Archive for the ‘Ticks’ Category

Possibility of Brown Dog Ticks Transmitting Bartonella to Humans

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33001978/

Transmission of Bartonella henselae within Rhipicephalus sanguineus: Data on the Potential Vector Role of the Tick

Wittawat Wechtaisong 1, Sarah I Bonnet 2, Yi-Yang Lien 1, Shih-Te Chuang 3, Yi-Lun Tsai 1

Free article

Abstract

Bartonella henselae is a fastidious intraerythrocytic, gram-negative bacteria that causes cat scratch disease in humans. Ixodes ricinus (castor bean tick) has been confirmed to be a competent vector of B. henselae, and some indirect evidences from clinical cases and epidemiological studies also suggested that some other tick species, including Rhipicephalus sanguineus (brown dog tick, pantropical dog tick or kennel tick), may transmit the bacteria. B. henselae has been detected in R. sanguineus but no experimental investigations have been performed to evaluate the vector competency of this tick species regarding B. henselae transmission.

To this end, this work aimed to assess the transstadial transmission of B. henselae between larvae and nymphs of R. sanguineus as well as transmission by nymphs infected at the larval stage. Four hundred B. henselae negative larvae were fed with B. henselae-infected blood by using an artificial membrane feeding system.

After five days of feeding:

  • B. henselae was detected by PCR in 57.1% (8/14) of engorged larval pools
  • 66.7% (4/6) of semi-engorged larval pools
  • 66.7% (2/3) of larval feces pools
  • after molting, B. henselae DNA was also detected in 10% (1/10) of nymph pools, but not in tick feces
  • after a pre-fed step of nymphs infected at the larval stage on non-infected blood meal, B. henselae was detected by PCR in blood sample from the feeder, but no Bartonella colonies could be obtained from culture

These findings showed that B. henselae could be transstadial transmitted from R. sanguineus larvae to nymphs, and also suggest that these nymphs may retransmitted the bacteria through the saliva during their blood meal.

This is the first study that validated the artificial membrane feeding system for maintaining R. sanguineus tick colony. It shows the possibility of transstadial transmission of B. henselae from R. sanguineus larvae to nymphs.

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**Comment**

For decades now, ‘authorities’ have denied ticks can transmit Bartonella.  Since so many Lyme/MSIDS patients have Bartonella it’s always seemed highly likely to me that ticks play a role. This study adds to the growing body evidence that yes, in fact, ticks play a significant role.  For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/09/02/bartonella-found-in-ticks-biting-midges-and-moose/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/04/18/bartonella-vectors/

The other theory is that the tick’s ability to suppress the immune system reactivates a latent Bartonella infection already within the body.  Bartonella is prolific and can be obtained in many, many ways besides the bite or scratch of a cat:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/01/03/bartonella-treatment/

To date, Bartonella isn’t even on mainstream doctor’s radar for those bitten by ticks. This must change.  Bartonella can be a severe, chronic infection that causes untold damage both physically and mentally.

Psychiatric issues and Bartonella:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/08/30/new-case-report-neuropsychiatric-symptoms-and-bartonella-associated-skin-lesions/

Work is being done on the connection between Bartonella and cancer:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/09/11/bartonella-is-an-entity-often-diagnosed-in-breast-imaging-department-during-axullary-lymph-node-assessment/

Bartonella can cause encephalitis:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/07/30/bartonella-causing-encephalitis/

Great article showing the systemic manifestations:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/04/24/human-bartonellosis-an-underappreciated-public-health-problem/

Category:

Bartonella, research, Testing, Ticks, Transmission

CDC, EPA Release Framework for Preventing and Controlling Tick & Mosquito-Borne Diseases

https://www.informnny.com/abc50-now/cdc-epa-release-framework-for-preventing-and-controlling-tick-and-mosquito-borne-diseases/

CDC, EPA release framework for preventing and controlling tick and mosquito-borne diseases

ABC50 NOW

by:

Posted: / Updated:

Pixabay

WASHINGTON D.C. (WWTI) — The United States Center for Disease Control has released framework regarding vector-borne diseases in humans.

The CDC framework, “A National Public Health Framework for the Prevention and Control of Vector-Borne Diseases in Humans,” addresses the growing threat of ticks and mosquitoes. The framework discusses diseases such as dengue virus, eastern equine encephalitis virus, malaria, zika virus and lyme disease.

The CDC worked alongside five federal departments and the Environmental Protection Agency to develop the 16-page framework. With goals of better understanding these diseases, developing tools and guidance for protection, developing effective drugs and treatments and providing more information to the public.  (See link for article)

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For more:  

Brochure_National_Framework_VBDs-PDownload

 

Category:

Lyme, mosquitoes, Ticks, Viruses

Mid-Ohio Valley Sees Rise in Lyme Disease

https://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/community-news/2020/09/mid-ohio-valley-sees-rise-in-lyme-disease/

Mid-Ohio Valley sees rise in Lyme Disease

Parkersburg resident Kristin Carvell inspects her dog Siren for ticks after a walk at City Park. (Photo Provided)

PARKERSBURG — Despite summer being over, warm weather and ideal circumstances for ticks remain and it is important to understand the potential consequences of bites.

