Archive for the ‘Ticks’ Category

Can A Tick Be Tested For Lyme Disease? And How I Overcame My Fear of Ticks

https://danielcameronmd.com/cant-count-testing-engorged-ticks/

CAN A TICK BE TESTED FOR LYME DISEASE?

Researchers examined the prevalence of ticks in the Quebec region, along with the frequency of engorged ticks carrying Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), the causative agent of Lyme disease. Their findings suggest that tick testing may not always be an effective tool in determining the risk of infection.

By 
Ticks can be tested for the Lyme disease bacteria and other tick-borne pathogens. But the accuracy of test results may depend on a ticks lifecycle stage.

A study by Gasmi et al. found that results may not be accurate when testing ticks which are engorged. [1] The authors examined 4,596 I. scapularis (blacklegged) ticks removed from individuals living in Quebec.

They found that 24.9% of the non-engorged blacklegged ticks were infected with Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), the causative agent of Lyme disease.

Engorged ticks were expected to have an even higher rate of infection with the Lyme disease bacteria. But the prevalence was much lower with only 8.9% of engorged ticks testing positive for the Lyme disease agent. These findings are consistent with those from another Canadian study. [2]

Engorged ticks were expected to have an even higher rate of infection with the Lyme disease bacteria. But the prevalence was much lower.

It is still unclear why testing of engorged ticks is not accurately revealing the higher prevalence of Bb infection. The authors suggest that it could be due to the presence of inhibitors in the blood meal [3] or problems with the collection and transportation of engorged ticks.

Perhaps these findings were “due to simpler reasons such as the greater likelihood that un-engorged ticks remained alive up to DNA extraction, while engorged ticks may well have died days or weeks before testing,” noted Gasmi.

In other words, a tick can be tested for Lyme disease but it isn’t always a reliable tool in determining your risk of infection. If an engorged tick is removed and tested, it is likely to be negative for the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria.

References:
  1. Gasmi S, Ogden NH, Leighton PA, Lindsay LR, Thivierge K. Analysis of the human population bitten by Ixodes scapularis ticks in Quebec, Canada: Increasing risk of Lyme disease. Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 2016.
  2. Dibernardo A, Cote T, Ogden NH, Lindsay LR. The prevalence of Borrelia miyamotoi infection, and co-infections with other Borrelia spp. in Ixodes scapularis ticks collected in Canada. Parasit Vectors. 2014;7:183.
  3. Wilson IG. Inhibition and facilitation of nucleic acid amplification. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1997;63(10):3741-3751.

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**Comment**

Great reminder that yet again, testing is an imperfect tool for all things Lyme/MSIDS related. This inability to positively identify the presence of infections has plagued doctors and patients alike, but must be accepted and contended with, which is why experienced doctors understand the importance of diagnosing patients clinically based upon symptoms.

Further, I often remind frustrated patients that even IF their test or tick test were to come back positive, it’s highly unlikely they will be treated appropriately as there is often coinfection involvement which requires different medications as well as the fact 28 days or less of the doxycycline monotherapy has failed repeatedly – yet is still used despite evidence to the contrary.  

If you suspect you are infected, get to a Lyme literate doctor asap.  It will save you money, time, and heartache in the end.

For more:

https://rawlsmd.com/health-articles/overcome-your-fear-of-ticks-and-get-outside?

by Dr. Bill Rawls
Updated 6/25/21

Considering that my life was totally disrupted by chronic Lyme disease for more than ten years, you might find it alarming to learn that I walk in the woods with bare legs. And although this might sound risky, I haven’t had any tick bites since my recovery. I’ve had ticks on me, but I haven’t been bitten.

Like many people who contract Lyme, my aversion to ticks kept me removed from nature. So what finally changed my fear?

I became tick aware — doubling down on prevention and keeping tabs on where I go, how I go, when I go, and what I do before and after I go to minimize risk factors. And in the end, my love of the outdoors prevailed. Being in nature is where I’ve always gained strength, and I had to find my way back to heal fully.

