Epstein Barr Virus And Lyme Disease

Ebv And Its Skin Manifestations

EBV is a virus very difficult to detect by auxiliary studies and, therefore, it is very complicate to determinate its participation on the pathogenesis of the cutaneous diseases. On the other hand, the occurrence of these diseases is also not very common in the cutaneous pathology but, due to its unusual presentation and possible complications, it is important to recognize them.

The forms of presentation can be divided into two: the acute forms and the chronic ones.

Virology Of Epstein Barr

Epstein-Barris is a DNA virus that multiplies within the nucleus of its host cells. It infects both B-cells and epithelial cells, establishing latent infections in the B’s and actually multiplying in the epithelial cells. Infected persons are then likely to produce virions , carry and produce EBV-specific antibody and harbor latently infected memory B-cells. It is particularly adept at avoiding immune system defenses.

The Herpes Virus Family:

As an example, HHV-6 is known to attack specific cells including, but not limited to, CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes, NKTs, oligodendrocytes, and microglial cells. Moreover, this virus is immune suppressive and also activates other viruses in the process. While HHV-6 can remain latent for long periods of time, it can reactivate and cause infection quickly. The virus can lie in wait in the salivary glands, kidneys, or brain until reactivated.

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How It Tricks The Immune System

Your immune system’s job is to send out specialized cells to kill dangerous things that invade your body, such as viruses and bacteria. In autoimmunity, there’s a case of mistaken identity. The immune system starts tagging something that’s supposed to be theresuch as an organ or a type of tissueas a dangerous invader. It then starts sending its specialized cells to kill it.

This triggers inflammation and tissue damage, which can cause pain. Fatigue comes on because your body is diverting resources to the fight. Other symptoms depend on what’s being damaged. For example, if it’s your pancreas, which produces insulin, your body will begin to have trouble processing sugars.

In the 2018 study, published in the medical journal Nature Genetics, researchers looked at the genetic impact of several proteins in EBV. They found that one of themEpstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 2 interacts with half of the known genes that put someone with European ancestry at risk for lupus. Researchers looked at hundreds of other illnesses and discovered the same association with the other six linked to the virus.

Why And What To Do When Antibiotics Fail

Should Lyme disease testing come back positive it often imitates Autism-like symptomology. In some rare cases, impact on the heart and central nervous system are also possible. Some patients have poor immune systems, so their Lyme disease testing and coinfections can come back as false negatives. This is one reason why it is critically important to have top LLMD such as those found at the Envita Medical Centers.

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Diagnosis Of Ebv Infections

In most cases of infectious mononucleosis, the clinical diagnosis can be made from the characteristic triad of fever, pharyngitis, and lymphadenopathy lasting for 1 to 4 weeks. Serologic test results include a normal to moderately elevated white blood cell count, an increased total number of lymphocytes, greater than 10% atypical lymphocytes, and a positive reaction to a “mono spot” test. In patients with symptoms compatible with infectious mononucleosis, a positive Paul-Bunnell heterophile antibody test result is diagnostic, and no further testing is necessary. Moderate-to-high levels of heterophile antibodies are seen during the first month of illness and decrease rapidly after week 4. False-positive results may be found in a small number of patients, and false-negative results may be obtained in 10% to 15% of patients, primarily in children younger than 10 years of age. True outbreaks of infectious mononucleosis are extremely rare. A substantial number of pseudo-outbreaks have been linked to laboratory error, as reported in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, vol. 40, no. 32, on August 16, 1991.

Get Tested At Docs Urgent Care

Here at DOCS Urgent Care, we offer 24/7 care for our walk in patients. If you have even the slightest suspicion that you may have Lyme disease or mono, visit our Urgent Care Center in Fairfield, or one of our many locations closest to you. Its better to catch Lyme or mono early on, rather than suffer from long term symptoms in the ongoing years. Here is a link for more information on our Lyme disease services.

