Lyme Disease Research Group
The University of New Haven established Lyme disease research 8 years ago. To date, over 90 graduate students have received training in Lyme disease related research. The Lyme disease research group has identified an alarming increase in the co-infection rate in deer ticks, including discovery of novel co-infections such as mycoplasma and microfilarial nematode species.
In the last several years the Lyme research group has received several extramural grant supports from the Turn the Corner Foundation, Lyme Disease Association, Lyme Research Alliance and Californian Lyme Disease Association which will allow the group to investigate novel ideas for Lyme disease research.
The University of New Haven has held five National Lyme Disease Symposiums during the last several years with over 200 attendees/each symposium. In the Fall of 2007, our research group began one of the largest tick counting and Borrelia testing surveys in the North East . The uniqueness of this survey is that the tick collection is being done at school yards, public parks and playgrounds, to evaluate exposure of our children to tick borne diseases. We have collected ~2500 deer tick samples and tested ~1500 samples for Borrelia burgdorferi infection. The overall Bb infection rate was 72%, ranging from 51%-94%.
Our final goal isto better understand Borrelia survival mechanisms, and ultimately to provide new research information for the chronic Lyme debate.
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Scientists Find Promising New Treatment For Lyme Disease
A new study gives hope that an effective treatment for Lyme disease may be available in the future. The new treatment involves the drugs cefotaxime and azlocillin.
The new paper appears in the Nature journal Scientific Reports .
Lyme disease affects nearly 300,000 people a year in the United States and around 230,000 people a year in Europe, according to an article in the Journal of Public Health .
Bacteria belonging to the group Borrelia burgdorferi cause Lyme disease. Most people develop it after being bitten by a tick that carries the bacteria.
Approximately 6080% of people with Lyme disease develop a circular red skin rash called erythema migrans around the infected tick bite, and some also develop flu-like symptoms.
Most people develop the rash within 4 weeks of being bitten, but it can appear up to 3 months afterward.
of people with the disease later develop symptoms of fatigue, pain in their muscles, joints or nerves, and cognitive impairment.
These symptoms can continue for months or even years after their initial infection.
Researchers have suggested that this may because of drug-tolerant persisters, a group of bacterial cells that survive the initial dose of antibiotics.
Others believe its an immune disorder caused by bacteria during the first exposure, which causes a perpetual inflammation condition. Whatever the cause, the pain for patients is still very real.
Herpes Lyme Disease Ramsay Hunt Syndrome: What Happened To Justin Bieber
The diagnosis that Justin Bieber faced is not treated in 90% of cases
Justin Bieber recorded a sad video where his face is distorted and partially paralyzed. The singer told his fans that he suffers from borreliosis , which is transmitted by ticks. By the way, there are also borrelitosis-infected arthropods in the Moscow region and even in Moscow.
In addition, his doctors announced the diagnosis: Ramsay -Hunt syndrome.
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Symptoms Of Lyme Disease
Around 75 percent of people who contract Lyme disease develop a rash at the site of the tick bite, according to the CDC. The rash often looks like a bulls-eye and usually appears three to 30 days after the bite it can expand up to 12 inches wide. It may feel warm to the touch but typically doesn’t itch or hurt.
Other symptoms include fever, chills, headache, fatigue and muscle or joint aches shortly after a tick bite these can affect people who dont develop a rash, too. A small minority of people may not have symptoms, Krause said.
But in more serious cases, people can develop severe headaches, neck stiffness, nerve pain, dizziness, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, arthritis, or sudden weakness or paralysis on one side of the face in the days or months after a bite.
“There are people who’ve had even longer episodes of fatigue and not feeling well or brain fog, and we don’t have a complete understanding of it,” Krause said.
Antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria may persist for at least 16 months, according to one study, and up to 10 or 20 years, according to another.
Although 14 percent might sound like a high infection rate to those unfamiliar with Lyme disease, Krause said the estimate sounds about right to him forpeople at high risk of infection, like those in rural areas.
He estimated, however, that the general population would have a lower infection rate.
