Archive for the ‘Viruses’ Category

First Case of Powassan in Connecticut in a Five Month-Old Baby

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2017/04/20/a-rare-tick-borne-disease-infected-a-baby-the-first-case-in-a-new-state/?utm_term=.ee921d023ecb by Lena H. Sun

Two weeks after pulling a tick off that had only been attached for 2-3 hours, a five month  old baby developed a fever, vomiting, facial twitching, and seizures.  A brain MRI showed inflammation deep in the brain.

Thankfully, the physician in charge studied in Upstate New York and was familiar with Powassan – a virus which can be fatal in up to 10 percent of cases.

For more on Powassan symptoms and treatment:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/02/21/powassan-virus/

Unfortunately, the article by Sun repeats the oft repeated transmission myth that a tick needs to be attached for days to transmit Lyme Disease.  While it’s true that viruses, such as Powassan can be spread in minutes, Lyme Disease has been spread in hours:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/04/14/transmission-time-for-lymemsids-infection/  A minimum time has never been established.  We don’t even know how long it takes other coinfections to be transmitted as well as nematodes, funguses, and other bacteria/protozoa.  Please remember a tick transmits many pathogens when it bites.

She also wrongly states that only the CDC can test for Powassan.  Right here in good old Wisconsin, Coppe Labs can test for it as well.  http://www.coppelabs.com/blog/powassan-virus-testing-available-in-march-2016/

A month after being sent home the baby couldn’t sit up anymore, but three months later his motor function returned to normal.

Sun also states that Powassan virus is rare.  I tend to agree with the physician who treated the baby that clinicians are probably only diagnosing the worst cases.  Folks that do not show symptoms, as in the case of many viruses, fly under the radar.  When bit by a tick; however, a pathogen invasion can trigger these normally benign viruses that are either lurking in the body or are transmitted at the same time as Lyme Disease and other pathogens.  I also agree with his statement that it is important to study Powassan in both ticks and people to determine just how prolific it really is.

 

 

 

Category:

Ticks, Viruses

Mast Cell Activation Syndrome & Lyme/MSIDS

The path to health leads many Lyme/MSIDS patients down numerous rabbit holes.  A pathogen invasion of various bacteria, funguses, viruses, and nematodes depletes the body of many important things.  We are literally being feasted upon, and patients find that they need to supplement their deprived bodies of many things after becoming infected.

Pathogen invasion also causes autoimmunity, where the body attacks itself. Cytokine cascades are continually being set off and the body is in a state of immunoconfusion with a pro-inflammatory response.  The immune system can no longer identify bad guys from good guys.  For many, getting the immune system straightened out is at least half the battle.

Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) can cause these things as well.

Dr. Lawrence Afrin, M.D. wrote about MCAS in his book, Never Bet Against Occam.  In reading the book, it becomes clear there are as many nuances with MCAS as there are with Lyme/MSIDS.  Every patient is truly, uniquely different. In treatment, there is much trial and error, with each patient responding to differing things.

Our personal experience with MCAS stems from my daughter who developed allergy-type symptoms over years which came to a head when she developed severe Epstein Bar Virus (EBV).  Prior to that she would frequently have to stop running or walking due to severe itching (exercise induced urticardia).  http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(11)63475-7/fulltext  Our LLMD uses LDA/LDI for those with immunoconfusion with success.  Although, she thankfully doesn’t present with Lyme/MSIDS, she definitely struggles with a confused immune system and EBV.  Read here for more on LDA/LDI:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/05/30/new-kids-on-the-block-ldaldi/  In her case, she reacted strongly to the LDA.  The injections are  somewhat separated so you can visibly see what your issues are.  She developed a facial rash which was deep and painful.  Within a day of her shot it resolved completely, showing how skin symptoms can definitely be caused by allergens and immunoconfusion.

