Meningoencephalitis Due to Borrelia Miyamotoi

November 7, 2022

https://danielcameronmd.com/meningoencephalitis-borrelia-miyamotoi/

Meningoencephalitis due to Borrelia miyamotoi

Meningoencephalitis-Borrelia-miyamotoi
In their case report, Gandhi and colleagues, describe an immunocompetent patient who developed acute-onset, progressive encephalopathy due to an infection with Borrelia miyamotoi.

By Dr. Daniel Cameron

A 73-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with a 16-day history of confusion and intermittent headaches. He was an avid gardener and reportedly had tick bites in the past but none that he noticed in the weeks prior to his symptoms.

Initially, he developed “right-sided facial droop and associated numbness, confusion, and word-finding difficulties,” the authors write in the article “Borrelia miyamotoi Meningoencephalitis in an Immunocompetent Patient.”¹

His symptoms, which had improved, were attributed to a mini-stroke.

However, “Over the next 2 weeks, he continued to feel numbness in his right face and developed worsening confusion, intermittent headaches, and excessive fatigue; he was afebrile throughout this time.”¹

The patient tested positive for Lyme disease by EIA but negative by Western blot.

He was “empirically treated with intravenous ceftriaxone for treatment of presumed Lyme meningoencephalitis, and his mental status rapidly improved,” the authors write.

READ MORE: What is Borrelia miyamotoi?

When repeat testing for Lyme disease was negative by Western blot, clinicians considered another tick-borne infection – Borrelia miyamotoi.

The man tested positive for B. miyamotoi and made a “nearly full neurological recovery with only residual intermittent right facial numbness” after anti-Borrelia antibiotic treatment.

The authors conclude:

  • “Our case therefore highlights the need to include B. miyamotoi disease in the differential diagnosis for any patient who presents with acute onset, progressive encephalopathy with culture-negative CSF in B. miyamotoi–endemic regions, not just those who are immunocompromised.”
  • “Our case highlights the importance of considering B. miyamotoi in clinically suspicious cases of meningoencephalitis, including when B. burgdorferi EIA results are positive but the WB is negative.”
Related Articles:

Could Borrelia miyamotoi infections explain persistent symptoms in Lyme disease patients?
Blood smear not reliable in diagnosing Borrelia miyamotoi disease
Doctors face challenges in diagnosing Borrelia miyamotoi

References:
  1. Gandhi S, Narasimhan S, Workineh A, Mamula M, Yoon J, Krause PJ, Farhadian SF. Borrelia miyamotoi Meningoencephalitis in an Immunocompetent Patient. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2022 Jun 13;9(7):ofac295. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofac295. PMID: 35873293; PMCID: PMC9301576.

For more:

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Lyme & Herxheimer Reactions: Your Guide to Feeling Well Again

Lyme + Herxheimer Reactions: Your Guide to Feeling Good Again

by Dr. Bill Rawls
Updated 8/18/22

It’s one of life’s cruel chronic illness jokes: You discover a new therapy for Lyme disease and are really optimistic about your odds of finally feeling better. Then, within a day or two of starting the regimen, your symptoms take a turn for the worse — intense fatigue, insomnia, and pain wash over you, and you feel like you did during your worst days of chronic illness. Could it be the dreaded Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction you keep hearing about from others undergoing Lyme treatment?

Unfortunately, answering that question is no easy feat. To help you better understand what’s happening, we’ll explain Herxheimer reactions and the best ways to differentiate them from other possible issues. Keep reading for advice, plus steps you can take now to feel better — without derailing your recovery.

Herxheimer Reactions, Defined

Herxheimer reactions were first observed in syphilis patients by dermatologists Adolf Jarisch and Karl Herxheimer in the late 1800s and early 1900s. They noticed that their patients receiving treatment often got worse before they got better. The phenomenon was dubbed the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction and has since been shortened to Herxheimer reaction, herxing, or simply, herx.

“The classic explanation of a Herxheimer reaction in people with Lyme is that when borrelia bacteria are killed off by an antibiotic or herbal therapy, parts of dead bacteria called endotoxins are shed,” explains Dr. Rawls. “These endotoxins then circulate throughout the body and cause an intense whole-body inflammatory reaction. And that makes the war against microbes that’s already going on inside your body worse.”