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Chronic Infection Is More Complicated

Chronic infection is a different ball game altogether. The majority of patients with chronic illness do not just have a long-term infestation with Bb. Rather, their Lyme disease complex* often includes other tick-borne infections, referred to as co-infections. Multiple studies have confirmed that ticks are veritable cesspools of microbes, and a single tick may harbor a handful of different bacteria.

For example, a collection of 286 ticks in upstate New York revealed that 64 percent had Bb, 20 percent had Anaplasma and 20 percent had Babesia but 17 percent had Bb and Babesia, 16 percent had Bb and Anaplasma, and 5 percent had all three. One of the ticks had four pathogens: Bb, Babesia, Anaplasma, and B.miyamotoi. In fact, co-infection of ticks is the rule rather than the exception. Dr. Joseph Burrascano refers to these ticks as natures dirty needles.

The presence of combined infections typically causes more severe symptoms than Bb by itself. The immune suppression from Bb infection is compounded by co-infections, and polymicrobial infections are more difficult to treat.

Virtually all patients with Lyme disease complex are co-infected, and treatment of persistent infection with Bb will be unsuccessful unless therapy is also directed at these co-infections. Many additional complications have been associated with Lyme disease complex:

Lyme Disease Epstein Barr Virus And The Immune System

Throughout my years in practice, I have developed a method of eliciting a positive Lyme Disease diagnosis from a typically negative western blot in those I feel fit the picture of a Lyme sufferer.

These symptoms can include but are not limited to fatigue, joint pain, memory weakness, irritability, alopecia , cognitive impairment, muscle weakness, anxiety, night sweats, neurological issues, sudden onset of allergies, depression, stomach pain, hormonal imbalance, tics and tremors, fevers, and the list goes on. These symptoms may be stand-alone issues but often overlap with many other disease states including co-infections of Lyme Disease.

I have countless patients who have come into the office with seemingly benign issues like alopecia or eczema and despite conventional interventions, they continue to struggle. My first approach is to look at potential allergic triggers and typically desensitizing the patient to the uncovered allergens provides positive results. In those that seem to have concomitant fatigue, depression or anxiety, I often test for Epstein Barr Virus and Lyme disease because both can wreak havoc on the immune system, exacerbating low level allergies and causing the immune system to attack anything it can. Usually this is one or more systems in the patients own body.

Lyme Disease and EBV Can “Hide” from the Immune System

Lyme Disease and EBV Treatment with Integrative Medicine

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Ebv Can Be An Underlying Cause Of:

Chronic fatigue syndrome

Thyroid disease

Autoimmune conditions

EBV is also linked to different types of cancer, including Hodgkins lymphoma, B cell lymphoma, Burkitts lymphoma, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma .

These conditions all share a common link in the way EBV impacts immune function. Scientists believe its likely we dont yet realize how often this virus is linked to more serious conditions that interfere with healthy immune function.

What Are The Symptoms Of Ebv Reactivation

It’s not always clear when you have EBV since many people with the virus donât experience obvious symptoms. Children are less likely than teens and adults to have recognizable symptoms.

Symptoms last around two to four weeks and may include:

• Swollen tonsils
• Swollen liver
• Swollen lymph nodes

In rare cases, EBV infections can last for more than six months. If you are constantly fatigued and experience some of the other symptoms above, you may have been infected with EBV or have an older EBV infection reactivate.

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Ebv And Causes Of Cancer

EBV is equipped with a set of genes known to cause growth activation within cells. Since EBV typically infects B-cells, it is believed that the growth activation genes can turn an infected B-cell cancerous. However, what is unclear is the exact mechanism of action for lymphomas, and what seems to be getting clearer is that EBV alone is generally not enough to cause cancer other factors must also be at work.

The virus is associated with a handful of lymphoma subtypes, as well as nasopharyngeal carcinoma, particularly in China, where that is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the country.

Latent And Lytic Phases Of Ebv Infection

EBV infects B cells, epithelial cells, natural killer cells, natural killer T cells, macrophages, monocytes and myocytes. The presence of EBV in secretions of cervix, semen and genital mucosa is also evident.

