Archive for the ‘Viruses’ Category

Monster Ticks Found in Germany Threaten Europe With Deadly Disease – Crimean-Congo Fever

https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1004232/disease-Crimean-Congo-fever-germany-monster-tick

MONSTER ticks found in Germany threaten Europe with DEADLY disease Crimean-Congo fever

A MONSTER tick species has found its way to Germany and threatens to spread DEADLY tropical disease Crimean-Congo fever across the whole of Europe.
tick
MONSTER ticks found in Germany threaten Europe with DEADLY disease Crimean-Congo fever (Image: Universitat Hohenheim)

 

Scientists in Germany have discovered a tropical tick which can grow up to an INCH LONG – 10 times bigger than a common tick.

The ticks, known as Hyalomma marginatum have the potential to spread the viral disease Crimean-Congo fever (CCHF).

Symptoms of CCHF include fever, muscle pains, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, and bleeding into the skin. A QUARTER of those contracting Crimean-Congo fever will die.

Researchers have blamed the unusually hot weather over Europe for the cause of the ticks movement northwards as more birds have migrated to Europe following the scorching temperature. (Please see comment at end of article)

Seven of the species were discovered this year – previously there have only been two examples of tropical ticks in Germany, one in 2015 and another in 2017.

Scientists are now concerned that as the warm temperatures continue to become more common in Germany, France and the UK the ticks could settle there and migrate across Europe permanently.

Parasitologist Ute Mackenstedt from the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart said: “We assume that we have to reckon with more and more tropical species of ticks in Germany that can settle here due to good weather conditions.”

crimean congo fever

Symptoms of CCHF include fever, muscle pains, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, and bleeding (Image: GETTY)

Dr Lidia Chitimia-Dobler, tick expert at the University of Hohenheim and the Institute for Microbiology (IMB) of the German Federal Armed Forces in Munich, said: “Five of the seven ticks we can determine beyond doubt, four are the species Hyalomma marginatum and one of the kind Hyalomma rufipes.

“We did not expect ticks here in Germany at this time.”

Dr Gerhard Dobler, physician and microbiologist at the IMB, added: “In one of the specimens found, we were able to prove the pathogen of a tropical form of tick typhus.”

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**Comment**

For another read on this monster tick in Germany:  https://www.dw.com/en/scientists-find-dangerous-tropical-ticks-in-germany/a-45086012  There is a video in the article that cites Lyme is easily cured with a couple weeks of antibiotics, yet treatment failures have been noted since the beginning of time.

They admit that they don’t even know what pathogens are transmitted in Germany, and that new ticks are cropping up there.

Please know that independent tick researcher John Scott has shown climate change has nothing to do with tick expansion or the spread of Lyme/MSIDS:   https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/08/13/study-shows-lyme-not-propelled-by-climate-change/

Scott shows that migratory birds are serving as transits carrying infected ticks all over the world, even in places where there aren’t any white-footed mice. He also shows numerous fallacies with the climate models – particularly the fact they don’t include important data.  In the end ticks are marvelous ecoadaptors and research has they can survive the harshest of conditions.  What does affect them is lack of light (photo period).  

https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/crimean-congo/index.html Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) can be transmitted to humans through infected ticks, animal blood, and infected human blood and/or bodily fluids (so human to human). CCHF has also been spread in hospitals due to improper sterilization.  Fatality rate in hospitalized patients has ranged from 9-50%.  Being a virus, care is supportive; however, it is sensitive in vitro to ribavirin, an anti-viral drug.  Recovery is slow.

Signs and symptoms:

  • Sudden onset of symptoms
  • headache
  • high fever
  • back pain
  • joint pain
  • stomach pain
  • vomiting
  • red eyes
  • flushed face
  • red throat & petechiae (red spots on palate are common)
  • jaundice
  • mood changes
  • sensory perception
  • severe bruising
  • sever nosebleeds
  • uncontrolled bleeding at injection sites

Please note the last quote of the story – that they proved a tropical form of tick typhus in one of tropical ticks found in Germany. Typhus, a bacteria, is making a comeback, particularly in the South. Common in the U.S. in the 40’s, and normally attributed to lice, now it’s been proven to be in a tick. In other words, another disease and a tick found where they supposedly shouldn’t be.