IMG_0475

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mast-cell-activation-syndrome-mcas-when-histamine-carnahan-md?trk=v-feed&lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ap_flagship3_search_srp_content%3BH0Gf8FqaKVxrspeojT9VVA%3D%3D

Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS): When Histamine Goes Haywire…

Published on October 31, 2016
Jill C. Carnahan, MD – Used with permission
Founder, Medical Director, Flatiron Functional Medicine

Mast cells are present in most tissues throughout the human body, especially connective tissue, skin, intestinal lining cardiovascular system, nervous system, and reproductive organs. They are part of the allergic response designed to protect us from threat and injury. When the body is exposed to a perceived threat, the mast cells secrete chemical mediators, such as histamine, interleukins, prostaglandins, cytokines, chemokine and various other chemicals stored in the cytoplasm of the cell. These chemical messengers produce both local and systemic effects, such as increased permeability of blood vessels (inflammation and swelling), contraction of smooth muscle (stomach cramps and heart palpitations), and increase mucous production (congestion, sneezing, etc). Historically, we thought of mast cells only in relation to an allergic or anaphylactic response. We now know they play a profound role in immune activation, development of autoimmunity and many other disorders, such as POTS (postural orthostatic hypotension). Sadly we are seeing a large increase in patients presenting with mast cell disorders and MCAS. I believe it is in part do to the onslaught of more pervasive environmental toxins, molds and chemicals.

Without mast cells, we would not be able to heal from a wound. They protect us from injury and help the body to heal. Unfortunately, overactive mast cells can cause a variety of serious symptoms.

Symptoms of overactive mast cells may include:

skin rashes/hives
swelling/edema
flushing
itching
abdominal pain
nausea/vomiting
diarrhea
wheezing
shortness of breath
heart palpitations
anxiety, difficulty concentrating
headaches
brain fog
low blood pressure
fatigue

Mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) is a condition symptoms involving the skin, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurologic systems. It can be classified into primary (clonal proliferation or mastocytosis), secondary (due to a specific stimulus), and idiopathic (no identifiable cause). Proposed criteria for the diagnosis of MCAS included episodic symptoms consistent with mast cell mediator release affecting two or more organ systems with hives, swelling, flushing, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, low blood pressure, fainting, heart palpitations, wheezing, red eyes, itching, and/or nasal congestion.

Triggers may be medications, foods, supplements, hormones, opioids, stressors (physical or emotional), cold temperature, heat, pressure, noxious odors, chemicals, insect bites, trauma or environmental toxins.

We commonly see mast cell activation syndromes associated with CIRS (chronic inflammatory response syndrome) in response to biotoxins, such as mold, inflammagens, and lyme-related toxins.

Low MSH and Mast Cell Disorders?

As mentioned above, we frequently see histamine intolerance and MCAS in patients with mold-related CIRS (chronic inflammatory response syndrome). It is interesting to note that a common finding in CIRS is low MSH. According to this study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, alpha-MSH plays an immunomodulatory role during inflammatory and allergic reactions of the skin. In addition, there is evidence that MSH induces mast-cell apoptosis (cell death).

Definition of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)

Typical clinical symptoms as listed above
Increase in serum tryptase level or an increase in other mast cell derived mediators, such as histamine or prostaglandins (PGD2), or their urinary metabolites,
Response of symptoms to treatment

Diseases Associated with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)

Allergies and Asthma
Autism
Autoimmune diseases (Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, systemic lupus, multiple sclerosis, bullous pemphigoid, rheumatoid arthritis and others.                                            Eczema
Celiac Disease
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
CIRS (chronic inflammatory response syndrome)
Eosinophilic Esophagitis
Fibromyalgia
Food Allergy and Intolerances
Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD)
Infertility (mast cells in endometrium may contribute to endometriosis)
Interstitial Cystitis
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Migraine Headaches
Mood disorders – anxiety, depression, and insomnia
Multiple Chemical Sensitivities
POTS (postural orthostatic hypotension)

Mast cells are known to be the primary responders in allergic reactions, orchestrating strong responses to minute amounts of allergens. Several recent observations indicate that they may also have a key role in coordinating the early phases of autoimmune diseases, particularly those involving auto-antibodies.