In general, herx reactions are more common and more intense with conventional antibiotic use than with herbs, says Dr. Rawls. “With herbs, the bacterial die‐off is more gradual, and the immune response is less intense.”

Either way, the intensification of your symptoms can be disconcerting, and if you’re treating Lyme, the odds are good you’ll experience herxing: While there’s no clinical research on the prevalence of herxing, anecdotally, it seems the majority of Lyme patients experience it at some point. And provided it’s not too intense, that’s actually good news: “It’s often a sign that the therapy is working,” says Dr. Rawls.

How To Tell If It’s Herxing—Or Something Else

Herx reactions can throw you for a loop for a few reasons.

For starters, symptoms vary from person to person, says Dr. Rawls, and they’re easy to confuse with other health concerns that are also highly likely in those with chronic Lyme, including a disease flare-up, adverse reaction to a new Lyme treatment, or food sensitivities (digestive issues are highly common in people who have Lyme). What’s more, the timing of any of these issues can also overlap, making it difficult to track your symptoms to their source.

For help clearing up the confusion and determining what’s to blame for your symptoms, check out these helpful identifying characteristics:

HERX REACTION

Symptoms: Intensified fatigue, muscle pain, neurological symptoms, and flu‐like symptoms such as headache, nausea, and digestive distress. You may also experience symptoms not listed here; herx reactions are highly variable between individuals.

Onset: Symptoms intensify in tandem with starting a new therapy.

Telltale signs: Symptoms may gradually improve with the continuation of therapy and worsen again when you increase the dosage or add a new therapy.

LYME FLARE-UP

Symptoms: Intensification of fatigue, arthritis (joint pain, swelling, and stiffness), flu-like feelings, GI distress; there’s a recurrence of your usual Lyme symptoms.

Onset: Symptoms are often precipitated by any extra stress to your system (including emotional stress, poor diet, toxin exposure, physical stress, lack of sleep, or a new tick bite). Symptoms are not related to starting a new therapy, though the two may coincide if you experienced stress just before starting the therapy.

Telltale signs: Your best clue is timing: A Lyme relapse typically occurs while taking a stable dose of treatment and in reaction to some type of stress, so look for recent lifestyle changes (i.e., diet changes, travel, sleep deprivation, relationships trouble, mold exposure).

ADVERSE TREATMENT REACTION

Symptoms: An allergic-like reaction (hives, itching, skin rash, runny nose, watery eyes, wheezing). This is common in people with chronic Lyme disease, whose entire immune system is in disarray and more easily activated.

Onset: Symptoms develop within about an hour of taking a new medication or herb

Telltale signs: Your symptoms get better when you take an allergy remedy such as an antihistamine. *See your doctor as soon as possible if you experience signs or symptoms of a drug allergy. Call 911 if you experience signs of a severe reaction or suspect an anaphylaxis after taking a medication.

FOOD SENSITIVITY

Symptoms: Fatigue, joint pain, muscle pain, general achiness, brain fog, irritability

Onset: Symptoms occur within hours to a couple of days after an offending food is consumed.

Telltale signs: Your symptoms get better when you eliminate the food(s) from your diet. Doctors can order testing for food sensitivity and heavy metal toxicity, however, the best determinant of food sensitivities is an elimination diet.

If these guidelines don’t describe your experience with herxing exactly, take heart. In the beginning, you may go back and forth between knowing whether what you’re experiencing is a herx reaction or something else, but with time, you will become better at distinguishing herxing and discover ways to ride it out.

It’s Herxing. When Will It End?

If you’ve determined (or strongly suspect) that you’re herxing, your next question is likely: How long will it last?

Unfortunately, there’s no cut-and-dry answer — everyone’s experience is individual, says Dr. Rawls. Some may feel better after a few days or a few weeks; others may experience herxing for as long as two to three months(though symptoms tend to wax and wane throughout that time).

The good news is, there’s a lot you can do to help ease a herx reaction and move beyond the symptoms more quickly. The quickest solution would be to discontinue your Lyme treatment. But that’s not necessarily the best option, says Dr. Rawls.

