Archive for the ‘Ticks’ Category

Educators’ Tick & Lyme Disease Resource

https://www.lookingatlyme.ca/resource/

CANLYME INITIATIVE

Educators’ resource

CanLyme is excited to announce the launch of our resource for educators who teach in the outdoor classroom. Whether you are new to outdoor education or a seasoned wilderness guide, this teaching resource provides information through engaging learning experiences. Students can learn how to identify ticks and tick habitats so that they can avoid tick bites and recognize signs and symptoms of Lyme disease.

Virtual focus groups – call for educators

Download the Educator Resource and accompanying slidedeck…we would love to get your feedback! 

We are seeking educators who are willing to pilot and provide feedback through two virtual focus groups. This feedback will be incorporated into the second draft that is scheduled for release in winter 2021. We are offering a stipend to educators who participate in both virtual focus groups. 

Please email canlymeeducation@gmail.com if you are interested able to commit to participating in the two focus groups in January and February. Email us for more details.

Lyme Education Awareness and Prevention (LEAP). Educator’s resource:

https://www.lookingatlyme.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/CanLyme-Educators-Resource-2020.pdf

Downloadable Slide deck Zip File: Leap-Master-Slide-Deck-2020

For more information:  https://canlyme.com

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Ticks

Tick-borne Diseases & Co-infection: Current Considerations

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33220628/

2020 Nov 9;12(1):101607.

doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101607.Online ahead of print.

Tick-borne diseases and co-infection: Current considerations

Sally J Cutler 1, Muriel Vayssier-Taussat 2, Agustín Estrada-Peña 3, Aleksandar Potkonjak 4, Andrei D Mihalca 5, Hervé Zeller 6

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 antagonise 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.

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**Comment**

About time.

For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/10/30/study-shows-lyme-msids-patients-infected-with-many-pathogens-and-explains-why-we-are-so-sick/  Excerpt:  

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.”

But there is another important point.

According to this review, 83% of all commercial tests focus only on Lyme (borrelia), despite the fact we are infected with more than one microbe.  The review also states it takes 11 different visits to 11 different doctors, utilizing 11 different tests to be properly diagnosed.  https://www.news-medical.net/news/20181101/Tick-borne-disease-is-multiple-microbial-in-nature.aspx?

It has also been discovered that many are infected with Borrelia miyamotoi which will also not be picked up with current CDC 2-tiered testing.

They found: 

  • Among positive ticks, 60% were for B. miyamotoi.
  • Testing on over 2,000 humans (mainly late stage/chronic patients) showed 30% negative results and 70% positive, among which over 60% indicated the presence of specific Borrelia miyamotoi phages.

Source:

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/11/30/neglected-infections-gastrointestinal-issues-in-patients-with-late-vector-borne-infections/

Category:

research, Ticks, Transmission

New IDSA Guidelines for Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Lyme Disease

https://www.newswise.com/articles/idsa-aan-and-acr-release-guidelines-for-prevention-diagnosis-and-treatment-of-lyme-disease

IDSA, AAN, and ACR Release Guidelines for Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Lyme Disease

30-Nov-2020 12:05 AM EST, by Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)

Newswise — New evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Lyme disease have been developed by a multidisciplinary panel led by the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the American Academy of Neurology, and the American College of Rheumatology. Representatives from an additional 12 medical specialties and patients also served on the panel.

The guidelines provide practical recommendations for clinicians treating patients with Lyme disease, including, but not limited to, primary care physicians, infectious diseases specialists, emergency physicians, internists, pediatricians, family physicians, neurologists, rheumatologists, cardiologists, and dermatologists.

These recommendations aim to serve as a meaningful resource for the safe, effective, evidence-based care of people with Lyme disease. They address clinical questions related to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Lyme disease; complications from neurologic, cardiac, and rheumatic symptoms; disease expression commonly seen in Eurasia; and complications from coinfection with other tick-borne pathogens.

The guidelines include 43 recommendations related to diagnostic testing, including testing scenarios (such as for certain neurologic, psychologic, behavioral, cardiac, and rheumatologic syndromes); detailed recommendations about Lyme carditis; and a discussion of “chronic Lyme disease.”

Among the diagnostic testing recommendations, the guidelines recommend clinical diagnosis without laboratory testing for people with a skin rash characteristic of early Lyme disease. For people with other signs of Lyme disease, such as swollen joints or meningitis, the guidelines recommend antibody testing.

Among the treatment recommendations, the guidelines recommend oral antibiotic therapy for most patients with Lyme disease. The recommended duration of therapy is 10 to 14 days for early Lyme disease, 14 days for Lyme carditis, 14 to 21 days for neurologic Lyme disease, and 28 days for late Lyme arthritis. Retreatment may be indicated for individuals with arthritis who have failed a first course of treatment.

The recommendations are grounded in a rigorous, systematic review of available evidence surrounding prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the disease. The panel adhered to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach to assess the certainty of the evidence and strength of recommendations. The guidelines are voluntary and it is up to clinicians to determine which treatments are best for individual patient scenarios. 

Each of the three sponsoring organizations elected a co-chair to lead the guideline panel. A fourth co-chair was selected for their expertise in guideline methodology. A total of 36 panelists comprised the full panel, and the panel also included three patient representatives and one health care consumer representative.

About 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported annually, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates there are more than 300,000 cases in the United States each year.

About IDSA

The Infectious Diseases Society of America is a community of over 12,000 physicians, scientists, and public health experts who specialize in infectious diseases. Its purpose is to improve the health of individuals, communities, and society by promoting excellence in patient care, education, research, public health, and prevention relating to infectious diseases. Learn more at https://www.idsociety.org/.

About AAN

The American Academy of Neurology is the world’s largest association of neurologists and neuroscience professionals, with more than 36,000 members. The AAN is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. Learn more at https://www.aan.com/.