Typus is a rickettsial infection with ticks carring numerous species including rickettsia, ehrlichia, and anaplasma. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is also considered a tick-borne typhus fever.  https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/rocky_mountain_spotted_fever/fact_sheet.htm

Divided into the typhus group and the spotted fever group, disease is transmitted through ectoparasites (fleas, lice, mites, and ticks). Inhalation and inoculating conjunctiva with infectious material can also cause disease.  The good news for most is that doxycycline is a front-line drug for it.  Broad-spectrum antibiotics aren’t helpful.

 

FREE Webinar – Epstein-Barr & Chronic Fatigue Connection – Dr. Rawls

https://rawlsmd.com/webinars/epstein-barr-virus-chronic-fatigue-connection/?  Register here.  

When:  Wed. Aug. 22, 2018
Time:  8 pm EDT (7:00 in WI)

The Epstein-Barr Virus + Chronic Fatigue Connection

Chronic fatigue syndrome and reactivated Epstein-Barr virus share strikingly similar symptoms, including persistent and overwhelming fatigue, achiness, and flu-like symptoms that linger for months or longer. And many people who are diagnosed with one also discover (or suspect) that they have the other.So is Epstein-Barr virus to blame for chronic fatigue syndrome (or vice versa), and either way, what can you do to reclaim your energy and overall health?

Join a live webinar with best-selling author Dr. Bill Rawls, who has studied the relationship between microbes and chronic illness extensively, as he explains the surprising connection between EBV and CFS and offers a single set of solutions for overcoming both.

You’ll learn how to take control of your health and the essential steps for boosting your body’s natural defenses against microbial and other modern threats. 

PLUS: Have your questions ready for a LIVE Q&A on chronic fatigue syndrome and Epstein-Barr virus with Dr. Rawls.

In this webinar, Dr. Rawls & Tim Yarborough will also discuss:

  • Why only certain people who carry Epstein-Barr virus become ill
  • Why chronic fatigue syndrome was once called Epstein-Barr virus syndrome — but was later renamed
  • The number one thing that puts you at risk of developing both CFS and reactivated EBV
  • Connections between reactivated EBV, chronic fatigue, and other microbial infections
  • Dr. Bill Rawls’ holistic solutions for overcoming reactivated EBV, chronic fatigue syndrome, and all chronic illness

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**Comment**

Many with Lyme/MSIDS also struggle with chronic fatigue and/or EBV.  In fact, people have been misdiagnosed with both but had Lyme/MSIDS.  For more on EBV:

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/11/04/24514/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/04/11/diagnosed-with-ebv-had-lyme/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/04/25/ebv-protein-can-turn-on-genes-for-autoimmune-diseases/

 

 

 

 

 

What is La Crosse Encephalitis? Mosquito Bite Nearly Kills 6-Year-Old

https://www.newsweek.com/what-la-crosse-encephalitis-mosquito-bite-nearly-kills-6-year-old-1071088  (News video here)

What Is La Crosse Encephalitis? Mosquito Bite Nearly Kills 6-Year-Old

A North Carolina mother is warning other parents about the dangers of mosquitos after her son contracted the rare disease, La Crosse encephalitis (LACV), from a mosquito bite.
La Crosse encephalitis is a virus that is contracted through bites from infected mosquitos and can cause the person who was bitten to develop the severe neuroinvasive disease, which affects the nervous system, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Noah Surrett’s mother, LoriAnne, posted on Facebook that her 6-year-old son was diagnosed with La Crosse encephalitis after being bitten by a mosquito. Her son was in the intensive care unit of an Asheville, North Carolina, hospital and LoriAnne described him as being “like a zombie.”
The ordeal began when Noah experienced severe headaches before going to stay with his grandma. The next morning, his grandma called 911 when he simply wasn’t acting right. His lips turned blue and he began having seizures while the EMTs were checking on him.