“Fundamental advice with herxing is to continue therapy at whatever dose you can tolerate. Sometimes you will have to reduce the dose to stay comfortable, but you can increase again later,” says Dr. Rawls. “If your symptoms improve over days to a couple of weeks, that suggests confirmation that it’s a herx. And as your symptoms ease up, you can gradually increase the dose until the desired therapeutic dose is reached.”

If your symptoms do not improve, it may be an indication that the therapy is not working. In this case, Dr. Rawls suggests either increasing the dose or adding other herbs or other therapies. If symptoms gradually start getting better, then you know you’re on the right track.

That said, if your symptoms are debilitating, back off on your treatment dosage or even stop altogether, advises Dr. Rawls. Then, once your symptoms are tolerable, you can gradually increase your dosage again.

6 Smart Ways to Ease Herxing

The number one way to find relief from herxing is to address the underlying cause for needing Lyme treatment in the first place: Factors that stress your cells and impair your immune function.

“Stressed cells are what makes people vulnerable to chronic Lyme,” explains Dr. Rawls. “Restore the health of your cells, and not only will your immune system be better at battling Lyme microbes, your body will be stronger at withstanding the side effects of treatment and overcoming herxing as well.”

To begin, work your way through what Dr. Rawls calls “Cellular Stress Factors,” which contribute to inflammation and intensify either a herx reaction or a Lyme relapse. These include poor nutrition, emotional stress, environmental toxins like air pollutants and mold, physical stress, and excessive exposure to radiation from modern sources like computers, cell phones, and microwave towers.

Once you’ve begun to take the pressure off your cells by decreasing your exposure to these disruptors, your body will be better equipped to handle both microbes and the endotoxins they create as they die off. The result: You start to feel better.

From here, there are a number of additional lifestyle habits you can adopt to help alleviate a Herxheimer reaction — all of which also contribute to restoring cellular health and immune functions and thus contribute to Lyme recovery, says Dr. Rawls. Here are his recommendations:

1. Fresh Ginger Tea

In general, drinking a lot of liquids is a good idea, but fresh ginger tea, in particular, has potent systemic anti-inflammatory properties for reducing Herxheimer symptoms. Plus, it’s great to soothe digestive symptoms. You can make it from fresh ginger root or use organic tea bags.

2. Anti-Inflammatory Therapies

Some good ones to try:

Turmeric and Boswellia

As anti-inflammatory herbs, turmeric and boswellia are excellent for reducing systemic inflammation associated with Herxheimer reactions, and it’s hard to take too much of them either. Dr. Rawls recommends 175 mg of turmeric and 75 mg of Boswellia, twice daily.

Marine Source Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids offer anti-inflammatory support, especially for high-fat tissues such as the brain. Both fish oil and krill oil reduce inflammation, but krill is better absorbed and also contains the antioxidant astaxanthin, which provides extra anti-inflammatory support. The suggested dose for krill oil is 500 mg, 1-3 times daily.

Red Root

Good for stimulating and clearing dead cellular debris from the lymphatic system, red root also supports a healthy liver and spleen, optimal immune function, and swollen lymph nodes.

Chlorella

A freshwater algae, chlorella does wonders for healing an irritated stomach and restoring digestive function. It’s also great for detoxing and healing in general. The typical maintenance dose is 5 to 7.5g total a day, and for additional support, we suggest 10g total a day. Chlorella can be taken any time of day. For best results, take it with food. (Avoid products that also contain spirulina, a blue-green algae that potentially contains toxins.)

Adaptogenic Herbs

These help reduce herxing and moderate the effects of stress. Some to try:

3. Proteolytic Enzymes

There are a variety of proteolytic enzymes that will work to help break down immune complexes and reduce inflammation. Bromelain (from pineapple) is a good choice; the dose is 500-1000 mg, one to two times daily. It’s sometimes found in combination supplements for joint health. Generally, it’s best to take enzymes on an empty stomach to absorb them directly.

4. Heat Therapy

Heat can be very soothing during herx reactions. A far infrared (FIR) sauna or a hot bath is excellent for removing toxins from the body. Adding Epsom salts to your bath can also help soothe muscles and joints.