According to the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department, lyme disease cases have been on the rise in the region.

(See link for article)

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**Comment**

Remember ticks are in many other places besides wooded and grassy areas. Migrating birds drop them virtually anywhere. Also remember that Lyme is just the ‘tip of the spear’ and numerous pathogens can be transmitted simultaneously in a singular tick bite.

Reports have come in from around the world announcing the unabated spread of ticks and Lyme/MSIDS yet virtually nothing has changed in Lyme-land. Doctors still utilize abysmal testing, are uneducated on tick-borne illness – misdiagnosing a majority of patients, utilize ineffective treatment, and abuse patients by not listening to them and labeling them hypochondriacs.

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Ticks

Ticktective Podcast & Video Series

https://www.bayarealyme.org/blog/ticktective-podcast/

| NewsBy Bay Area Lyme Foundation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Tara DiMilia, 908-947-0500, tara.dimilia@TMstrat.com

Bay Area Lyme Foundation Launches Ticktective™ Podcast

PORTOLA VALLEY, Calif., September 30, 2020 — Bay Area Lyme Foundation, a leading sponsor of Lyme disease research in the US, announces the launch of the Ticktective podcast and video series.  Ticktective is a Bay Area Lyme Foundation program designed to investigate the latest scientific knowledge and advances in Lyme and tick-borne diseases. The podcast offers insightful discussion with researchers, physicians, patients, and thought leaders in the field.

“Because the science surrounding tick-borne disease is so complex and there are so many unanswered questions, Ticktective aims to share firsthand perspectives about the challenges of Lyme in ways that will intrigue more scientists, physicians and patients to join our battle towards making Lyme disease easy to diagnose and simple to cure,” said Linda Giampa, executive director, Bay Area Lyme Foundation.

There are more than 400,000 people diagnosed with Lyme disease each year in the US, and millions of Americans live with persistent Lyme disease (PLD) caused by an ongoing bacterial infection. The current “gold standard” diagnostic for Lyme disease misses up to 60% of cases of early stage Lyme disease, and if not treated promptly, Lyme may progress to a debilitating stage, becoming difficult, or impossible, to cure. Bay Area Lyme Foundation has funded over 100 research projects at 37 institutions across the US in a mission to find solutions for these patients.

“I’ve always had an insatiable curiosity, and my own diagnosis of Lyme disease has driven me to use this curiosity to find answers that will help lead to solutions for all tick-borne diseases,” said Ticktective host Lia Gaertner, who is the director of education and outreach for Bay Area Lyme Foundation and holds degrees in environmental science and ethnobotany.

Initial Ticktective interviews include conversations addressing the challenges of developing a diagnostic for Lyme disease, the scientific techniques being used to overcome these challenges, what motivates researchers taking on this challenge, and the frustration of patients.

  • 2020 Emerging Leader Award Winner Jacob Lemieux, MD, DPhil of Harvard University discusses the similarities and difference of Lyme disease and malaria, the promise of next-generation sequencing for developing a diagnostic, his lab’s role in COVID-19 research, and the intersection of COVID-19 and Lyme disease.
  • 2020 Emerging Leader Award Winner Artem Rogovsky, DVM, PhD of Texas A&M University discusses what he learned from radioactive ticks, why he is aiming to develop a direct diagnostic for Lyme, and how a conversation at a kids’ birthday party ignited the innovative idea for this diagnostic concept.
  • Liz Horn, PhD, MBI is principal investigator for the Lyme Disease Biobank, which aims to enable and accelerate research by providing scientists with the biological samples needed to conduct important experiments. The Biobank has enrolled over 900 participants and currently supports more than 55 research projects.
  • Singer-songwriter Dana Parish, who not only has numerous chart-topping singles, but has also become a strong advocate for people with Lyme disease after a tick bite in 2014 that progressed to a persistent infection despite antibiotic treatment. She discusses how she is “fighting the good fight,” and making progress in her personal battle and for the cause.

“I was driven to become a songwriter as I wanted to make people feel understood, knowing that the best songs are personal yet universal. With that same spirit, it’s been vital to me to use my voice to be honest about what I’ve learned about the travesty of tick-borne diseases. In an area of medicine filled with misinformation, Ticktective is bringing valuable insights and help straight to the Lyme community. I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to share my Lyme experience with listeners of Ticktective,” said Parish, whom Gaertner refers to as a fierce champion for the under-represented Lyme community.