“He sleeps 99 percent of the time and is only responsive a few times a day mainly when the pain meds are wearing off and he’s uncomfortable,” LoriAnne wrote. “They said that once he turns a corner and his body starts fighting it that he will progress rather fast. It’s just getting to that point.”

After a week in the hospital, Noah was allowed to return home and LoriAnne said on Todaythat there were times that she wasn’t sure if he would make it out of the hospital alive.

“Then all of a sudden, at 3:00 that day, he just sat up in bed and started talking to me,” she explained. “It was just mind-blowing how much — just in a matter of minutes it’s like he’d come to life.”

La Crosse mosquito A female mosquito begins to bite the photographer’s hand at Everglades National Park on August 12, 2002, in Flamingo, Florida. A 6-year-old boy developed La Crosse encephalitis after he was bit by a mosquito. Tom Ervin/Getty Images

Some people who become infected with LACV show no symptoms at all while others experience fever, headache, nausea, vomiting and tiredness, according to the CDC. “Encephalitis” means inflammation of the brain and can cause seizures, coma and paralysis. While anyone is susceptible to developing the disease, severe cases are often found in children who are under the age of 16.

The incubation period for LACV ranges from five to 15 days and though seizures are a serious side effect, the CDC explained that less than 1 percent of cases are fatal, and most patients recover fully. Treatment for LACV is done on a case by case basis dependent on the symptoms the person is experiencing, according to the CDC.

Many cases of LACV that have been reported are from the upper Midwestern states, though there has been an increase in reported cases in the mid-Atlantic and southeastern states. On average, 70 cases are reported each year in the United States.

To prevent the contraction of LACV, the CDC encouraged people who are going to be outside to wear insect repellent, long sleeves, pants and socks.

LoriAnne concluded her message on Facebook with a plea to other parents to use bug spray and check for bites. While it’s not 100 percent preventable, as someone who has experienced the disease herself, she said, “do what you can to try” to prevent your child from going through the same thing.

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For more on La Cross Encephalitis:  https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/arboviral/californiaserogroup.htm  Wisconsin has an average of 10 cases a year.

ca-serogroup-totalcases-2017

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/03/13/wed-nite-the-lab-talk-on-mosquitoes-ticks-disease/  Wisconsin has cases of West Nile, La Crosse Virus, and Jamestown Canyon Virus – which has increased in humans – they don’t know why.

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/05/22/mosquito-spit-alone-may-significantly-alter-your-immune-system-for-days-after-a-bite/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/02/12/wolbachia-laced-mosquitoes-being-released-why-lyme-msids-patients-might-be-negatively-affected/  They are tweaking mosquitoes in the lab and releasing them in the wild.  Nobody knows the outcome of this experiment.  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/07/10/wolbachia-the-next-frankenstein/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/06/29/summer-campers-face-deadly-ticks-mosquitoes/

Powassan Confirmed in Dutchess County

https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/news/local/2018/08/14/rare-tick-borne-powassan-virus-confirmed-dutchess-county/985053002/

Rare, tick-borne Powassan virus confirmed in Dutchess County

A rare, sometimes fatal tick-borne virus has been confirmed in Dutchess County.

Allison Kaufman, county public health advisor, said a case of the virus was confirmed in late July. The person who contracted the virus reported they had been ill since June, Kaufman said.

It is the second confirmed case of the virus in 2018; the first was confirmed in Columbia County in June.

“I think residents need to keep in mind this is a very serious disease but also a very rare disease,” Kaufman said. “The level of concern has to be proportional to the level of risk.”

She said county residents should maintain diligence in preventing tick bites to not only avoid the Powassan virus but also Lyme disease, anaplasmosis disease and babesiosis disease.

Powassan virus has symptoms that range from mild, flu-like symptoms to life-threatening encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain.

Kaufman said there is no “grace period” of tick attachment before the Powassan virus is transmitted. The virus could be transmitted in as little as 15 minutes as opposed to the 24-hour period connected with Lyme disease.