5. Fresh Air

Forests and beaches or shores alongside open water are especially beneficial. Take your shoes off and walk barefoot: Called “grounding,” it’s a good practice for reducing inflammation in the body.

6. Relaxation Practices

Decreasing stress is key to normalizing the body’s adrenaline-cortisol response. But even when we feel unwell, most of us still try to push our limits. However, when you’re in the throes of a herx, don’t be afraid (or ashamed) to say “no” if you need to. Only agree to do what’s necessary, and let the rest go until you are back on your feet.

Need some extra help to bring on the calm? Use lavender essential oil. Research suggests it may be beneficial for easing insomnia, anxiety, and stress. Apply it to the bottoms of your feet before bed to help with sleep.

Thoughts on Herx Prevention

There’s a decent chance that if you increase the dosage of your current treatment or introduce a new one to your Lyme regimen, the herxing may return. It’s not entirely avoidable, says Dr. Rawls, but you can take steps to help fend off and reduce symptoms.

For instance, a few days before you change up your therapy, Dr. Rawls recommends adding some extra turmeric and krill oil to your daily routine; these help support a healthy immune and inflammatory response. He also suggests working to curb your mental and physical stress.

In general, the most successful approach to experiencing better health is to focus on reducing cellular stress and restoring healthy immune function. Do that, and you’ll rebound faster from herxing and begin to feel better.

REFERENCES

1. Dhakal A, Sbar E. Jarisch Herxheimer Reaction. [Updated 2022 Apr 28]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557820/
2. Koulivand PH, Khaleghi Ghadiri M, Gorji A. Lavender and the nervous system. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:681304. doi: 10.1155/2013/681304

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Study: IFR Estimates in Non-elderly Populations Lower Than Previous Calculations & Risk of Dying From COVID Was Always “Miniscule”Regardless of Age

November 4, 2022

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.11.22280963v1

Age-stratified infection fatality rate of COVID-19 in the non-elderly informed from pre-vaccination national seroprevalence studies

Angelo Maria Pezzullo, Cathrine Axfors, Despina G. Contopoulos-Ioannidis, Alexandre Apostolatos, John P.A. Ioannidis
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.10.11.22280963

This article is a preprint and has not been peer-reviewed [what does this mean?]. It reports new medical research that has yet to be evaluated and so should not be used to guide clinical practice.

ABSTRACT

The infection fatality rate (IFR) of COVID-19 among non-elderly people in the absence of vaccination or prior infection is important to estimate accurately, since 94% of the global population is younger than 70 years and 86% is younger than 60 years. In systematic searches in SeroTracker and PubMed (protocol: https://osf.io/xvupr), we identified 40 eligible national seroprevalence studies covering 38 countries with pre-vaccination seroprevalence data. For 29 countries (24 high-income, 5 others), publicly available age-stratified COVID-19 death data and age-stratified seroprevalence information were available and were included in the primary analysis.

  • The IFRs had a median of 0.035% (interquartile range (IQR) 0.013 – 0.056%) for the 0-59 years old population
  • 0.095% (IQR 0.036 – 0.125%,) for the 0-69 years old
  • The median IFR was:
    • 0.0003% at 0-19 years
    • 0.003% at 20-29 years
    • 0.011% at 30-39 years
    • 0.035% at 40-49 years
    • 0.129% at 50-59 years
    • 0.501% at 60-69 years

Including data from another 9 countries with imputed age distribution of COVID-19 deaths yielded median IFR of 0.025-0.032% for 0-59 years and 0.063-0.082% for 0-69 years. Meta-regression analyses also suggested global IFR of 0.03% and 0.07%, respectively in these age groups. The current analysis suggests a much lower pre-vaccination IFR in non-elderly populations than previously suggested. Large differences did exist between countries and may reflect differences in comorbidities and other factors. These estimates provide a baseline from which to fathom further IFR declines with the widespread use of vaccination, prior infections, and evolution of new variants.

Highlights *Across 31 systematically identified national seroprevalence studies in the pre-vaccination era, the median infection fatality rate of COVID-19 was estimated to be 0.035% for people aged 0-59 years people and 0.095% for those aged 0-69 years.

