Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

WLN November Newsletter

At_A_Glance-WLN_Newsletter_November_12

Highlights:

  • Reminder the WI Tick-borne Illness Center of Excellence is open
  • Upcoming WLN Gala
  • Purchase pretreated socks for stocking stuffers and help WLN out as well

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Uncategorized

Bartonella vs. Borrelia: Key Differences You Should Know

https://www.galaxydx.com/difference-between-bartonella-and-lyme-disease/

written on

Bartonella vs. Borrelia: Key Differences You Should Know

Bartonella and Lyme Borrelia are easily confused because they are both vector-borne bacteria with similar sounding names and frequently have complex, interrelated roles in chronic illnesses. Patients often believe Bartonella and Borrelia are the same before speaking to us, or they may mistake something they read online about one for the other. In this post, we are going to describe some unique characteristics that distinguish these bacteria from each other.

Morphology

The morphology of bacterial cells is based on their typical size, shape, and arrangement. These attributes may be different across various settings, such as in culture or patient samples. These differences may seem trivial to someone who is not a biochemist, but they can have profound effects at the molecular level. For example, proteins located on the cell wall and membrane are often targets for diagnostic assays and medications. Depending on morphological characteristics, these surface proteins may be less accessible or have entirely different chemical makeups. This is one reason there are so many types of antibiotics.

Bartonella

Electron micrograph (EM) image of Bartonella henselae.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are almost 40 characterized species of Bartonella about 15 of which are implicated in human illnesses. They are gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria that grow very slowly. Their average dividing time is about 22-24 hours, which is much longer than the 20 minutes that E. coli species (another rod-shaped bacteria) require. Their average size is about 2 micrometers in length and 0.5 micrometers in width. One unique characteristic of Bartonella is that their membrane has a “Type IV Secretion System” that supports their ability to attach to and invade various target cells, such as endothelial and red blood cells.

Borrelia

Borrelia burgdorferi, the primary causative agent of Lyme disease, is considered a spirochete because of its spiral shape (CDC).

 

There are more than 50 named Borrelia species, with 3 primarily being implicated in human illnesses. They are like Bartonella in that they take a long time to divide (~12-18 hours) and stain weakly like gram-negative bacteria. However, unlike Bartonella, they are considered spirochetes due to their unique spiral shape and highly specialized cell walls and membranes. The primary species that causes Lyme disease in North America is Borrelia burgdorferi. This species has unique surface proteins called OspA, OspB, and OspC that are important for pathogenicity.

Transmission

Bartonella and Borrelia species are both vector-borne bacteria, meaning they can be transmitted between hosts via a “competent” vector. A competent vector is typically an arthropod, like a tick or flea, that can acquire the pathogen during a meal and then transmit viable bacteria to another host in a subsequent feeding or through its excrement (feces). Bartonella and Borrelia both require access to the bloodstream for infection to occur, but research shows that Bartonella species have quite a few more options for getting there compared to Borrelia. Below is a list of confirmed as well as suspected vectors of each.

Symptoms

Bartonella and Borrelia species both cause acute and chronic infections that can be difficult for physicians to discern unless the patient has known exposure and recognizable clinical symptoms. Unfortunately, the latter is not the reality for many patients who become infected. Patients may first be diagnosed with another condition, like lupus or multiple sclerosis, before having testing done for bartonellosis or Lyme borreliosis. Why do these very different illnesses have similar symptoms?

The simple answer is that the body has a limited number of ways that it can respond to stress from bacterial infections. This host response is the result of a combination of differences between people in general health, genetic factors, and immune status that are integral to determining how an individual will respond to an infection. One person may experience neurologic symptoms, whereas another might only experience joint pain despite having the same infection. This makes it extremely difficult to define clinical patterns for infections, especially those that can lead to multi-systemic disease like bartonellosis and Lyme borreliosis.

Differentiating Symptoms

The main differences between bartonellosis and Lyme borreliosis symptoms typically occur early in the infection. However, many patients do not experience the “classic” signs that define the acute infections.

Cat scratch disease (Bartonella henselae infection) is described as fever and lymph node swelling near the location of a cat scratch or bite. However, this acute presentation of bartonellosis is not the only course of infection. Trench fever (Bartonella quintana infection) and Carrion’s disease (Bartonella bacilliformis infection) come with their own set of symptoms.