Biorepositories And Research Cohorts
Well-characterized samples are an essential tool to help researchers develop and validate new diagnostic tests and to better understand the complexities of LD. Well-characterized sample sets can benefit medical providers, test developers, and the public at risk for LD . It is critical that sample users understand the criteria used to enroll participants, how samples were collected and stored, and what additional clinical and testing data may be available. Additional benefits can be realized when multiple sample users are using the same well-characterized sample sets. Current sample sets available for researchers include the CDC Lyme Serum Repository , the Lyme Disease Biobank , and samples from the Studies of Lyme Immunology and Clinical Events at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Additionally, some investigators also have their own sample collections with, in some cases, blood samples, skin biopsy specimens and synovial fluid which form the basis for collaborative studies .
Lyme Disease Biobank
Lyme Disease Research Center
Long Island Outdoor Worker Cohort
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Yolanda Foster Gets Family Support At Lyme Disease Benefit Reveals Bella And Anwar Also Have Illness
Yolanda Foster with Gigi, Anwar, and Bella Hadid on Oct. 8 With famous daughters Gigi and Bella Hadid by her side, Yolanda Foster made her first red carpet appearance in nearly a year to shine a spotlight on an illness that has been debilitating to her and her family. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, 51, who was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2012, attended the Global Lyme Alliances inaugural gala at Cipriani 42nd Street in Manhattan on Thursday night.
Rural And Urban Differences
The infographic reveals key differences in prevalence of Lyme disease when comparing rural and urban areas. From 2016 to 2021, claim lines with Lyme disease diagnoses increased 60 percent in rural areas and 19 percent in urban areas, with diagnoses peaking nationally in June and July of each year.
During these summer months, rural areas, on average, had a greater share of claim lines associated with Lyme disease diagnoses than urban areas. From November to April, however, claim lines with Lyme disease diagnoses occurred more often in urban than rural areas.
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Monoarthritis Risk Stratification In Lyme Disease
In Lyme disease endemic areas, a noninvasive clinical prediction model to distinguish septic arthritis from Lyme arthritis would be useful, especially in children. A new study suggests that in highly selected patients, such prediction might be possible. But failure to recognize even a few cases of septic arthritis could have devastating consequences.
What Are The Symptoms Of Chronic Lyme Disease
Chronic Lyme disease is not a recognized condition. However, some symptoms can persist past treatment. This has led doctors to describe the phenomenon as post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome . PTLDS occurs in about 520% of people who receive Lyme disease treatment. It may cause symptoms such as:
- fatigue
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Should You Blame Everything On The Simple Wind Rod
Oleg Abakumov, a therapist with an army of thousands of subscribers, writes that popular singer Justin Bieber is now paralyzed in half his face and may lose his hearing . Rumor for a musician, can you imagine that? It is like eyes for an artist, hands for a surgeon. This is scary
What causes this syndrome? And here it is already very interesting: chickenpox caused shingles, and then Ramsay-Hunt syndrome developed. It turns out that ordinary chickenpox can have such consequences?
This is not entirely true. Chickenpox is only the FIRST encounter with herpes type III. If not for one But after this meeting, herpes remains forever in the body, settles in the cerebrospinal fluid and disappears for a while. And at some point you may decide that your time has come again.
And this time it manifests as shingles. Various factors can provoke it: poor immunity, chronic diseases, infections or even age-related changes.
And shingles is already much more serious: it is severe pain, damage to the nervous system. Unfortunately, if you run it, the consequences can be much worse. For example, a person may simply be affected by Ramsay-Hunt syndrome. The diagnosis that Justin Bieber faced is not treated in 90% of cases.
Visual Auditory And Sensory Symptoms
If the bacteria that causes Lyme disease moves into the central nervous system, it sensory issues. This can include sensitivity to light as well as other visual disturbances.
In some cases, Lyme disease can cause auditory issues. According to a 2021 study , Lyme disease may contribute to the development of lesions that may cause sudden sensorineural hearing loss.
The researchers noted that people with long-duration infections were more likely to experience permanent and irreversible changes in the cochlea or auditory nerve.
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The Rise And Fall Of A Lyme Disease Vaccine
The best way to avoid a tick bite is simply to stay out of places where they are prevalent: wooded, bushy areas with tall grass. If you do visit this type of environment, Krause said, apply insect repellant and wear long sleeves with long pants tucked into socks.