*The median IFR was 0.0003% at 0-19 years, 0.003% at 20-29 years, 0.011% at 30-39 years, 0.035% at 40-49 years, 0.129% at 50-59 years, and 0.501% at 60-69 years.

*At a global level, pre-vaccination IFR may have been as low as 0.03% and 0.07% for 0-59 and 0-69 year old people, respectively.

*These IFR estimates in non-elderly populations are lower than previous calculations had suggested.

For more:  https://media.mercola.com/ImageServer/Public/2022/October/PDF/mortality-risk-covid-pdf.pdf  Excerpt:

  • Polls taken in 2020 and 2021 revealed Americans were wildly confused and misinformed about their true risk of dying from COVID
  • Based on a new preprint analysis by professor John Ioannidis, there’s no reason for anyone to live in fear anymore, regardless of your age, as your risk of dying from COVID is — and always was — minuscule across the board
  • Before the COVID jabs were rolled out:
    • if you were 19 or younger, your risk of dying of COVID was 0.0003%; only 3 per 1 million infected with COVID at this age ended up dying
    • Between ages 60 and 69, the infection fatality rate was 0.501%, i.e., 1 out of 200 infected died
  • Emerging evidence suggests the shots are causing immune deficiency in some people, thereby actually raising their risk of dying from SARS-CoV-2 infection, even with the now-milder strains
  • The real-world risk of dying from COVID-19 based on published data from the Irish census bureau and the central statistics office for 2020 and 2021 is as follows:
    • for people under 70, the death rate was 0.014%
    • under 50 years of age, it was 0.002%, which equates to a 1 in 50,000 risk, or about the same as dying from fire or smoke inhalation
    • under 25 years of age, the mortality rate was 0.00018%, or 1 in 500,000 risk of dying from COVID

Despite this reality which was stated early on by those who dared to defy the accepted narrative, Harvard has mandated the new COVID booster, threatening to hold enrollment if students don’t comply.  Many places still require masking which has been proven to not only be dangerous, but utterly futile as a new study shows viral aerosols likely spread through the floors and walls.  A porous mask doesn’t stand a chance.

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The Latest Round of Toxic Substances You Need to Know About (TCVP, PEG, EG, DEG, PFAS)

https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/epa-pet-collars-chemical-tetrachlorvinphos-brain-damage-children/

Use Pet Flea Collars? Have Kids? An Important Message

EPA to Ban Pet Collars That Contain Chemical Linked to Brain Damage in Children

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s decision is a result of a yearslong legal battle, which included four separate lawsuits, over the chemical tetrachlorvinphos. The agency lost two cases and refused to defend itself in two cases.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will ban the sale of flea and tick collars containing a chemical linked to neurological damage in children, the agency announced this week.

The collars, which contain the chemical tetrachlorvinphos (TCVP) make up more than half of flea and tick collars sold in the U.S., according to the EPA. They are much cheaper than many name-brand collars and are largely aimed at low-income pet owners.

Tetrachlorvinphos, often shortened as TCVP, is a type of organophosphate chemical, which were originally developed as nerve agents in World War II.  (See link for article)

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https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/covid-vaccine-miralax-polyethylene-glycol

The Pediatric Perils of PEG: From MiraLAX to COVID Shots, FDA and CDC Ignore Safety Signals

Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned that some ultrasound contrast agents contain polyethylene glycol (PEG) and therefore shouldn’t be administered to patients with known or suspected allergies to PEG — but there are no similar warnings for adults or children who get PEG-containing COVID-19 shots or MiraLAX, an over-the-counter laxative.