Bartonellosis may be associated with long, thin, red marks on the skin called striae, but more research is required to understand Bartonella species’ role. However, it is associated with a skin condition called bacillary angiomatosis primarily in immunocompromised individuals.

The CDC reports that 20-30% of patients who are exposed to Borrelia burgdorferi develop a bullseye rash called erythema migrans. This rash can also have other appearances. Most patients do not have the rash, or they may not see the rash if it is small or covered by hair. They can also experience facial palsy or extremely swollen joints.

Source: CDC

To find out more about these skin symptoms, see our blog post “Vector-borne Disease and Skin: Your First Layer of Defense.”

Conclusion

The symptoms of bartonellosis and Lyme borreliosis are similar because what the patient feels in everyday life is largely mediated by the host response.  However, key differences between their causative pathogens make them each a disease of their own with their own unique challenges for testing and treatment.

References

Deng, H. et al. (2018). Molecular mechanisms of Bartonella and mammalian erythrocyte interactions: A review. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 8, 431. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2018.00431 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6299047/

Breitschwerdt, E. B. (2017). Bartonellosis, One Health and all creatures great and small. Veterinary Dermatology, 28(1), 96-e21. doi:10.1111/vde.12413 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28133871

Cheslock, M. A., & Embers, M. E. (2019). Human bartonellosis: An underappreciated public health problem? Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, 4(2), 69. doi:10.3390/tropicalmed4020069 https://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/4/2/69/htm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). Louse-borne relapsing fever (LBRF). Available at https://www.cdc.gov/relapsing-fever/resources/louse.html

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For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/category/bartonella-treatment/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/category/lyme-disease-treatment/

Also, please know that borrelia has been found in mosquitoes.  While transmission hasn’t been proven conclusively, many patients swear they became ill after a suspicious mosquito bite: https://sponauglewellness.com/lyme-study-how-borrelia-bacteria-is-transmitted-from-mosquitoes-to-humans/  In response to the time needed to transmit, recently this came out on how ticks can spread Rickettsia immediately: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/11/14/study-shows-ticks-can-transmit-rickettsia-immediately/  Borrelia can also be in the salivary glands of ticks which also could make transmission happen much more quickly than the 24-48 hours we’ve been told it takes.

Also, the elephant in the room is that Lyme and Bartonella both can possibly be transmitted in other ways: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/06/20/lyme-disease-transmission-can-it-spread-from-person-to-person/  Very balanced article but make sure and read my comments after the article. I include links to a PhD who is an expert on borrelia and she’s isolated it from mosquitos, fleas, mites, semen, urine, blood, spinal fluid, and tears, indicating the potential to be spread on hands person to person. 

Remember – everyone has a bias whether they admit to it or not.

All I know is thousands upon thousands are infected and I have a very hard time believing the black legged tick is the sole perp.

Category:

Bartonella, Lyme, Uncategorized

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Lyme March Scheduled for Sept. 2020

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on November 14, 2019

As Lyme Disease Cases Increase in Licking County (OH), So Do Frustrations

https://www.newarkadvocate.com/story/news/local/2019/09/11/lyme-disease-cases-increase-county-so-do-frustrations/

As Lyme disease cases increase in Licking County, so do frustrations

, Newark Advocate
Published Sept. 11, 2019

NEWARK – More than two times as many cases of the tick-borne Lyme disease have been reported to the Licking County Health Department thus far this year, as compared to all of 2018. And the amount confirmed is even more noteworthy.

There were 17 suspected, two probable and three confirmed cases last year for a total of 22. Through Wednesday morning, there were 52 total cases, with the vast majority being confirmed.

In 2017, it was 16 suspected and 10 confirmed for a total of 26 cases.

A 2017 alert, issued by Gale Neville, Licking County Health Department Infectious Disease Nurse, said that prior to 2010, there were no known established populations of blacklegged ticks, or deer ticks, in Ohio. Since then, the tick has been found in at least 60 Ohio counties including Licking, and spreads Lyme disease through its bacteria-infected bite.

Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue and a characteristic “bulls-eye” skin rash. Most cases can be treated successfully with a few weeks of antibiotics. But if untreated, the infection can spread to joints, the heart and the nervous system.  Early treatment is key for the disease, so the quicker it’s detected, the better the outcome for the patient.