About ACR

The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) is an international medical society representing over 7,700 rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals with a mission to empower rheumatology professionals to excel in their specialty. In doing so, the ACR offers education, research, advocacy, and practice management support to help its members continue their innovative work and provide quality patient care. Learn more at https://www.rheumatology.org/

Paper here:

https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciaa1215/6010652

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**Comment**

For those of you new to the world of tick-borne illness, please read:  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/  This article will fill you in on the ugly, sordid back-story of Lyme/MSIDS.  It will educate you on the polarization within the medical community and that your best help will come from Lyme literate doctors trained by ILADS.  They appreciate the complexity of this illness and that it takes numerous anti-microbials for a longer period of time than what the IDSA/CDC state.  

For ILADS 2014 Guidelines:  https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1586/14787210.2014.940900

ILADS Lyme 101 Series:  https://www.ilads.org/research-literature/lyme-101-series-at-iladef/

ILADS Basics for Providers:  https://www.ilads.org/research-literature/lyme-disease-basics-for-providers/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/category/lyme-disease-treatment/  Within this link is a link that leads you to an article in Antibiotics on : “Chronic Lyme Disease: An Evidence-Based Definition by the ILADS Working Group“.  It also includes an article utilizing numerous Lyme literate doctors’ clinical experience with treatment.

 

Category:

Lyme, Prevention, research, Testing, Ticks, Treatment

Study Shows 35% of Atypical Pneumonia in Chile Caused by Q Fever & Rickettsia

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32545152/

Evidence of Q Fever and Rickettsial Disease in Chile

Teresa Tapia 1, John Stenos 2, Roberto Flores 1, Oscar Duery 1, Rodrigo Iglesias 1, Maria Fernanda Olivares 3, Doris Gallegos 3, Cristian Rosas 4, Heidi Wood 5, Johanna Acevedo 3, Pamela Araya 1, Stephen R Graves 2, Juan Carlos Hormazabal 1
Affiliation

Free PMC article

Abstract

Q fever and rickettsial diseases occur throughout the world and appear to be emergent zoonoses in Chile. The diagnosis of these diseases is currently uncommon in Chile, as their clinical presentations are non-specific and appropriate diagnostic laboratory assays are of limited availability. During a recent outbreak of undiagnosed human atypical pneumonia, we serologically investigated a series of 357 cases from three regions of southern Chile. The aim was to identify those caused by Coxiella burnetii and/or Rickettsia spp. Serological analysis was performed by ELISA and an immunofluorescence assay (IFA) for acute and convalescence sera of patients. Our results, including data from two international reference laboratories, demonstrate that

  • 71 (20%) of the cases were Q fever
  • 44 (15%) were a likely rickettsial infection, although the rickettsial species could not be confirmed by serology
This study is the first report of endemic Q fever and rickettsial disease affecting humans in Chile.

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For more on Q Fever:  

For more on Rickettsia:  

Category:

Q Fever, research, Rickettsia, Ticks

Canadian TV Series About Lyme Disease – “Bitten”

https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/w5/promising-treatment-brings-new-hope-for-patients-with-chronic-lyme-disease-  News videos here

Promising treatment brings new hope for patients with chronic Lyme disease

Shelley AyresW5 Producer
Published Friday, November 20, 2020 
W5: Bitten, part one
W5’s Molly Thomas speaks to a Canadian Lyme disease patient who had to struggle for years just to get a diagnosis.
W5: Bitten, part two
There are more ticks in Canada than ever before, but is the country’s health care system prepared to deal with more Lyme disease cases?
Woman’s life is derailed by Lyme disease
Nikki Kent had to go through a battery of tests and years of uncertainty before she was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease.
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**Comment**
Informative Canadian news series on Lyme disease.
The series looks at a number of Canadian Lyme patients that have had trouble obtaining diagnosis and treatment in Canada, necessitating they travel thousands of miles to the United States.
The series points out the:
There is a myth still being perpetrated in the medical community on the effectiveness of 1 or 2 doses of doxycycline:

Daniel J. Cameron, MD MPH, states there has only been one study (Nadelman et al) on the effectiveness of 1 pill of doxycycline and only found a reduction in the number of erythema migraines (EM) rashes compared to the placebo group.  According to him, the IDSA 1 pill of doxy approach started in 2006 despite the fact that three previous prophylactic antibiotic trials for a tick bite had failed.

Only one study in 2001 tested this hypothesis at one hospital in New York.

For the study, the bullseye rash was the diagnostic criteria to determine if doxy prevented LD. The study actually showed that people bitten by nymphs were more likely to develop a bullseye rash and therefore diagnosed with LD in comparison with those bitten by an adult tick. None of those bitten by adult ticks developed a bullseye rash.

The Bullseye is a poor indicator of LD.

Only 50% with LD got any kind of rash and only 9% developed a bullseye.

Two pills used at the time of tick bite by a nymph prevented people from getting the bullseye – so they were not diagnosed as having LDand were excluded from the study.

So, will 2 pills of doxy prevent Lyme?

No.

So much for evidence based medicine.
The article in the top link then goes onto discuss Dr. Tim Cook who has had success using disulfiram/Antabuse.  He quotes:
“OK, now this is exciting,” he said. “Disulfram (DSF) is a breakthrough because it is one of only two or three medications that are known to specifically target the slow-growth phase of Lyme that regular antibiotics do not eradicate.”
“What has surprised me is how patients improve with very little of it. Prior to DSF, the conventional combinations of antibiotics would make most patients feel quite a bit better, but they would often say that their ‘brain fog’ and fatigue never quite went away. These two symptoms are often completely and rapidly resolved with DSF,” Dr. Cook said.

Category:

Activism, Lyme, research, Ticks, Treatment