Lab tests specific to mast cell activation for suspected MCAS may include:

Serum tryptase (most famous mast cell mediator)
Serum chromogranin A
Plasma histamine
Plasma PGD2 (chilled)
Plasma heparin (chilled)
Urine for PGD2 (chilled)
PGF2a
N-methylhistamine

Tryptase is the most famous mast cell mediator. Serum tryptase value is usually normal in MCAS patients, but sometimes it is elevated. Tryptase values that show an increase of 20% + 2 ng/ml above the baseline level are considered diagnostic for MCAS.
Chromogranin A is a heat-stable mast cell mediator. High levels can suggest MCAS, but other sources must first be ruled out, such as heart failure, renal insufficiency, neuroendocrine tumors and proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use.
Heparin is a very sensitive and specific marker of mast cell activation. However, due to its quick metabolism in the body, it is very difficult to measure reliably.
N-methylhistamine is usually measured in a 24 hour urine test to account for the variability in release over the course of the day.
Prostaglandin D2 is produced by several other cell types, but mast cell release is responsible for the dominant amount found in the body. PGD2 is less stable than histamine and metabolized completely in 30 minutes.
Other less specific mast cell mediators that are sometimes abnormal in MCAS patients include Factor VIII, plasma free norepinephrine, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and interleukin-6.

Treatments to reduce MCAS symptoms and lower histamine

H1 Blockers – hydroxyzine, doxepine, diphenhydramine, cetirizine, loratadine, fexofenadine
H2 Blockers Famotidine (Pepcid, Pepcid AC), Cimetidine (Tagamet, Tagamet HB) Ranitidine (Zantac)
Leukotriene inhibitors: Montelukast (Singulair), Zafirlukast (Accolate)
Mast cell stabilizers -Cromolyn, Ketotifen
Tyrosine kinase inhibitors – imatinib
Natural anti-histamines and mast-cell stabilizers
Ascorbic Acid
Quercetin
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxal-5-phosphate)
Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil, krill oil)
Alpha Lipoic Acid
N-acetylcysteine (NAC)
Methylation donors (SAMe, B12, methyl-folate, riboflavin)
Certain probiotics decrease histamine productionLactobacillus rhamnosus and bifidobacter species
DAO Enzymes with meals – Xymogen HistDAO or Histamine
Decrease consumption of high histamine foods (more on histamine-restricted diet)
Avoid alcoholic beverages
Avoid raw and cured sausage products such as salami.
Avoid processed or smoked fish products. Use freshly caught seafood instead.
Avoid pickles
Avoid citrus fruits.
Avoid chocolate
Avoid nuts
Avoid products made with yeast and yeast extracts
Avoid soy sauce and fermented soy products
Avoid black tea and instant coffee
Avoid aged cheese
Avoid spinach in large quantities
Avoid tomatoes, ketchup and tomato sauces
Avoid artificial food colorings & preservatives
Avoid certain spices: cinnamon, chili powder, cloves, anise, nutmeg, curry powder, cayenne pepper

Specific Symptom Treatment in MCAS

(Mast cell activation disease: a concise practical guide for diagnostic workup and therapeutic options)

Headache⇒ paracetamol; metamizole; flupirtine
Diarrhea⇒ colestyramine; nystatin; montelukast; ondansetron
Colicky abdominal pain ⇒ metamizole; butylscopolamine
Nausea⇒ metoclopramide; dimenhydrinate; 5-HT3 receptor inhibitors; icatibant
Respiratory symptoms (mainly increased production of viscous mucus and obstruction with compulsive throat clearing) ⇒ montelukast; acute: short-acting albuterol
Gastric complaints⇒ proton pump inhibitors
Osteoporosis, bone pain⇒ biphosphonates, Vitamin D plus calcium
Non-cardiac chest pain⇒ H2-histamine receptor antagonist; proton pump inhibitors
Tachycardia⇒ verapamil; AT1-receptor antagonists; ivabradin
Neuropathies ⇒ a-lipoic acid
Interstitial cystitis⇒ pentosan, amphetamines
Sleep-onset insomnia/sleep-maintenance insomnia⇒ triazolam/oxazepam
Conjunctivitis⇒ preservative-free eye drops with glucocorticoids for brief course
Elevated prostaglandin levels, persistant flushing⇒ incremental doses of acetylsalicylic acid (50-350 mg/day; extreme caution because of the possibility to induce mast cell degranulation)

For more on MCAS, Lyme/MSIDS, and parasites:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/03/23/rebecca-keith-on-mcas-parasites-lymemsids/