Finding My Way Back Nature

My first foray back into nature began at the beach at a state park near my home. Long walks were perfect for generating endorphins, and the sea air did me good. However, as my strength improved, I needed more of a challenge, so I began venturing onto the trails that wove through the tall grasses of the sand dunes and maritime forests of the park.  (See link for article)

Category:

Lyme, research, Testing, Ticks

5 Reasons Why You Should Care About Lyme Disease

https://www.globallymealliance.org/blog/5-reasons-you-should-care-about-lyme-disease

5 Reasons Why You Should Care About Lyme Disease

by Jennifer Crystal on May 4, 2021

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“The fact is, everyone should care about Lyme disease. Here are five reasons why.”

May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month. Some people may think, “Oh, I already know about Lyme disease. You only have it if you see a bull’s eye rash.” Or, “I don’t need to worry about Lyme disease, because I don’t live in New England.” These are myths about Lyme disease that are all too commonly heard. The fact is, everyone should care about Lyme disease.

Here are five reasons why:

  1. If you spend time outdoors, you are at risk.

Lyme disease used to be known for its prevalence in New England, as well as the fact that it is carried by deer. Both of those things are still true, but what people don’t always realize is that infected blacklegged ticks that carry Lyme disease are found across the country and world. Some ticks carry other diseases that are endemic to certain areas of the country, such as Heartland virus and Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI). Moreover, in addition to deer, ticks also feed on other mammalian hosts such as mice, chipmunks, and birds. They don’t just live in the woods, either. They like to hide in tall grasses, leaf piles and on brush. Anyone who spends time outdoors is at risk for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, and should take important precautions.

  1. Your children and pets are at high-risk for Lyme disease.

Do you have kids who like to play outside? Do you have pets who run through the woods? They are both at high-risk for contracting Lyme disease—and, your pets can bring ticks into your home, which can then infect you and your family. Children ages 3-14 are at the highest risk for Lyme disease, since they love to roll in the grass, explore in the woods, etc. Complications for both children and pets can be severe if Lyme is not detected and treated immediately. Like adults, children can develop cognitive issues, mood changes, sleep disturbances, and prolonged fatigue that can significantly impact their ability to focus in, or even attend, school. Here are specific prevention measures you can take for your kids and for your pets.

  1. If not treated early, Lyme disease can become seriously debilitating.

Most cases of Lyme disease that are treated immediately can be cleared up with a course of antibiotics, but some 10-20% of patients go on to experience persistent symptoms. And that’s for patients who are lucky enough to see a bull’s eye rash or whose doctor quickly recognizes their clinical symptoms. About 50% of people never see a bull’s eye rash, or any rash at all. Others present nebulous symptoms such as fatigue, or take months to develop other symptoms such as joint and muscle aches, fevers, and neurological impairments, which are often misdiagnosed; Lyme is considered “The Great Imitator” because its symptoms can mirror those of other conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

  1. Diagnosis and treatment can be complicated.

Lyme disease testing is notoriously faulty, since it only can detect antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi (the pathogen that causes Lyme disease), not the bacteria itself. Many patients either get misdiagnosed, as described above, or not diagnosed at all. Their Lyme disease then progresses to later, more complex and systemic stages. It then becomes more difficult to treat. Treatment can also be complicated by co-infections that require different treatment—some doctors don’t know to test for co-infections in addition to Lyme disease—as well as an individual’s immune response. Each person’s case of tick-borne illness is different, and requires an individually tailored protocol.

  1. Ticks DON’T ONLY carry Lyme disease.

As mentioned above, ticks can carry other illnesses, commonly referred to as co-infections. Some of these include babesiosis, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, and possible bartonella. Some require different treatment than Lyme disease (for example, babesiosis is a parasite that is treated with anti-malarial medication). They also can be more difficult to get rid of, even when caught early. If you have Lyme disease and have not been tested for co-infections, you may only be fighting half the battle.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 476,000 people are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease every year. That’s more than breast cancer and HIV combined. Lyme and other tick-borne diseases are a serious health threat. The more people are aware of Lyme, the greater chance they’ll have of taking good preventative measures and/or getting accurately and efficiently diagnosed.

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**

Here’s some more reasons why you should care:   https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/09/25/why-should-we-care-about-lyme-disease-a-colorful-tale-of-government-conflicts-of-interest-probable-bioweaponization-and-pathogen-complexity/  The information within this article is imperative to understand why patients are not believed, diagnosed, or treated within mainstream medicine unless they are lucky enough to have a bull’s eye rash and a tick dangling off their arm.  (Even then, people are sent home packing and told to “wait and see.”)