SUMMARY:
  • the same day the CDC’s crooked vaccine advisory committee added COVID-19 shots to the Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule  Indonesia’s Ministry of Health banned the sale and prescription of pediatric cough syrups and other liquid medications.
    • The reason? The ministry linked the cough syrups to kidney injuries that recently killed nearly 100 Indonesian children (government analysis detected three hazardous contaminants: ethylene glycol (EG), diethylene glycol (DEG) and ethylene glycol butyl ether or antifreeze) and nearly 70 children in The Gambia in West Africa, which could be the tip of a much larger iceberg.
  • Due to the deaths, the World Health Organization issued a medical product alert for four brands of cough syrup manufactured in India and imported into The Gambia through a U.S. company — warning of the products’ possibly global distribution and calling for the substandard products’ removal from circulation.
  • the COVID-19 shots promoted by the CDC and the syrups prohibited by the Indonesian ministry both contain the chemical polyethylene glycol (PEG)
  • Before EUA for the gene-therapy shots was granted, Children’s Health Defense (CHD) put the FDA on notice about PEG’s life-threatening anaphylactic potential — and sure enough, anaphylaxis was among the very first adverse events reported.
  • The FDA is cavalier about anaphylaxis, PEG, and the COVID shots.
  • The FDA is similarly cavalier about laxatives containing a form of PEG called PEG 3350 which has caused dramatic neuropsychiatric symptoms in children, ranging from seizures to psychosis. 
  • A 2012 citizen petition forced the NIH to assess PEG safety in children but the study, in collaboration with the FDA, has gone nowhere even though results were pledged to be available within a year.  Evidently they are still recruiting and now the completion date isn’t until 2024.
  • Predictably, manufacturing companies describe PEG as “harmless,” but the manufacturing process is known to produce“degradation products” or “impurities” — that are not harmless, and compounds are in thousands of products, including drugs, cosmetics, healthcare screening products and pesticides.
    • Manufacturers praise PEGylation, a specific process of attaching PEG to biomedical molecules in order to impede the kidney’s attempts to clear drugs, forcing the body to hang onto them longer for a “half-life extension.”
      • An example of this process is in the mRNA gene therapy shots with the inclusion of PEGylated fats or lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) — designed to support “prolonged circulation”.  Researchers admitted that without the PEG-coated lipid nanoparticles, “COVID-19 mRNA vaccines would not exist,” and enthused that the LNPs “have the ability to alter the course of history.”
      • Ignored is the fact that a study shows a large portion of the population is sensitized to PEG making them susceptible to hypersensitivity reactions.  Also ignored is the potential for adverse immune reactions “entailing severe allergic symptoms with occasionally fatal anaphylaxis.”  Data is now reflecting this including a study showing anaphylactic reactions in three patients undergoing colonoscopy which contains PEG-containing bowel-cleansing agents.  All three got the Moderna shot in the previous 12-18 days and the researchers admitted a likely causal relationship, warning that healthcare workers should be aware of PEG allergies after COVID shots.
      • The FDA, due to 11 cases of anaphylaxis and two deaths in patients with known PEG allergies, has already warned that some ultrasound contrast agents contain PEG “and should not be administered in those with known or suspected allergies.”
  • The NIH and FDA have conceded EG and DEG are neurotoxic for children, although the FDA allows trace amounts (0.2% total by weight) of both in PEG-containing medications.  A 2011 study concluded that DEG contamination is an inevitable outcome of some manufacturing processes.
  • A retired pathologist, the first to describe poisoning by PEG in 1982, found that a severely disrupted skin barrier allowed PEG to be absorbed directly into the body.  He and many parents believe something similar probably happens in children with a damaged intestinal barrier who ingest PEG.  His studies on rabbits showed PEG’s metabolites include toxic aldehydes, demonstrating PEG’s potential damaging effects on the kidneys due to organ injury, pain and inflammation.

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https://anh-usa.org/pfas-found-in-tampons/

PFAS Found in Tampons

By ANH-USA

More disturbing evidence of the presence of toxic “forever” chemicals in common consumer products. Action Alert!

A new report has found that five of 23 tampon products tested positive for the presence of PFAS “forever” chemicals, including two brands labeled “organic.” This represents another route of exposure to these dangerous chemicals that seem to be ubiquitous in our environment and consumer products. How long will the EPA sit by idly and watch while Americans continue to be exposed to these dangerous chemicals?