Listen to the Ticktective podcast here. Check out other resources of Bay Area Lyme Foundation, including printable fact sheets, videos, educational tools and more, and follow us on and Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

About Lyme Disease
The most common vector-borne infectious disease in the country, Lyme disease is a potentially disabling infection caused by bacteria transmitted through the bite of an infected tick to people and pets. If caught early, most cases of Lyme disease can be effectively treated, but it is commonly misdiagnosed due to lack of awareness and unreliable diagnostic tests. There are more than 400,000 new cases of Lyme disease each year, according to statistics released in 2018 by the CDC. As a result of the difficulty in diagnosing and treating Lyme disease, more than one million Americans may be suffering from the impact of its debilitating long-term symptoms and complications, according to Bay Area Lyme Foundation estimates.

About Bay Area Lyme Foundation
Bay Area Lyme Foundation, a national organization committed to making Lyme disease easy to diagnose and simple to cure, is a leading public not-for-profit sponsor of innovative Lyme disease research in the US.  A 501c3 non-profit organization based in Silicon Valley, Bay Area Lyme Foundation collaborates with world-class scientists and institutions to accelerate medical breakthroughs for Lyme disease. It is also dedicated to providing reliable, fact-based information so that prevention and the importance of early treatment are common knowledge. A pivotal donation from The LaureL STEM Fund covers overhead costs and allows for 100% of all donor contributions to Bay Area Lyme Foundation to go directly to research and prevention programs. For more information about Lyme disease or to get involved, visit www.bayarealyme.org or call us at 650-530-2439.

Category:

Activism, Lyme, research, Ticks

Two Exotic Disease-Carrying Ticks Identified in Rhode Island & First Case of Parasitic Soft Ticks Reported in New Jersey

https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/27511/20200929/two-exotic-disease-carrying-ticks-identified-rhode-island.

Two Exotic Disease-Carrying Ticks Have Just Been Identified in Rhode Island

Hannah C. Sep 29, 2020

Local authorities in Rhode Island announced that two new tick species were identified on Block Island. The tick species were traced back to Eurasia and Asia origins.

Dr. Danielle Tufts from Columbia University identified the two species Haemaphysalis longicornis (Asian long-horned tick) and Haemaphysalis punctata (red sheep tick), reported the state’s Department of Environmental Management (DEM). (See link for article) 

Two Exotic Disease-Carrying Ticks Had Just Been Identified in Rhode Island

(Photo: Asian long-horned tick, adult female dorsal view climbing on a blade of grass – Photo by James Gathany; CDC)

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**Comment**

Both ticks are considered live-stock pests but they can and do bite humans, transmitting diseases.  Farmers, hunters, and hikes are at greater risk.

  • The red sheep tick is identified with Tick paralysis, Tick Borne Encephalitis virus, Tribec virus, Bhanja virus, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus, Babesia bovis, Theileria recondita, Coxiella burneti, Francisella tularensis.  http://www.bristoluniversitytickid.uk/page/Haemaphysalis+punctata/17/#.X3S-TS2ZOWgCattle: Babesia major, Babesia bigemina, Theileria mutans, Anaplasma marginale and Anaplasma centrale

    Sheep: Babesia motasi, Theileria ovis

H.-punctata-female-dorsal-0-300x225

Red sheep tick, Adult female dorsal view

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-09-jersey-1.html

SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

Bat tick found for the first time in New Jersey

by Todd Bates, Rutgers University

Bat tick found for the first time in New Jersey

A tick species associated with bats has been reported for the first time in New Jersey and could pose health risks to people, pets and livestock, according to a Rutgers-led study in the Journal of Medical Entomology.

This species (Carios kelleyi) is a “soft” . Deer ticks, which carry Lyme disease, are an example of “hard” ticks.

“All ticks feed on blood and may transmit pathogens (disease-causing microbes) during feeding,” said lead author James L. Occi, a doctoral student in the Rutgers Center for Vector Biology at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. “We need to be aware that if you remove from your belfry, attic or elsewhere indoors, ticks that fed on those bats may stay behind and come looking for a new source of blood. There are records of C. kelleyi biting humans.”  (See link for article)

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**Comment**

A few important points:

  1. A related species, Carios jersey, was found in amber 2001
  2. C. kelleyi has been found in 29 states so far
  3. Public health risk remains unknown, but it has been found to be infected with harmful pathogens in other states
  4. There are reports of this tick feeding on humans
  5. The bat it feeds on regularly roosts in attics and barns
  6. It has been identified with rickettsia and borrelia (Lyme):  https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/carios
I can’t help but notice the bat connection, as well as the following:

https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2058858379813/first-case-of-parasitic-soft-ticks-reported-in-new-jersey  The current pandemic has been accompanied by cases of other illnesses and diseases such as African Swine Flu, Ebola, Bubonic Plague, West Nile Virus, Dengue outbreaks around the world.

For Tick Prevention:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/04/12/tick-prevention-2019/

Category:

Anaplasmosis, Babesia, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme, Q Fever, Rickettsia, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ticks, Transmission, Tularemia, Viruses