“Because Lyme disease symptoms are common to many other illnesses, including common viral infections, and because Lyme disease transmission is fairly new to Ohio, it is often mis-diagnosed and under-reported,” Licking County health commissioner Joe Ebel said last month. “Increased public education and (medical) provider awareness results in higher case counts. However, a Lyme diagnosis is sometimes missed until the symptoms have progressed.”

Local residents dealing with the disease have expressed their frustrations about how misunderstood the disease is and how long it often takes to diagnose it, often with debilitating results.

Amanda Johnson’s daughter Emery, a freshman at Granville, was diagnosed with Lyme disease in the third grade and now has Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. She is the oldest of her four children.

“She was at a local week-long summer camp after her second grade year, and we picked her up and immediately drove to Hilton Head,” Johnson recalled. “Well, there was a red, raised area on her hand. When we got there, it was swollen and huge. We took her to Urgent Care, and it was the classic bulls-eye rash. They gave her some cream.”

After a week at the beach, the whole hand was swollen, and Emery came back and started third grade, but her teacher could immediately tell something was wrong.

“She was tired, lethargic, freezing,” Amanda said. “We suspected Lyme disease, and had talked to a mom whose daughter had it.” But medical providers would not test for it until eventually, the Johnsons went to Cleveland, where Emery was diagnosed with the arthritis.

And later, she was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. After six weeks of medicine, Emery’s teacher finally noticed a change.

“She said, ‘your daughter is a totally different student,” Amanda said. “I wish I would have known more. She was almost in a daze for a whole year.”

Johnson, now a financial advisor for Edward Jones, worked for 18 years in medical sales and was a dietician.

“I quit my job for four months, because we were constantly in doctor appointments,” Amanda said. “My husband and I spent thousands, because a lot of it was out of pocket. Some of the medications made her violently ill. It was very frustrating. We went through injections, infusions, EKGs and MRIs.”

Emery’s hand joints are permanently damaged, but she leads a fairly normal life. However, the arthritis still flares up, and she still goes to a specialist.

“They didn’t want her playing sports, but we wanted her to, so she could become herself,” Amanda said. She currently plays freshman and reserve volleyball at Granville.

Kristy Hawthorne, administrative assistant for the Licking County Soil and Water Conservation District. has had to scale back her active life after being diagnosed with Lyme disease in July.

“I went to Urgent Care on July 1, and got the results back July 7,” Hawthorne said. “I had one blood draw, which they ran multiple tests off of. I’m not sure exactly when I contracted it. I live out in the country and am outside a lot for work. So I’m prone to be in areas where ticks are at. I’d been bitten before. I drive by that sign on Route 16 warning about ticks, but I never thought it would affect me.”

The bullseye rash was on a different part of her body from where the bite was, she said. Through her research, she found that about 30 percent of cases do not have the bullseye rash. She also learned about nymphs, a smaller version of the tick, which was found on her.

“The smaller nymphs are more concerning, because nymphs are the size of a pinhead,” Hawthorne said. “They’re very small, they’re tougher to spot and they stay attached longer.”

She did 28 days of antibiotics treatment, but was still having the symptoms.

“The fatigue mimics the flu,” Hawthorne said. “I’m very active but I’ve had to pull back. It’s changed my life. I went to a doctor of infectious disease specialist, and he said I didn’t have the three things they look for in Lyme disease: swollen joints, Bell’s Palsy or heart arrhythmia.”

Eventually, her family physician found had she had low thyroid levels, and her Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D were down.

“I’ve increased my intake to help with the fatigue, muscle and joint soreness,” Hawthorne said. “It will take a few weeks to be effective. I have to be mindful of my self care. I have to eat healthy and listen to my body.”

It’s been quite the education for Hawthorne and Johnson, who have conducted plenty of their own research. There are support groups on Facebook.

“I have a friend who has it who avoids natural sugars, like in fresh fruits,” Hawthorne said. “Another friend had a daughter who had symptoms, but wasn’t diagnosed until a year later.

“If you think you have it, have a good conservation with your doctor and ask for the test,” Hawthorne said. “Try to get the word out about it to medical professionals. I’ve started my own health journal. It’s a misunderstood disease, and nothing is really clear cut.”