References

Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, A Review http://www.jillcarnahan.com/downloads/MCASReview.pdf
Mast cell activation disease: a concise practical guide for diagnostic workup and therapeutic options  http://jhoonline.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1756-8722-4-10
Presentation, Diagnosis and Management of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome by Dr. Afrin  http://www.jillcarnahan.com/downloads/MCAS-Afrin.pdf
Histamine and Gut Immune Mucosal Regulation  http://www.jillcarnahan.com/downloads/Histamine-gut.pdf
Dr. Theoharides presents “Mast Cell Disorders”  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92nrFwcNSwc&feature=youtu.be
Diagram of Histamine Symptoms  https://mastcellblog.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/mast-cell-symptoms.jpg
Mast Cell Aware  http://www.mastcellaware.com
A Tale of Two Syndromes  http://www.dysautonomiainternational.org/blog/wordpress/a-tale-of-two-syndromes-pots-and-mcas/
Mold Histamine Connection  https://healinghistamine.com/the-mold-histamine-link/

Category:

Lyme, Treatment, Viruses

Diagnosed with EBV Had Lyme

https://academic.oup.com/cid/article-abstract/doi/10.1093/cid/cix298/3100248/Early-Disseminated-Lyme-Disease-Causing-False?redirectedFrom=fulltext

Early Disseminated Lyme Disease Causing False Positive Serology for Primary Epstein-Barr Virus Infection – Report of 2 Cases

Adriana J. Pavletic, MD, PhD Adriana R. Marques, MD
Clin Infect Dis cix298. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/cix298
Published: 04 April 2017

Abstract
False positive serology for Lyme disease was reported in patients with acute infectious mononucleosis. Here we describe two patients with early-disseminated Lyme disease who were misdiagnosed with infectious mononucleosis based on false positive tests for primary Epstein-Barr virus infection.

Category:

Lyme, research, Viruses

Podcast: Lyme Disease and Tick-Borne Co-infections

https://globallymealliance.org/podcast-lyme-disease-tick-borne-co-infections/

PODCAST: LYME DISEASE AND TICK-BORNE CO-INFECTIONS
January 17, 2017

The most common tick-borne infection is Lyme disease. However, infected ticks also carry and spread numerous co-infections.

The newest Global Lyme Alliance podcast, with GLA’s Dr. Harriet Kotsoris and Dr. Mayla Hsu, discusses Lyme disease and the co-infections that are often transmitted along with the initial tick bite. Below is an excerpt.  https://soundcloud.com/user-988784721/lyme-disease-and-tick-borne-co-infections  (Click on this link for the entire podcast or you can fast forward to 13:15 and it will pick up at Bartonella which is where the transcript stops below.  It also goes into viruses and STARI).

