Program:

GLA is currently fundraising for The Bartonella Discovery Program, a research project bringing together some of the top researchers world-wide who are experts on Bartonellosis. These researchers will learn more about the bacteria and which treatments are most likely to cure patients like Beth, who are suffering from Bartonellosis.

None of the work GLA has accomplished would be possible without your support. To learn more and fund this project, click on top link.

Writer

Jennifer Crystal

Opinions expressed by contributors are their own. Jennifer Crystal is a writer and educator in Boston. Her work has appeared in local and national publications including Harvard Health Publishing and The Boston Globe. As a GLA columnist for over six years, her work on GLA.org has received mention in publications such as The New Yorker, weatherchannel.com, CQ Researcher, and ProHealth.com. Jennifer is a patient advocate who has dealt with chronic illness, including Lyme and other tick-borne infections. Her memoir about her medical journey is forthcoming. Contact her via email below.

Email: lymewarriorjennifercrystal@gmail.com

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**COMMENT**

Before you take the 10-20 days of doxy too literally, please read this excerpt from the ILADS website:

Treatment Guidelines

  • The optimal treatment regimen for the management of known tick bites, EM rashes and persistent disease has not yet been determined. Accordingly, it is too early to standardize restrictive protocols. However, ILADS does make recommendations for each of these clinical situations

    • ILADS recommends against the use of a single 200 mg dose of doxycycline for the prevention of Lyme disease. Not only is it unlikely to be highly efficacious, in the human trial failed therapy led to a seronegative disease state.

    • Based on animal studies, ILADS recommends that known blacklegged tick bites be treated with 20 days of doxycycline (barring any contraindications).

    • Given the low success rates in trials treating EM rashes for 20 or fewer days, ILADS recommends that patients receive 4-6 weeks of doxycycline, amoxicillin or cefuroxime. A minimum of 21 days of azithromycin is also acceptable, especially in Europe. All patients should be reassessed at the end of their initial therapy and, when necessary, antibiotic therapy should be extended.

    • ILADS recommends that patients with persistent symptoms and signs of Lyme disease be evaluated for other potential causes before instituting additional antibiotic therapy.

    • ILADS recommends antibiotic retreatment when a chronic Lyme infection is judged to be a possible cause of the ongoing manifestations and the patient has an impaired quality of life.

So, there’s a lot of clinical judgement needed here and nothing is straight forward.  Each patient is unique and needs to be treated accordingly.  And please remember, none of this covers coinfections, which often require completely different medications for differing lengths of time and are just as severe if not worse than Lyme disease.

For more on treatments:

Category:

Lyme, Testing, Ticks, Transmission, Treatment

Tick-borne Diseases Pose ‘Public Health Crisis’ in PA, Experts Say

https://www.wpxi.com/news/pennsylvania/tick-borne-diseases-pose-public-health-crisis-pa-experts-say

Tick-borne diseases pose ‘public health crisis’ in PA, experts say

By Liz Kilmer, WPXI-TV

PITTSBURGH — Pennsylvania continues to be a top state for Lyme disease, the most common tick-borne infection, and experts are urging awareness and caution.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health estimates that the state could have as many as 100,000 cases of Lyme disease each year.

“Pennsylvania is ground zero for ticks and tick-borne illnesses,” said Nicole Chinnici, the Director of the Tick Research Lab of Pennsylvania at East Stroudsburg University. “It has a lot to do with our geographical landscape and our protected land and having a decent amount of forest coverage. So with that… we have a huge public health crisis in our state, and it needs to be addressed.”

The lab tests ticks for free, determining the type of tick and potential infection. Last year, about 30,000 came from Pennsylvania residents, she said. Data show about a third of all ticks test for some type of illness.

And, more than half of people who submit ticks report having been bitten while in their own backyards.  (See link for article)

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SUMMARY:

  • Chinnici states your own backyard is the greatest risk because you don’t consider it a risk.
  • Dr. Shannon Smith, DC and LLMD states some that are infected never see a tick or a rash.
  • Smith states some of his patients have been misdiagnosed for years.
  • One such patient initially had fatigue but then developed iron deficiency and Celiac’s disease. Treatment has already begun to help by improving her memory and emotions as Lyme can cause depression.
  • Many misdiagnosed patients fall through the cracks due to a negative test.
  • Joint pain or facial drooping are classic symptoms but other symptoms include brain fog, speech difficulties, or fibromyalgia symptoms.
  • Smith recommends testing for other infections as well as they can cause other symptoms like GI issues.
  • Pets can bring ticks into the home.
  • Smith recommends taking a lint roller and roll it all over your body as ticks don’t quickly embed.
  • Wear tick repellent and bright/light colors
  • It is recommended to wear tick repellent and bright colors that make it easier to spot a tick. If you find a tick that’s attached, you want to use a fine-point tweezer, grabbing at the base of the mouth. More tips can be found on the lab’s blog: https://www.ticklab.org/blog/