As characteristic in every herpesviridae, EBV is capable of performing many different programs of genic expression, which are widely categorized inside the genes of a lytic phase and genes of a latent phase. EBV genome can codify around 100 viral proteins including transition factors, replication factors and structural proteins. The expression of EBV-coding proteins varies according on the type, the differentiation and the activation state of the target cell.

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Problem Foods Can Trigger Inflammation

Food sensitivities can also contribute to inflammation,15 so parents should consider specialized testing or an elimination/challenge diet. Be particularly suspicious of food cravingsthe foods people crave are often the worst offenders.16

In my practice, sugar, yeast, gluten, and dairy products are the most common culprits. Mold can trigger inflammation as well. Even though I live in Colorado, a low-humidity state, I am amazed at how many of my patients suffer from mold issues.

Other interventions are occasionally beneficial. Anti-inflammatory agents, whether ibuprofen or natural products such as curcumin, may help. Some people find that low-dose naltrexone decreases symptoms. Family counseling and support groups are also a good idea. Occasionally, antidepressantsparticularly sertralinecan lessen symptoms.

These kids are suffering a great deal. If we do careful detective work and treat the sources of their inflammation as well as the inflammation itself, we can help them get their lives back.

Other modalities that sometimes prove helpful include biofeedback and plasmapheresis, a procedure in which blood is removed and antibodies are filtered out before the blood is replaced.12

How Do You Test For Ebv

There are a variety of blood tests that are used to detect an EBV infection.

Monospot test. This test detects antibodies that are caused by an EBV infection. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it isn’t very accurate, since it may also detect antibodies caused by other conditions.â

EBV nuclear antigen . This tests for antibodies to EBNA. These antibodies will be seen if you’ve been infected by EBV for more than two to four months. You will continue to show signs of EBNA for the rest of your life after youâve been infected.

Early antigen . This tests for antibodies to EA, which appear in the first three to six months after you get infected by EBV. However, this test isnât always conclusive, since 20% of healthy people already have antibodies to EA.

Viral capsid antigen . This tests for antibodies to VCA, which appears in the first few weeks of infection. One antibody to VCA will disappear after a few weeks, but another will remain in your body for the rest of your life.

If you have an EBV infection, your blood work may show:

• Suggestions of mild liver damage
• More unusual white blood cells than is typical
• More white blood cells than is typical

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The Bacterium That Causes Lyme Disease Is Difficult To Detect In The Bloodstream So Doctors Often Have To Rely On Symptoms

Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme, is hard to detect in the bloodstream, meaning there are very little ways to prove someone does or doesn’t have Lyme, beyond matching the symptoms they report to Lyme disease symptoms.

That seems to be what at least one of Bieber’s doctors did.

“Lyme disease is the fastest growing bacterial infection in the United States right now,” Lehman, one of the many medical professionals attending to Bieber, said in the documentary. “We know it can cause a whole spectrum of neuropsychiatric symptoms mood changes, irritability, anxiety. Justin fits the picture of these symptoms.”

Causes And Risk Factors Of Infectious Mononucleosis

The Epstein-Barr virus is extremely contagious, and new infections are especially common in populations of high-school and college-age adults. It is spread by contact with infectious bodily fluids, especially saliva, and is therefore sometimes known as the kissing disease. It can also be spread by:

• Sharing toothbrushes
• Contact with the saliva, blood or semen of someone with EBV
• Organ transplants or blood transfusions from a donor with EBV

Young children may also contract the virus from putting toys into their mouths which have been in contact with the infected saliva of other children, or from the hands of caregivers with infected saliva on them. Teenagers and adults can contract EBV by kissing someone who is shedding the virus.

People who have the virus in their bodies can pass it on to others, even when they themselves are not experiencing any symptoms. The incubation period between getting the virus and developing symptoms is also quite long, up to eight weeks. For these reasons, it is sometimes hard to diagnose mono, as the affected person may not remember being near anyone ill and may not have known that they were in contact with someone who was shedding the virus.

