Archive for the ‘Transmission’ Category

WSJ Says Chronic Lyme Was Once Dismissed But Doctors Are Coming Around – I Disagree

FILE_7701.pdf  Article Here

Chronic Lyme Disease Was Once Dismissed. More Doctors Are Coming Around.

Newer trials are starting to track Lyme patients and investigate potential treatments

By Brianna Abbott Jul 20, 2025

(See link above for article)

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Why This Research Won’t Help Patients One Iota

By Alicia Cashman, Madison Lyme Support Group, Wisconsin

7/24/25

Summary of WSJ article:

  • A 63 year old Massachusetts woman was told in 2015 the root of her odd, flulike illness was likely Lyme disease.  (This website has hundreds if not thousands of such stories)
  • For the next decade she cycled through ‘unproven’ treatments and got push-back from doctors. (They must push the ‘not proven’ issue to keep us all from getting extended antibiotics which would make a majority of us better)
  • When MIT starting recruiting ‘people just like her,’ she felt validated.
  • The article then states ‘long COVID,’ is what is bringing chronic Lyme more credibility.
  • True to form and right on cue, long time player – Dr. John Aucott of Johns Hopkins, who has studied chronic Lyme for TWO decades but hasn’t budged the needle an inch, repeats the narrative that ‘long COVID’ has given chronic Lyme more ‘acceptance.’ (You must understand that there’s a lot of grant money for those who ignore the fact the COVID shots are likely behind ‘long COVID. It must also be stated that ‘long COVID’ looks exactly like other post-viral syndromes.) Vaccine injury gets ZERO grant money because our own government and researchers are beholden to Big Pharma. Vaccines are the cash cow of research.
    • The cat is let out of the bag on the final page of the article when it’s stated that the study includes acute Lyme and ‘long COVID’ participants.
      • First, notice that the reason we are hearing the clanging mantra of ‘long COVID’ is because it’s a part of the study. A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.
      • Second, notice that they are ONLY looking at ACUTE Lyme – something that’s been studied ad nauseam.  This research once again omits the sickest patients who never have any research done on them.
    • Thirdly, the cat continues to be let out when it’s stated they are looking for whether a molecule left behind could be driving inflammation.  Right there – they are admitting their bias that this is not a chronic, persistent infection that could be cured or benefitted with anti-microbial treatments.
  • The author is oblivious to the fact that Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (prolonged symptoms for at least 6 months after treatment) doesn’t include a HUGE subset of patients who were diagnosed and treated late.  This continued regurgitated ignorance is allowing research to be skewed in favor of chronic Lyme only affecting 5-20% of patients – which is a much smaller deal than 40-60%, when those diagnosed and treated late are included.
  • The article repeats a falsehood: that in order to get Lyme one NEEDS to be bitten by a bacteria-carrying tick.  Congenital Lyme has been proven, and there is much to indicate  sexual transmition as well.
  • The reason they ignore anything but ticks is because then they can state their next falsehood, which fits the ‘climate change‘ narrative, which has been proven false by an independent tick researcher.
  • Third falsehood: a 2-4 week course of antibiotics cures the disease.
  • Fourth falsehood: blood tests can help determine if a person has antibodies against the pathogen. Seronegativity has been a big part of the Lyme debate from the beginning.
    • Part of the reason for this is the fact one of the most specific bands for Lyme was taken out of testing at the Dearborn, MI conference because it interfered with vaccine development.
    • Another reason is the fact that arbitrary levels of antibodies have been set, keeping a majority of those infected from ever testing positive.
    • Yet another reason is the fact that there has been a concerted suppression of microscopy  which is considered the gold standard for syphilis diagnostics. Similarly to the attacks on ivermectin and HCQ for COVID, ‘the powers that be’ continue to attack any test other than the CDC 2-tiered test for not being ‘FDA approved,’ even though the CDC test is not ‘approved’ either.
  • Fifth falsehood: there are no treatments that have been proven safe and effective after the initial antibiotics. My husband and I were in intense treatment for over 5 years using multiple antibiotics, among other things, simultaneously. Without this life-saving treatment I wouldn’t be writing this article today.
  • Proving that nobody’s coming around to accept Lyme Disease – read, “Gaslighting and Cults: Our Baffling Relationship With Tick-Borne Diseases,” written this past January, 2025.

