Nootkatone Against Ticks

April 12, 2018

Approx. 1:30

Approx. 5:00

Nootkatone on a treated finger vs an untreated finger

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.evolva.com/nootkatone-flavor/

Nootkatone kills ticks and is safe for humans. Additionally, a test was done that demonstrated that with soap containing nootkatone washed ticks off of mice. Therefore, as a personal care product, such as a soap, it could be very successful in preventing Lyme and almost all of the TBD pathogens with a simple evening shower or bath.

It could be successful because:

1. No new habits need to be formed, people already use soap and shampoo.
2. It is simple to use.
3. It would be relatively inexpensive.
4. It would be safe.
5. It would be better adhered to than tick checks and you don’t have to see them.

For more:  https://www.xconomy.com/san-diego/2011/04/28/nootkatone-so-a-peeling-in-grapefruit-is-repellent-to-mosquitoes-and-ticks/   When I profiled Allylix last summer, CEO Carolyn Fritz explained how the San Diego startup was using genetically engineered yeast and proprietary fermentation technology to produce specialized “aroma chemicals” for the $1.9 billion flavor and fragrance market. The company’s first product was a compound with a keen grapefruit taste and smell called nootkatone, a flavor enhancer previously extracted from grapefruit peels through a costly process…..Now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are pushing to develop nootkatone as a completely natural insect repellent, according to a recent report from National Public Radio.

 

 

Category:

Activism, Lyme, mosquitoes, Ticks, Treatment

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Pet Talk: Preventing LD in Pets

April 11, 2018

http://www.theeagle.com/pets/pet-talk-preventing-lyme-disease-in-pets/article_94c85116-26d5-11e8-a91c-2fe76f7c69f4.html

Dave McDermand/The Eagle

Pet Talk: Preventing Lyme disease in pets

By the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences Mar

Taylor Strange, a second-year veterinary student at Texas A&M, gets a kiss at the puppy-kissing booth from 6-month-old Ursula, a boxer mix, during the Texas A&M Veterinarian School open house on campus on April 1, 2017. The event attracted hundreds of prospective vet students, technicians and animal lovers who took facility tours, viewed outdoor and Texas Search and Rescue demonstrations and participated in a puppy-kissing booth. There also was a petting zoo, art display and dog breed tent.

We all know that pets are prone to getting fleas and ticks, but did you know that these pesky parasites could transmit dangerous diseases to your pet?

Maria Esteve-Gasent, assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, explained everything pet owners need to know about Lyme disease, a tick-borne illness.

“Lyme disease can affect both humans and companion animals,” Esteve-Gasent said. “Lyme disease is caused by the bacterial pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted by Ixodes ticks—also known as blacklegged or deer ticks. The ticks feed on infected animals—mostly wildlife—and, incidentally, feed on humans and companion animals, which spreads Lyme disease.”

One of the most common signs of Lyme disease in humans is a “bull’s eye” rash on the skin. People who are infected commonly experience flu-like symptoms, including fever and muscle and joint pain. Pets (mostly dogs) that are infected with Lyme disease experience transient fever, anorexia and in some instances arthritis, and can go asymptomatic for long periods of time.

“If left untreated, Lyme disease in people can progress into more chronic and serious disorders, such as carditis (inflammation of the heart that can affect the heart’s ability to function) and arthritis,” Esteve-Gasent said. “In dogs, we can observe kidney failure and heart and neurological complications. Thus, if left untreated in both humans and pets, Lyme disease can be fatal.”

How can we protect ourselves and our pets from Lyme disease? By preventing tick bites, Esteve-Gasent said.

Luckily, for our furry friends, there are a number of successful products that prevent ticks from biting pets. There are also vaccines available for dogs.

However, horses and humans are left with minimal alternatives for prevention.

“Consequently, we must use tick repellents to prevent tick bites,” Esteve-Gasent said. “People can also protect themselves by wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts when outdoors. Taping socks to pants can help prevent ticks from accessing human skin.”

Antibiotics are used to treat Lyme disease in both humans and animals. It may take several weeks of treatment to eliminate the bacteria from the infected person or animal.

You may be wondering, “With spring right around the corner, should we be extra cautious of Lyme disease?” Esteve-Gasent said the answer depends on where you are.

“In the Northeast and Midwest, the time of the year for Lyme disease is spring and summer, with fewer cases early in the fall,” Esteve-Gasent said. “In southern regions, or warmer regions, the risk of infection might be higher late in winter, spring, early summer and in the fall. However, if summers are too hot, ticks are not very active. Overall, if you go outdoors, keep the ticks off, regardless of whether it is summer, spring, or fall.”

A good thing to keep in mind is that if the weather is nice for you and your pets, it is also nice for ticks. If you spend the day outdoors, be sure to dress appropriately and make sure your pet is protected from troublesome ticks.

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**Comment**

Regarding risk of infection, IT CAN HAPPEN ANYTIME of the year.  My initial symptoms were in January in Wisconsin.

Ticks are ecoadaptive:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/01/20/polar-vorticks/ (great short video showing live ticks in the tundra)

Ticks love the Japanese Barberry & other invasives:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/01/20/manage-barberry-lower-ticks/

Ticks in strange places:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/10/27/israeli-kids-get-lyme-disease-from-ticks-in-caves/  Ticks found in caves.

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/03/13/ticks-found-on-rocks/  Ticks found on rocks and underneath wooden picnic tables and benches.

TV anchor says he got bit by a tick at a deck party with a tree overhead:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/07/13/tv-anchor-speaks-out-about-lyme-disease/  Many entomologists deny this yet I hear this story over and over.  I even heard of ticks blowing into swimming pools from the trees overhead.  I don’t know why anyone would deny this.  Think logically for a minute – birds and rodents carry ticks and climb trees.  Do the math.