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What You Need To Know About Emfs And Cancer Autoimmune And Lyme Disease

In autoimmune, Cancer, Cell Phones, EMFs and Health Risks, Epstein-Barr Virus, Lyme Disease, Radiation, Uncategorized on at 5:02 am

Over the last few decades, there has been a significant rise in autoimmune diagnoses as well as an increase in many other disease conditions, such as cancer and Lyme disease. Many experts have linked EMF exposure to this rise in chronic illness and believe EMFs exacerbate and even cause a range of problems. Research has consistently shown that EMFs disrupt the way your cells function and can clog detoxification pathways in the body. Numerous studies have linked EMFs to cancers such as glioma, leukemia, breast cancer, and others.

It is well known that radiation causes immunosuppression and inflammation, and this includes EMF sources. Radiation also causes myelosuppression, which means less blood cells are produced. White blood cells are needed for immunity, and a low count can make it harder to protect against illness. In those suffering from chronic diseases such as cancer, autoimmune, and Lyme, there is typically an impaired immune system. Through chronic exposure, the buildup of EMFs combined with an already weakened immune system can make it even more difficult for the body to fight infection. Research also shows that vitamin D receptor pathways are susceptible to interference by EMFs. Functionality of the VDR is fundamental for immunomodulation, a process essential in autoimmune disorders, cancer, and more.

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What Are Some Complications Of Ebv

Although EBV is generally easy to manage, in rare cases, it can lead to complications such as:

• Airway obstruction
• Low platelet count

• Thyroid conditions, such as Hashimotoâs thyroiditis

Furthermore, EBV can increase the risk of developing certain cancers such as:

• Stomach cancer
• Burkittâs lymphoma
• Nasopharyngeal cancersâ

However, this is a rare occurrence. Most people with EBV will not have these cancers, and it’s still uncertain whether people with EBV develop cancer due to another underlying health condition.

Additionally, certain conditions, such as schizophrenia, may change how EBV affects you. A study found that people with schizophrenia had more antibodies to some EBV proteins than those who did not have the condition. This suggests that people with schizophrenia have a different immune response to EBV.

If you believe you may have an EBV infection and are experiencing symptoms that donât go away after a few weeks, you should book an appointment with your doctor. They will provide a proper diagnosis and guide you through the recovery process.

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Predisposition And Gene Switching

Most of us think of genetics as a fixed thing, but it’s not that simple. Illness, environmental, and other factors can turn genes on or off. Think of a breaker box: turn one switch off, you lose power to an area of your house. Turn it on, things roar to life. The same is true when it comes to genes and their positive or negative effect on the body.

Many people are born with genetic predispositions to certain illnesses. That doesn’t mean they’ll develop those diseases, but it means that they could get them under the right circumstances.

What this study demonstrates is that EBV appears to have the ability to switch on genes that cause your immune system to incorrectly target things that are safe. That, plus a genetic predisposition to autoimmune disease, can lead to the illness .

Meanwhile, someone without a genetic predisposition to any autoimmune diseases can contract EBV and have no problems with it.

How Is Ebv Infection Diagnosed And Treated

Because EBV symptoms resemble those of so manyother illnesses, it can be a difficult infection to diagnose. A blood test canbe used to detect EBV antibodies. According to the CDC,approximately nine out of ten adults possess antibodies that indicate theyvebeen infected with EBV in the past.

While the medical community doesnt have a specific treatment for EBV , people experiencing EBV symptoms can follow recommendations similar to the ones given to people with the flu. These include making sure you drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated, getting as much rest as possible, and taking over-the-counter pain medications when needed.

For people with Lyme disease who areexperiencing EBV reinfection, staying well-hydrated and well-rested arecritical for illness management, especially since they may already bestruggling with fatigue and other symptoms associated with Lyme disease.

Understanding Lyme disease means broadeningour knowledge of Lyme co-infections, including opportunistic and re-activatedopportunistic infections that fall under this umbrella term. When we learn howto recognize these illnesses, we get a better idea of how best to treat them.

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