Johnson said she had two mothers call her this summer who were at their wits end, because they suspected their kids had Lyme disease. Ultimately, one of them did, and one of them didn’t.

“I want to help other people,” she said. “We have seen the light. She (Emery) does not have cancer and she’s not dying. We’ve tried to make the most out of a bad situation.”

“Follow your gut,” Johnson added. “Don’t stop. Walk into your doctor’s office and say, ‘I want myself, or my child, tested.’ You may have to pay out of pocket, but pay out of pocket. If you or they have a rash, or don’t have a rash, if you or they have a fever, or unexpected stiffness or joint pain, get tested. It’s just a blood test, not bone marrow.”

Olivia Biggs, public information officer for the Licking County Health Department, said they have tried to stay ahead of things.

“We started educating the medical providers in 2017 with Health Alert Network (HAN) messaging about the emergence of Lyme,” she said.  “The biggest thing we noticed early on during our suspected Lyme disease investigations were that cases had no listed travel outside of Licking County. Further information collected suggested exposures occurring in Licking County.

“This was something new regarding Lyme disease and something we continued to monitor to see if it was legit. We did establish that it was legit here in the county,” Biggs added. “And not long after that, ODH (Ohio Department of Health) started to address the emergence of blacklegged ticks in Ohio.”

Biggs said numbers of cases reported will rise as awareness is raised, for both the public and health providers.

“We expect it, but it’s best to accurately diagnose our patients,” she stressed. “The only way to get the data is if providers test for it and we get positives.”

Tick-borne diseases (Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever) mostly occur during spring and summer, although blacklegged ticks are active and may transmit disease the year around in Ohio. Suspected or confirmed cases should be reported to the health department within one day of a diagnosis. It is essential there is both clinical and laboratory evidence of infection, the health department said.

dweidig@newarkadvocate.com

740-328-8557

Twitter: @noz75

CDC tick bite prevention tips

  • Avoid ticks by walking in the center of trails and avoiding wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.
  • Repel ticks on skin and clothing by using repellent that contains 20 percent or more DEET, picaridin, or IR3535 on exposed skin for protection that lasts several hours. Always follow product instructions. Parents should apply this product to their children, avoiding hands, eyes, and mouth.
  • Use products that contain permethrin on clothing. Treat clothing and gear, such as boots, pants, socks and tents with products containing 0.5% permethrin. It remains protective through several washings.
  • Find and remove ticks from your body by bathing or showering as soon as possible after coming indoors (preferably within 2 hours) to wash off and more easily find ticks that are crawling on you. Conduct a full-body tick check using a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body upon return from tick-infested areas. Parents should check their children for ticks under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist, and especially in their hair. Examine gear and pets.
  • Ticks can ride into the home on clothing and pets, then attach to a person later, so carefully examine pets, coats, and day packs. Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing after you come indoors.

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**Comment**

With all the information coming out on ticks and the illnesses they carry, patients are still not believed, and are denied testing and treatment.  Many doctors will give you disinformation on what you have to have in order to be infected.  Please know Lyme disease can mimic over 300 diseases and look very differently from person to person.

This shouldn’t still be happening, but it still is.

My best advice is to completely bypass mainstream medicine which is still in a coma regarding tick borne illness.  Get to an ILADS trained doctor right away where you stand a chance of getting better.

Also, please note the statement, “We did establish that it was legit here in the county…And not long after that, ODH (Ohio Department of Health) started to address the emergence of blacklegged ticks in Ohio.”

This is key.

Someone has to be the first to report it. Until then, patients are not believed: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/09/24/arkansas-kids-denied-lyme-treatment/  Here’s what the bone-headed director of infectious disease program had to say:

“We don’t have Lyme Disease in Arkansas, we have the ticks that transmit Lyme Disease but we don’t have any recorded cases of Lyme Disease.” 

So because they didn’t have any “recorded” cases of Lyme, these children couldn’t have Lyme disease.
This is still a glaring problem.

 

 

 

 

 

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Uncategorized

November 9, 2019 Meeting Reminder

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Don’t forget the support group meeting this Saturday.  For more info:

  • Saturday, November 9, 2019
  • East Madison Police Station – 809 S Thompson Dr. Madison, WI
  • 2:30-4:30pm
Hope to see you all there!

 

 

Category:

Uncategorized