This study won’t help chronically infected patients.  Don’t expect anything from this.  It’s the same crap, different day.  

For more:

Until we start OVER, and I mean from square one, research is all tainted and biased.  Don’t believe me?  Listen to Willy himself:

http://

Willy Burgforfer, Ph.D. Lyme Disease ‘Discoverer’

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Testing, Ticks, Transmission, Treatment, Uncategorized

Expert Briefing on Ticks & Lyme Disease

http://

Expert Briefing on Ticks and Lyme Disease

May 29, 2025

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health experts Nicole Baumgarth and Thomas Hart discuss ticks and the growing threat of Lyme and other tickborne diseases.
Lyme disease is on the rise in the U.S., according to the CDC, mainly in the Northeast, Upper Midwest, and parts of the West. In 2023, state health departments reported more than 89,000 cases of Lyme disease in humans to the CDC, but the actual number of cases is likely much higher due to underreporting and misdiagnosis.
If left untreated, Lyme disease can lead to serious complications affecting the heart, joints, and nervous system. Other tickborne illnesses are also of concern, including Powassan virus and Heartland virus. There is currently no vaccine against tickborne illnesses.
Ticks Pose an Increasing Health Risk https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/tic…
Tickborne Diseases Are on the Rise—Here’s What To Know https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2023/lym…
Lyme and Tickborne Diseases Research and Education Institute video    • Lyme and Tickborne Diseases Research and E…  
Ticks Are Dangerous video    • Ticks Are Dangerous  
About Ticks and Tickborne Disease https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/about/index….
Lyme Disease Surveillance and Data https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/data-researc…
Lyme Disease https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/index.html
  • 00:00 Introduction
  • 01:40 What is Lyme disease
  • 04:12 Rates of Lyme disease
  • 9:10 Status of a vaccine
  • 10:30 Tracking infection rates
  • 11:25 Vaccine challenges
  • 13:30 Ubiquity of tick bites
  • 14:45 Diagnosing lesser known tickborne illnesses
  • 16:10 How to improve diagnosis
  • 19:00 Diagnosing illnesses
  • 20:10 This year’s tick season
  • 20:40 Symptoms of Lyme disease
  • 22:10 Other tickborne illnesses
  • 23:20 Dogs and ticks
  • 24:40 Ticks in the environment
  • 25:30 Preventing tick bites

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**COMMENT**

Sadly, researchers continue to slice and dice this complex illness into a singular infection they call ‘Lyme disease,’ when truth be told, patients are often infected with numerous things working synergistically together, making the illness much more complex, harder to identify and treat, and much harder to overcome. So the very name, ‘Lyme disease,’ is inadequate for most patients.

I realize why they do this: due to their very specific work, they must omit variables to conduct research – at least within the current allopathic model of one drug and vaccine, for one disease.  Unfortunately, this is often not what we are dealing with at all in reality.

Category:

Lyme, research, Testing, Ticks, Transmission, vaccines

Study: Lyme Can Not Survive Inside Mosquitoes Or Be Transmitted to Mice

https://www.globallymealliance.org/news/why-you-can-cross-mosquitoes-off-your-lyme-disease-worry-list?

Why You Can Cross Mosquitoes Off Your Lyme Disease-Worry-List

by Cara DeAngelis, Ph.D. on June 24, 2025

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A new study finds no evidence that mosquitoes can transmitBorrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. This study reinforces that ticks are the only proven source of infection.

What did the study show?

Many Lyme disease patients have questioned whether a mosquito bite could have been the source of their infection, especially as many do not remember finding a tick. This new study published just this June in the journal Parasites & Vectors offers strong reassurance that mosquitoes are not capable of carrying or transmitting the Lyme disease bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi. Even when exposed under lab conditions, the bacteria could not survive inside mosquitoes or be passed to mice.

A diagram of insects with text AI-generated content may be incorrect., Picture

Graphical abstract from Pekľanská et al. (2025), “Experimental evidence rules out mosquitoes as vectors of Lyme disease,” Parasites & Vectors. Image reused under an open-access Creative Commons license (CC by 4.0).

Why does this matter?