Host: In this podcast we’re going to expand our discussion to include co-infecting tick-borne diseases that are often transmitted along with Lyme. I’m in our studio with Dr. Harriet Kotsoris and Dr. Mayla Hsu who are science and research officers at the Global Lyme Alliance. I’ll start off by asking, what is a tick-borne infection?
Dr. Harriet Kotsoris: A tick-borne infection is an infectious disease spread by the bite of an infected tick. The most common is Lyme disease but many others are present in the same tick bite. Depending on the location and the season, up to half of all ticks may have had more than one kind of microbe or disease producing organism that can make humans very sick. The list of microbes is expanding up to 11 or 12 at last count, but we’ll focus today on the major ones. These are called co-infections, the simultaneous infection of a host by multiple pathogenic or disease producing organisms.
There is an increasing number of ticks that are multiply infected as we just said. In a recent west European study of Ixodes ricinus ticks, very similar to the American black legged deer tick, up to 45% of those ticks were co-infected with up to five pathogens or disease producing organisms. We have a similar experience here in the United States.
Host: How many people get tick-borne infections?
Dr. Kotsoris: The Centers for Disease Control calculates about 330,000 Lyme disease cases per year but it may be even over 400,000. It’s not really understood how many of these are also infected with other microbes, which in some cases cause different illnesses that require different diagnostic tests and different treatments.
Host: What can you tell us about the ticks that spread these diseases?
Dr. Mayla Hsu: Well in the United States there are different families of ticks that may be co-infected with various pathogens. As Harriet just mentioned, the Ixodes ticks or the black-legged ticks are now in half of all United States counties. There’s another tick that is further south, known as the Lone Star and there is also an American dog tick called Dermacentor that also harbors infectious microbes.
Host: How about internationally?
Dr. Hsu: Well it seems that ticks are generally found in all temperate climate zones, so there are the Ixodes species in North America, these are also found in Europe and Asia, there are other ticks found in Africa, parts of temperate Africa, that infect humans as well as animals there, and they’re responsible for causing relapsing fevers. There are soft ticks, Ornithodoros, the Ornithodoros family of ticks, that are found in South America and Western Africa, and these too are associated with causing diseases in humans. The jury is still out in Australia. There are ticks there but it’s not known whether or not they’re correlating with human disease.
Host: What do we know about changing tick geography?
Dr. Kotsoris: It seems that in the United States, the geographic range where ticks are found is expanding and we know that with climate change the range is also changing, so for instance, it is expanding northwards into Canada where Lyme disease was never a concern, it now is starting to emerge. We can expect and see more tick-borne diseases elsewhere, also spreading in through the United States. These are now classified as emerging infections and so public health authorities are very concerned about this and tracking the emergence of more tick-borne illnesses.
Host: What are some of the emerging tick-borne diseases and again we’re going to focus only on the major ones about which the most is known.
Dr. Hsu: One of the more interesting tick-borne illnesses that has been emerging in recent years is called babesiosis. This is an illness caused by a parasite that’s very similar to malaria. It’s called Babesia, Babesia microti. This is characterized by recurrent fevers, so people get fevers that spike and then go away and then come back over and over again, chills, muscle and joint aches and pains and it can be actually fatal in rare cases. The diagnostic test for this is not a blood test looking for antibodies, rather the blood is examined under a microscope and here you can see the organism actually growing in red blood cells, so just like malaria it grows in red blood cells and you can see it in a blood smear and the treatment required for this is also very similar to anti-malaria therapies, so that’s drugs that are similar to quinine but also anti-protozoan drugs like Atovaquone, also known as Mepron, and antibiotics, azithromycin and clindamycin.
About 1,800 people were reported to have gotten babesiosis in the year 2013, and the numbers are rising so where we see Lyme disease we are also starting to see more and more Babesia, and it’s important to point out that the treatment and diagnostic for Babesia is different from that of Lyme disease, so if Lyme disease is suspected and is looked for, and treated, a person who also has Babesia will not get adequately diagnosed or treated and can continue to be ill.
Host: There are several bacterial diseases that are spread by ticks that have been getting more attention in recent years, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia.
Dr. Kotsoris: Yes, historically these started out as veterinary diseases. They were identified in the late 80s and early 1990s, after having been studied as long-standing veterinary problems. These organisms belong to a group known as the Rickettsiae, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, and Rickettsia itself. These are what we call obligate intracellular parasites. They’re bacteria that only live inside the cells of another organism, and that’s how they affect humans. Human granulocytic anaplasmosis is what we call a gram-negative bacterium of the rickettsia family. It invades white blood cells after a tick bite by an infected tick and it travels and lodges within granulocytes or the neutophils, the white blood cells of the human being.
About one to two weeks after the bite, the patient will develop spiking fevers, headache, drop in white blood count, drop in platelet count…the platelets are responsible for clotting blood, and a rise of liver function tests indicative of an inflammation of the liver. These organisms are very smart and release a chemical substance known as a chemokine, or a cytokine, interleukin-8 that actually is an attracting chemical for white blood cells to help propagate the infection throughout the body. The diagnosis has to be made by blood smear because the comparison of acute and convalescent sera that is the development of convalescent antibodies may be too late in the game, that the patient will have been compromised medically and treatment will have been delayed. The diagnosis can also be made by something known as polymerase chain reaction and the treatment is doxycycline, 100 milligrams twice a day, similar to what’s used in acute Lyme disease and the treatment is until three days after the disappearance of the fever.
Related is something known as human monocytic ehrlichiosis. Ehrlichia and Anaplasma were used interchangeably in the past, but now they’ve been divided into separate categories because of the bacterial composition. Human granulocytic anaplasmosis is carried by the black legged deer tick, Ixodes scapularis, Ixodes pacificus on the west coast, but this vector for human monocytic ehrlichiosis is the Lone star tick, or Amblyomma americanum and Dermacentor variabilis, the American dog tick. The classic infection in the Midwest in particular is by Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Ehrlichia ewingii, more so chaffeensis. Usually peaking in July, usually affecting males older than 50 years old, and again, within a few weeks of the tick bite, the patient develops headaches, muscle aches, otherwise known as myalgias, fatigue, a drop in white blood count, a drop in platelet count, fever, gastrointestinal systems, which may lead to also respiratory insufficiency and kidney failure.
The three states most affected by Ehrlichia chaffeensis and ewingii are Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas. They account for 30% of the reported cases of these bacterial species. The numbers have been reported in the low thousands over the last few years. In 2009, a third cause of human ehrlichiosis was identified in the upper Midwest. This has been known as Ehrlichia muris-like agent. Interestingly, it also exists in Eastern Europe and Asia. The detection of this pathogen or disease producing organism is by looking for the DNA, that is the genetic material, of this organism in the blood of patients. About 2.5% of Ixodes scapularis ticks are infected by this E. muris type agent. Note that this one is spread by Ixodes scapularis, the black legged deer tick, not the Lone Star tick as in human monocytic ehrlichiosis.
One of the better known bacterial infections that people read about, hear about, especially with people traveling into the Rocky Mountain area, into the Midwest, into the Southeast, is something known as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. This is Rickettsia rickettsia…it is spread by the American dog tick, by the Rocky Mountain wood tick, and by the brown dog tick. There are reported 14 cases per million population, peaking in April through September. Despite its name, as I said before, it’s not confined to the Rocky Mountains, it’s also found in the southeastern United States. These bacteria, after the tick bite, travel within the blood stream and lodge within endothelial cells, that’s the lining cells of small blood vessels, and elicit inflammatory changes and make the blood vessels leaky, affecting all organs infected, especially the skin and the adrenal glands. The platelets responsible for clotting are consumed and you may have kidney malfunctioning.
Patient will present with severe headaches, high fevers, a few days after the bite and a few days after that, a spotted rash on the wrists, palms, and ankles. Patient may also have abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and other generalized symptoms. The mortality rate can be as high as 4% and this is caused by a delay in diagnosis and treatment. The treatment is doxycycline and patients do best, and have a much lower morbidity and mortality if they’re treated within five days of being infected.
Below is the full podcast with Dr. Kotsoris and Dr. Hsu. They continue their overview of Lyme and co-infections, specifically Bartonella and the Powassan virus.