For more:

Category:

Lyme, Prevention, Ticks

Cat Ownership and Rural Residence Are Associated With Lyme Disease Prevalence in the Northeastern United States

https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/9/5618/htm

Cat Ownership and Rural Residence Are Associated with Lyme Disease Prevalence in the Northeastern United States

by Amanda Roome1,2,*, Katherine Wander2 and Ralph M. Garruto2
1Bassett Research Institute, Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital, Cooperstown, NY 13326, USA
2Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (State University of New York), Binghamton, NY 13902, USA
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editor: Paul B. Tchounwou
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(9), 5618; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095618
Received: 14 March 2022 / Revised: 22 April 2022 / Accepted: 27 April 2022 / Published: 5 May 2022
(This article belongs to the Section Infectious Disease Epidemiology)
Abstract

Lyme disease (LD) is the most common vector-borne disease in the USA. Beyond its tick-borne nature, however, risk factors for LD are poorly understood. We used an online questionnaire to compare LD patients and non-LD counterparts and elucidate factors associated with LD. We investigated demographic, lifestyle, and household characteristics and use of prevention measures. Associations with LD were modeled using logistic regression, and average marginal effects were estimated. In total, 185 active or past LD patients and 139 non-patients participated. The majority of respondents were white (95%) and female (65%). Controlling for age, sex, and type of residential area, pet ownership was associated with an 11.1% (p = 0.038) increase in the probability of LD. This effect was limited to cat owners (OR: 2.143, p = 0.007; dog owners, OR: 1.398, p = 0.221). Living in rural areas was associated with a 36% (p = 0.001) increase in the probability of LD compared to living in an urban area. Participants who reported knowing someone with Lyme Disease were more likely to wear insect repellant and perform tick checks. This study suggests opportunities for improved LD prevention, including advising cat owners of their increased risk. Although patterns in adoption of LD prevention methods remain poorly understood, concern about LD risk does motivate their use.
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For more:

Category:

Activism, Prevention, research, Ticks

Toronto Woman Shares Encounter With Dozens of Ticks in Her Suburban Backyard

https://globalnews.ca/news/8849091/toronto-dozens-of-ticks-suburban-backyard/  News Video Here

Toronto woman shares encounter with dozens of ticks in her suburban backyard

By Kayla McLean Global News
Posted May 19, 2022
A relaxing afternoon reclining in her backyard with her dogs should have been just that — relaxing. Little did Michelle Snider know, however, they were also entertaining some unwanted, blood-sucking company: ticks she says — coming from her own backyard, in the suburban Long Branch area in west Toronto.

“I was literally picking six, seven of them off my dogs in a day,” said Snider. “And then they came into the house, and then I’m finding them on me, I had three on my back, one on my shoulder, one on my hip when I woke up.”

Snider took to Facebook to warn others of the ticks, posting video of the ones that latched onto her and her dog. She says she’s never seen them as bad as they have been this year. (See link for article)

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SUMMARY:

  • Rising tick numbers coincides with rising Lyme/MSIDS cases (remember Lyme is just the tip of the spear and ticks transmit 90+ infections and can reactivate latent infections).
  • 68-80% of ticks in specific Canadian locations carry Lyme while it’s lower in other areas.
  • Toronto Public Health states infection risk is low in Toronto, but then goes on to state the city has just begun tick surveillance for this year. I call this doublespeak. Ticks are everywhere – take measures!
  • The “expert” predictably blames the climate when ticks are impervious to weather and are ecoadaptive.
  • Snider has breakdown moments when she wants to move into a hotel to avoid the ticks.

While Wisconsin in 6th (per data from 1990-2019) in the nation for Lyme and a hot spot for Powassan and a virtual tick hotel, I do believe it’s far worse on the Eastern seashore. This 21st century plague does not get the attention and respect it deserves and people are in harms way in their own backyard, at the park, beach, deck, cave, rocks, on and underneath picnic tables and benches, and even in the cracks in the sidewalk.  Yep, it’s bad.

For more:

 

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Ticks