The report, issued jointly by Mamavation and Environmental Health News, found that 22 percent of the samples tested positive for the presence of organic fluorine, an indicator of the presence of PFAS. Levels of PFAS varied from 19 parts per million (ppm) to 28 ppm. The products that tested positive for organic fluorine were:

  • Maxim Hygiene Organic Cotton Cardboard Applicator Tampons — 28 ppm organic fluorine
  • OrganYc Complete Protection Tampons (made with organic cotton) — 24 ppm organic fluorine
  • Playtex SPORT Regular & Super Tampons — 19 ppm organic fluorine
  • Tampax Cardboard Applicator Unscented Tampons — 23 ppm organic fluorine
  • Up & Up (Target Brand) Regular Tampons — 23 ppm organic fluorine

As we noted in our coverage of hair dyes, the organic certification process is a USDA program for agricultural products. Its use on consumer products like tampons is meaningless, though individual ingredients like cotton can be organic. It appears the use of organic cotton in tampons is not a guarantee that PFAS are avoided.

There were products using organic cotton that did not test positive for organic fluorine:

  • Honey Pot Organically Grown Tampons
  • Live Better (CVS) Organic Cotton Tampons regular
  • Lola Super Tampons Made with 100% organic cotton
  • o.b. Organic 100% Organic cotton
  • OI Girl Organic Regular Tampons
  • My Box Shop 32 Organic Tampons
  • Natracare Organic Tampons with applicator
  • Seventh Generation Organic Cotton Tampons
  • TOP Organic Cotton Tampons with plant-based compact applicator
  • Viv for your V Organic Cotton Tampons with Plant-based applicator

Organic cotton products are less likely to be contaminated with other chemicals like glyphosate and other toxic pesticides.

PFAS aren’t the only cause for concern in tampons and other feminine hygiene products. We previously reported on studies showing that volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and phthalates contaminate these products. Tampons and other feminine care products are often made from cotton, which is typically genetically engineered and soaked in pesticides, or rayon, which is made from wood pulp and then bleached. The highly permeable nature of the vaginal wall means that these toxins are likely getting absorbed with each use over a prolonged period of time.

And of course, there are many other ways in which we are exposed to PFAS. We’ve reported on PFAS being found in food packages, drinking water, vegetables, honey, dairy, prescription drugs, dental floss, and a huge swath of consumer products (either added intentionally to make products grease or water resistant, or accidentally through the manufacturing process).

(See link for article and to write Congress and EPA telling them to ban PFAS chemicals)

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If you do not know what PFAS chemicals are, they are persistent and hormone-disrupting substances that break down slowly and have been found in the blood of people and animals globally as well as in the water, air, fish, and soil.

Current peer-reviewed scientific studies have shown that exposure to certain levels of PFAS may lead to:

  • Reproductive effects such as decreased fertility or increased high blood pressure in pregnant women.
  • Developmental effects or delays in children, including low birth weight, accelerated puberty, bone variations, or behavioral changes.
  • Increased risk of some cancers, including prostate, kidney, and testicular cancers.
  • Reduced ability of the body’s immune system to fight infections, including reduced vaccine response.
  • Interference with the body’s natural hormones.
  • Increased cholesterol levels and/or risk of obesity.
This article states that 65% of “period underwear” tested are likely contaminated with PFAS chemicals as well.

If you are unfamiliar with menstrual cups, I highly recommend you check them out.  I was in my 40’s before I found out about these clever, reusable, safe cups that eliminate the need for all the paper, plastic, and other menstrual products, saving you money in the end.

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Could Prescribed Fire Reduce Ticks & Their Diseases? Answer: YES, Once Again

https://www.lymedisease.org/prescribed-fire-reduce-ticks/

Could prescribed fire reduce ticks and their diseases?

By Chuck Gill, Penn State

Oct. 24, 2022

Prescribed fire — a tool increasingly used by forest managers and landowners to combat invasive species, improve wildlife habitat and restore ecosystem health — also could play a role in reducing the abundance of ticks and the transmission of disease pathogens they carry, according to a team of scientists.

For a recently published paper, the researchers reviewed the scientific literature on the effects of fire on forest composition and structure and its influence on ticks and their wildlife hosts.

They concluded that prescribed burning can help restore forest habitats to a state less favorable to several species of disease-carrying ticks and could be an effective management tactic for reducing their populations. READ MORE

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**Comment**

This should be a no-brainer.  I’m continually amazed with the lack of common sense in research.  Seems all that matters is continuing the machinery (money and power grabs) of research.

The question to ask is, now that this information continues to be proven, will anyone do it?  How many years will it take before this effective practice will once again be permitted?

For more:

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Prevention, research, Ticks

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