“Lint rollers can remove visible ticks crawling on clothes without having to touch the tick,” Kaufman said.

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/videos/life/wellness/2017/07/19/do-you-know-how-dangerous-ticks-really-/103825282/  Video here
Most Americans know that ticks can make them sick, and many take steps to avoid them.
Four cases were reported in the state last year, including one reported in Dutchess County. 

According to the Center for Disease Control, 21 cases of Powassan virus were reported between 2007 and 2016 in the state.

State and county health officials urge outdoors enthusiasts to take steps to protect themselves from tick-borne diseases.

These include:

  • Wear light-colored clothing with a tight weave to spot ticks easily, as well as enclosed shoes, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Tuck pant legs into socks or boots and shirt into pants.
  • Check clothes and any exposed skin frequently for ticks while outdoors.
  • Consider using insect repellent.
  • Stay on cleared, well-traveled trails. Walk in the center of trails. Avoid dense woods and bushy areas.
  • Bathe or shower as soon as possible after going indoors, preferably within two hours, to wash off and more easily find ticks.
  • Do a final, full-body tick check at the end of the day and remove ticks promptly. Also, check children and pets.

The mid-Hudson Valley, and Dutchess County in particular, have been a hot spot for Lyme disease, also a tick-borne illness, for years. More than 12,000 cases were diagnosed in the county between 2000 and 2016, according to the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/videos/news/2018/04/16/living-lyme-disease-young-girls-story/33751245/  Video here on Ella Buss who has Lyme.

Ryan Santistevan: rsantistev@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4809; Twitter: @SantistevanRyan

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**Comment**

Please know that just because something is rarely reported doesn’t mean it’s rare.

  1. Powassan can be spread in minutes
  2. Lyme can be spread in hours – it does not take 24-72 hours:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/04/14/transmission-time-for-lymemsids-infection/  Get ticks off you ASAP!
  3. We really need to revisit this idea of a “grace period” with tick attachment.  Really?

I recognized the little face in the second video on Ella Buss who has Lyme Disease.  Here is her story:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/08/12/lyme-disease-case-started-with-headaches/

 

 

Co-Infection Patterns in Wisconsin Black Legged Ticks Show Associations Between Viral, Eukaryotic & Bacterial Microorganisms

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/30037148/

Co-Infection Patterns in Individual Ixodes scapularis Ticks Reveal Associations between Viral, Eukaryotic and Bacterial Microorganisms.

Cross ST, et al. Viruses. 2018.

Abstract

Ixodes scapularis ticks harbor a variety of microorganisms, including eukaryotes, bacteria and viruses. Some of these can be transmitted to and cause disease in humans and other vertebrates. Others are not pathogenic, but may impact the ability of the tick to harbor and transmit pathogens. A growing number of studies have examined the influence of bacteria on tick vector competence but the influence of the tick virome remains less clear, despite a surge in the discovery of tick-associated viruses.

In this study, we performed shotgun RNA sequencing on 112 individual adult I. scapularis collected in Wisconsin, USA. We characterized the abundance, prevalence and co-infection rates of viruses, bacteria and eukaryotic microorganisms.

We identified pairs of tick-infecting microorganisms whose observed co-infection rates were higher or lower than would be expected, or whose RNA levels were positively correlated in co-infected ticks. Many of these co-occurrence and correlation relationships involved two bunyaviruses, South Bay virus and blacklegged tick phlebovirus-1. These viruses were also the most prevalent microorganisms in the ticks we sampled, and had the highest average RNA levels.

Evidence of associations between microbes included a positive correlation between RNA levels of South Bay virus and Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease agent. These findings contribute to the rationale for experimental studies on the impact of viruses on tick biology and vector competence.

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**Eukaryotes are protozoans or parasites which includes worms (nematodes/helminths)**

Mainstream medicine has yet to take into account the synergistic effect of all of the pathogens found within a tick upon human suffering.  So far they continue to believe this is a one pathogen/one disease/one drug paradigm, hence the mono-therapy of doxycycline as their answer to this 21st century plague.

Until this changes, we are doomed.