Category:

Lyme, Ticks, Treatment

Harvard Student, Queen’s Prof, Collaborating to Rapidly Identify Lyme-Infected Ticks

https://www.coastreporter.net/national-news/harvard-student-queens-prof-collaborating-to-rapidly-identify-lyme-infected-ticks-

Harvard student, Queen’s prof, collaborating to rapidly identify Lyme-infected ticks

OTTAWA — Harvard University microbiology student Indumathi Prakash was just seven years old when a tick bite near her home in Massachusetts gave her Lyme disease and left her to spend most of her childhood battling rheumatoid arthritis.
2021071616070-60f1e62aa5ca5b9124ece6c1jpeg

OTTAWA — Harvard University microbiology student Indumathi Prakash was just seven years old when a tick bite near her home in Massachusetts gave her Lyme disease and left her to spend most of her childhood battling rheumatoid arthritis.

Now Prakash, 21, is working with a Queen’s University professor, although virtually, on a rapid test that will diagnose the bacterium that causes Lyme disease in ticks in just a few hours.

If successful, the test will open the door to better and faster treatment for the rapidly expanding disease.

“I really wanted to do something to prevent the same thing from happening to someone else so that’s kind of why I got interested in tick-borne disease in general,” said Prakash, in a phone interview from Cambridge, Mass.

Lyme disease has been around in Canada since the 1980s. Warmer winters over the last decade have allowed ticks, and the pathogens they often carry, to flourish in ways they never did before. (See link for article)

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**Comment**

Interesting that this author doesn’t utilize her own countryman’s independent research showing ticks are impervious to the climate and hide under leaf litter, snow, mulch, etc. when conditions are harsh – but doing so would be defying the accepted narrative that “climate change” is behind tick and disease proliferation, and all the woes on planet earth today, despite climatologists who state otherwise, and we certainly can’t have that.

Important quote: 

Since Lyme disease can often be prevented if antibiotics are started within 24 hours of the bite, doctors routinely give people with tick bites antibiotics before it’s clear the bacteria is present.

No, I’m afraid doctors don’t routinely give people with tick bites antibiotics.  I wish they did – and they certainly should.  Doctors continue to take a “wait and see” approach, which is dooming patients to sometimes a life-time of suffering. In my opinion, it appears doctors would rather diagnose patients with anything but Lyme/MSIDS.

The article points out that ticks can be tested by results often take days to obtain results.  This is another problem with testing – not only for ticks but for humans.

Evidently the new test will also detect other coinfections that often come with Lyme disease.

Category:

Lyme, research, Ticks

Know Your Ticks

https://www.globallymealliance.org/tick-table/

Know your ticks

Easy to read table shows the most common ticks found in the U.S. that transmit pathogens to humans.
Note: only a partial list. To learn more about tick-bite prevention and how to be Tick AWARE, click here

Click here to download the Tick Table

Tick Table

For more:

Remember, in Wisconsin, ticks are found in every county in the state. Researchers are also finding them in bright, open, mowed lawns.

Category:

Alpha Gal Meat Allergy, Anaplasmosis, Bartonella, Borrelia Miyamotoi (Relapsing Fever Group), Ehrlichiosis, Lyme, Mycoplasma, Parasite Treatment, Rickettsia, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Tickborne Relapsing Fever, Ticks, Transmission, Tularemia, Viruses

Lawmakers Push for Lyme Disease Research as Tick Population Climbs

https://www.rollcall.com/2021/07/14/lawmakers-push-for-lyme-disease-research-as-tick-population-climbs/

Lawmakers push for Lyme disease research as tick population climbs

Changing climate conditions help drive up number of cases, as infecting insects thrive in warm, humid environments
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne illness in the United States, appearing in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. (Edwin Remsberg/VWPics via Getty Images file photo)
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne illness in the United States, appearing in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. (Edwin Remsberg/VWPics via Getty Images file photo)
By Ariel Cohen

Posted July 14, 2021 

Tick-borne disease is on the rise across the nation, and lawmakers are pushing to invest more this year in diagnostics and research to help the hundreds of thousands of Americans diagnosed with Lyme disease each year.

Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne illness in the United States, appearing in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Roughly 476,000 Americans are diagnosed with Lyme every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The number of actual infections is likely higher, experts say, as many infected people do not receive a test and Lyme disease tests are often inaccurate.

Although under diagnosed, Lyme costs the U.S. health care system more than $1.3 billion in direct U.S. medical costs, according to estimates, and tens of billions more in indirect medical costs.

“People know somebody who has Lyme, or they have constituents that have come to talk about it, and they all have the same story: It’s very difficult to diagnose and very difficult to treat,” Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a Congressional Lyme Caucus member, said in describing a recent groundswell of Capitol Hill interest.

(See link for article)

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**Comment**

The problem with this article is many of the premises are inaccurate yet continually touted as established facts.

  1. Ticks are marvelously ecoadaptive.  They are impervious to weather.  If they are stressed they will hide under leaf-litter, snow, mulch, plants, etc.  When conditions are better, out they come. Independent research has proven this but has been ignored because the ‘climate change’ agenda is powerful and backed by a lot of money and powerful people/institutions who profit from it.
  2. Ticks are not the only creatures to be concerned about, and the only source of transmission, yet again the sole focus upon ticks continues to this day.
  3. The fact there isn’t accepted treatment should indicate there is a sordid back-story that isn’t being told by our corrupt public health ‘authorities.’ Similarly to COVID, there are effective treatments (although admittedly individually determined) that continue to be ignored, censored, and denied.  This has gone on for over 40 years and continues to this day.
  4. The fact testing isn’t reliable also indicates a fundamental flaw in this story.  Due to the false stance taken on this complex illness, and the fact the only accepted research is done by a conflict-riddled Cabal, we remain and will continue to remain in the Dark Ages with Lyme/MSIDS.
  5. The federal government is always whining about needing more money, despite the fact the CDC’s operating budget has averaged about $7.2 billion per year since 2016. It’s budget was $10 billion in 2008 before Congressional investigations found that the agency wastes millions and spends lavishly.  For example, It spent:
    • $106 million on a visitor center
    • $5.1 million on audio-video integrations
    • $18 million on a video production studio
    • $1.7 million to “fact-check”television shows like “ER,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “House”
    • The CDC spent its AIDS and HIV Prevention fund in 2007 on erotic writing, a drag queen contest, and a San Francisco workshop called “how to flirt with greater finesse.”
    • The CDC is NOT a neutral government agency, and has its own private slush fund called the CDC Foundation. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has given $2.3 million so far to the CDC in 2021. You can see all Gates to CDC contributions here, and only the United States government gives more to the World Health Organization than the Gates Foundation.
    • The CDC Foundation’s other donors come from pharmaceutical companies and big tech firms such as Bayer, Facebook, GlaxoSmithKline and Merck. They sell drugs and don’t care about public health. These relationships are incestuous – for example, former CDC chief Julie Gerberding left her position at the CDC to become President of Merck’s vaccine division.
  6. Regarding the increasing tick population, it is highly probable our own government is partially if not wholly to blame. (This is another reason they push the climate agenda. It’s a slight of hand to stop us from asking relevant questions.)
  7. The reference to COVID must be addressed. The only reason it is considered a ‘pandemic’ is due to the WHO changing the definition 1 month before the Swine Flu ‘pandemic’ that wasn’t, and taking away the criteria that it is highly deadly – because COVID is not highly deadly, with the vast majority being asymptomatic or mild cases.
  8. The push for more federal funding to go to the exact people who have done nothing for Lyme/MSIDS patients for over 40 years is illogical.  I completely disagree that the “lack of funding contributes to major knowledge gaps surrounding the disease.”  What is causing major knowledge gaps is scientific bias and conflicts of interests.  Until those are dealt with, we will get no where.
  9. It is well established that early detection is imperative; however, doctors due to the IDSA guidelines continue to take a “wait and see” approach, delaying life-saving treatment.  These same people refuse to treat people with obvious Lyme rashes and make up all kinds of excuses.  And, of course, many never see or get the rash at all.
  10. While I surely do not have all the answers, one thing I do know: giving our corrupt public health ‘authorities’ more money to continue doing biased research is NOT the answer.  They’ve been using sick patients to raise monies for their own nefarious ends for far, far too long.  Insanity is doing something over and over and expecting different results. Time to take our precious pennies and put them toward independent research.

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Ticks