It’s common for patients to be unsure of how or when they were infected, and that’s completely understandable. Many people don’t recall a tick bite because the deer tick nymphs responsible for most Lyme disease cases are very small (the size of a poppy seed!), and their bites often go unnoticed. With that in mind, knowing Lyme disease is only spread by ticks helps patients and families focus on the right prevention strategies and worry less about every mosquito or bug bite. 

How was the study done?

To find out if mosquitoes can spread Lyme disease, scientists ran a detailed series of lab experiments. First, they let different species of mosquitoes feed on mice infected with Lyme-causing bacteria. In some cases, a few mosquitoes did pick up the bacteria, but the numbers were extremely low and the bacteria quickly died during digestion.

The researchers also tested whether the bacteria could survive long enough to be passed on to a new host, either naturally or through interrupted feeding. In every case, the answer was no. The bacteria couldn’t stay alive or infectious inside mosquitoes, and they never made it into the saliva, which is the only way a mosquito can transmit disease. 

To make sure the experiment was working properly, the researchers also included infected deer ticks, which did successfully transmit the Lyme disease bacteria to mice. These findings confirm that mosquitoes cannot maintain or transmit the bacteria that cause Lyme disease.

What is the takeaway?

This research addresses a long-standing question within the Lyme disease community about the potential role of mosquitoes in transmission. By providing evidence that mosquitoes cannot serve as competent vectors for Borrelia burgdorferi, the findings help refine public health messaging and support prevention strategies that remain focused on tick exposure.

To learn how to protect yourself and your family from ticks, visit our guide on how to be Tick AWARE.

Publication: 
Pekľanská M, Kuníková K, Vlčková R, et al. Experimental evidence rules out mosquitoes as vectors of Lyme disease. Parasit Vectors. 2025;18(1):206. Published 2025 Jun 4. doi:10.1186/s13071-025-06823-x 
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**Comment**
I find it incredibly sad that we are over 40 years into this madness and it took this long for this study to be done.  Sad.
We desperately need properly done transmission studies for all things Lyme/MSIDS.
One thing to keep in mind: the study found mosquitoes seemingly can not carry or transmit Lyme.  This could change in the future with different lab techniques and technology.  Science is forever changing.
And lastly, the article makes it appear that ticks are the ONLY way to get Lyme.  This is patently false as congenital transmission has been proven.  There is also much to indicate it can be transmitted sexually as well.
The fact transmission studies have not been done shows clearly how far behind we are in knowledge of this complex illness impacting more and more people every year.

Category:

Activism, mosquitoes, research, Ticks, Transmission

Asian Longhorned Tick Found to Carry Ehrlichia

https://www.pennlive.com/life/2025/06/tick-spreading-throughout-pa-found-to-carry-pathogen

Tick spreading throughout Pa. found to carry pathogen

Article Excerpts:

An invasive species of tick — one that’s been spreading rapidly in Pennsylvania and beyond — was just found to be the carrier of a bacterium.

A rare bacteria that might be deadly.

While WHYY mentions that scientists weren’t sure what kind of diseases — if any — these ticks may carry, new information has emerged: According to Patch, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station has confirmed the first case of the Asian longhorned tick carrying Ehrlichia chaffeensis.

“Ehrlichia chaffeensis is an obligately intracellular, tick-transmitted bacterium that is maintained in nature in a cycle involving at least one and perhaps several vertebrate reservoir hosts,” explains the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Symptoms of the illness, according to Cleveland Clinic, include fever, chills and headache. Fortunately, most people make a recovery if treated quickly after a formal diagnosis by a medical professional.  (See link for article)

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Category:

Activism, Ehrlichiosis, Ticks, Transmission

Massachusetts Man Dies From Tick-Borne Powassan Virus

https://www.lymedisease.org/massachusetts-powassan-death/

Massachusetts man dies from tick-borne Powassan virus

May 15, 2025

Kevin Boyce, a 62-year-old resident of the Boston area, passed away last year from Powassan virus. Now, his family is raising awareness about the risks of tick bites and urging people to take precautions.

Boyce fell ill in April 2024. Within days, his condition worsened, leading to hospitalization and a diagnosis of Powassan virus, which can cause severe brain inflammation. Despite intensive care, he succumbed to the disease several weeks later.

His family hopes to prevent similar tragedies by encouraging early detection, tick prevention measures, and public awareness. Watch this report from NBC10, Boston.

For More:

Category:

Testing, Ticks, Transmission, Viruses