Tick Prevention: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/05/11/tick-prevention-and-removal-2017/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/04/03/fire-good-news-for-tick-reduction/

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Ticks, Treatment

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Bb Can Cause Infectious Myelopathy

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29613895
Continuum (Minneap Minn). 2018 Apr;24(2, Spinal Cord Disorders):441-473. doi: 10.1212/CON.0000000000000597.

Infectious Myelopathies.

Grill MF.

Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW:
This article reviews bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic pathogens associated with myelopathy. Infectious myelopathies may be due to direct infection or parainfectious autoimmune-mediated mechanisms; this article focuses primarily on the former.
RECENT FINDINGS:
Some microorganisms exhibit neurotropism for the spinal cord (eg, enteroviruses such as poliovirus and flaviviruses such as West Nile virus), while others are more protean in neurologic manifestations (eg, herpesviruses such as varicella-zoster virus), and others are only rarely reported to cause myelopathy (eg, certain fungal and parasitic infections). Individuals who are immunocompromised are at increased risk of disseminated infection to the central nervous system. Within the last few years, an enterovirus D68 outbreak has been associated with cases of acute flaccid paralysis in children, and emerging Zika virus infection has been concurrent with cases of acute flaccid paralysis due to Guillain-Barré syndrome, although cases of myelitis have also been reported. Associated pathogens differ by geographic distribution, with myelopathies related to Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease) and West Nile virus more commonly seen in the United States and parasitic infections encountered more often in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Characteristic CSF and MRI patterns have been identified with many of these infections.
SUMMARY:
A myriad of pathogens are associated with infectious myelopathies. Host factors, geographic distribution, clinical features, CSF profiles, and MRI findings can assist in formulating the differential diagnosis and ultimately guide management.

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**Comment**

Myelopathy is a neurologic deficit related to the spinal cord which can be caused by trauma (spinal cord injury) or inflammation (myelitis).  Inflammation can be caused by numerous things including pathogens such as Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), the causative agent of Lyme Disease, as well as numerous viruses that can also be a part of the Lyme/MSIDS symptom picture which can be transmitted directly from ticks or activated due to the reaction of the body to the tick bite.  Much research is needed in this particular area.

Myelopathy is typically a clinical diagnosis with patients complaining of weakness, clumsiness, muscle atrophy, sensory deficits, bowel/bladder symptoms, sexual dysfunction, altered tons, spasticity, and hyperreflexia among other symptoms.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myelopathy  Treatment depends upon the underlying cause.  If infectious, pathogen specific antibiotics, and/or things to reduce inflammation are in order.

Personal response:  While I was not diagnosed with myelopathy specifically, one of my hallmark symptoms was spinal and occipital pain.  After ruling out Chiari:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/04/02/chiari/ and regularly seeing an upper cervical chiropractor for structural malalignment, MSM helped me tremendously.  Please read about MSM here:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/03/02/dmso-msm-for-lyme-msids/

Make sure to discuss all treatment options with your health care provider.

 

 

Category:

Lyme, mosquitoes, Pain Management, research, Ticks, Viruses, Zika

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BBA57 Found to Help Bb Evade Immune System

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29610317

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 Apr 2. pii: 201718595. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1718595115. [Epub ahead of print]

Plasticity in early immune evasion strategies of a bacterial pathogen.

Bernard Q, Smith AA, Yang X, Koci J, Foor SD, Cramer SD, Zhuang X, Dwyer JE, Lin YP, Mongodin EF, Marques A, Leong JM, Anguita J, Pal U.

Abstract

Borrelia burgdorferi is one of the few extracellular pathogens capable of establishing persistent infection in mammals. The mechanisms that sustain long-term survival of this bacterium are largely unknown. Here we report a unique innate immune evasion strategy of B. burgdorferi, orchestrated by a surface protein annotated as BBA57, through its modulation of multiple spirochete virulent determinants. BBA57 function is critical for early infection but largely redundant for later stages of spirochetal persistence, either in mammals or in ticks. The protein influences host IFN responses as well as suppresses multiple host microbicidal activities involving serum complement, neutrophils, and antimicrobial peptides. We also discovered a remarkable plasticity in BBA57-mediated spirochete immune evasion strategy because its loss, although resulting in near clearance of pathogens at the inoculum site, triggers nonheritable adaptive changes that exclude detectable nucleotide alterations in the genome but incorporate transcriptional reprograming events. Understanding the malleability in spirochetal immune evasion mechanisms that ensures their host persistence is critical for the development of novel therapeutic and preventive approaches to combat long-term infections like Lyme borreliosis.

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**Comment**

So it’s recognized that Borrelia Burgdorferi is capable of causing persistent infection in “mammals,” but evidently, according to the CDC/IDSA/NIH, not humans.  

This would be humorous if it didn’t kill people.

 

 

Category:

Lyme, research, Ticks, Transmission

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Repairing Relationships After Illness – Jon Butcher

April 10, 2018

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/jon_butcher-5.mp3  Podcast

Jay Davidson interviews Jon Butcher as part of the Chronic Lyme Disease Summit #2 to discuss his creation of Lifebook. Lifebook is a tool that helps you to examine and illustrate 12 important categories of your life, including health and fitness, financial life, career, love relationship, parenting, and more. Jon walks us through the background of Lifebook and has a special offer for Chronic Lyme Disease Summit #2 listeners who want to get started today!

Take the FREE Lifebook Assessment, it takes less than 20 minutes!
or…
Sign up for the Chronic Lyme Disease Summit #2 Lifebook special by clicking HERE!

 

 

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Psychological Aspects

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