Follow Global Lyme Alliance on SoundCloud to hear future podcasts.

Category:

Activism, Anaplasmosis, Babesia, Bartonella, Lyme, Rickettsia, Ticks, Viruses

TBI’s On the Rise

http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/03/11/519518318/beyond-lyme-new-tick-borne-diseases-on-the-rise-in-u-s?sc=17&f=1001&utm_source=iosnewsapp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=app

The link above has the story of Tucker Lane who developed a pounding headache, tremors, high fever with profuse sweating, projectile vomiting, and double vision after finding attached ticks on his hip.

Doctors accused him of drug abuse….. (again, you can’t make this stuff up)

Thankfully the doctors were proven wrong after brain scans showed his brain was swelling.  Within 48 hours he was in a coma.  

An MRI showed inflammation deep inside his brain.  

Tucker’s mom, Lynn Cash, knew it was caused by the ticks.

Tucker was in a coma for an entire week until one day he turned his head to look at his mom when she came to visit.

What caused this severe illness?  Powassan Virus.  

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/02/21/powassan-virus/, https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/08/31/wi-coppe-lab-in-the-news/

  Approx 1 hour: Published on Jun 6, 2016
Dr. David Baewer, MD, PhD, presents information about the relation of Powassan & other arboviruses to MSIDS (multi systemic infectious disease syndrome – or Lyme with friends) to the Madison Area Lyme Support Group

Tucker is one of the fortunate ones and his recovery stunned doctors.

Lyn Snow, age 73, didn’t fare as well.  She became incoherent and began talking to paintings after a tick bite.  Within a week she was in the ICU, on a ventilator, and completely unresponsive.  Lyn didn’t make it.

The NPR article shows maps of reported cases of various TBI’s in the U.S.  Please, don’t be fooled, these maps show a fraction of the true infection rate.  Many patients do not meet the CDC criteria to be in the range to be reported, and the testing for all of these infections is abysmal, only picking up a small amount of those truly infected.  Which means it’s much, much worse than what’s being reported.

 

 

 

 

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Viruses