“If you go into a wooded area, you have to do tick checks later,” he said.
People who get a tick bite can seek antibiotics, but Krause said they don’t always eliminate the symptoms.
“What appears to be the case at least there’s some reasonable evidence for this is that although the Lyme organism is killed with antibiotics, the organism itself doesn’t break down very well. It sort of hangs around in a dead form,” he said.
He added: “We really do need a vaccine. Thats probably the best hope for us to really get control of it.”
The Food and Drug Administration approved a vaccine called LYMErix in 1998 that was shown to prevent Lyme disease in clinical trials. ButGlaxoSmithKline, the developer of that vaccine, pulled it off the market in 2002.
“It worked, but the company stopped using it because it took three injections and there was a group of people who claimed, falsely, that it was causing arthritis,” Krause said.
Krause said another Lyme vaccine could become available in a couple of years. A candidate from Pfizer has shown early promise in trials.
Opossums: These Misunderstood Marsupials Clean Up Our Yards And Even Help Fight Lyme Disease
The opossum has more impressive tricks up its sleeve, or rather, in its pouch. | cbcdocs
cbcdocs This thing looks more terrified than Doug Ford hooked up to a lie detector…cbcdocs i swear to god, I can’t with y’all anymore… how bout you talk about your best show, how well done it is and all the issues it raises…
2020-01-31 1:00:00 AM
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Recent Progress In Lyme Disease And Remaining Challenges
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States with an estimated 476,000 cases per year. While historically, the long-term impact of Lyme disease on patients has been controversial, mounting evidence supports the idea that a substantial number of patients experience persistent symptoms following treatment. The research community has largely lacked the necessary funding to properly advance the scientific and clinical understanding of the disease, or to develop and evaluate innovative approaches for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Given the many outstanding questions raised into the diagnosis, clinical presentation and treatment of Lyme disease, and the underlying molecular mechanisms that trigger persistent disease, there is an urgent need for more support. This review article summarizes progress over the past 5 years in our understanding of Lyme and tick-borne diseases in the United States and highlights remaining challenges.
New Acaracide Researched To Kill Blacklegged Ticks
Nature, July 29, 2022, published an article on researchers finding a new natural acaracidekills ticks. There are synthetic pesticides that can reduce tick numbers but there are environmental concerns about their effects on beneficial insects. Ixodes scapularis ticks transmit Borrelia burgdorferi, bacteria that cause Lyme disease. These ticks overwinter
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Study On Effects Of Fda Warning Letters On Dietary Supplements
According to an article from the online The Peoples Pharmacy, Joe Graedon, pharmacologist, 7.28.22, from 2007 through 2016, the Food and Drug Administration identified adulterated dietary supplements and sent 700 + warning letters to dietary supplement manufacturers after detecting undeclared and potentially harmful drugs in product. The article provides a summary of the problem
Hhs Federal Research Updates On Lyme Disease Diagnostics
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Kundalini Yoga Preliminary Study Of Benefits To Lyme Patients
A preliminary study published in Healthcare, July 2022, out of the Columbia University Lyme & Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center, examined the potential benefits of Kundalini Yoga for post treatment Lyme disease. Eight weeks of a KY group and a control group were assessed for primary outcomes: pain, pain
Hunting For Alternative Drug
Frustrated by the lack of treatment options for Lyme disease patients with lingering symptoms, Rajadas and his team began hunting for a better alternative in 2011. In 2016, they published a study in Drug Design, Development and Therapy that listed 20 chemical compounds, from about 4,000, that were most effective at killing the infection in mice. All 20 had been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for various uses. One, for instance, is used to treat alcohol abuse disorder.
Jayakumar Rajadas
In this most recent study, azlocillin, one of the top-20 contenders, was shown to eclipse a total of 7,450 compounds because it is more effective in killing B. burgdorferi and causes fewer side effects. Lyme disease affects more than 300,000 people annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can affect various organs, including the brain, skin, heart, joints and nervous system, and cause heart problems and arthritis if untreated. Symptoms include fever, headaches, chills, and muscle and joint pain.
Traditional antibiotics, such as doxycycline, are effective as an early course of treatment for the infection in the majority of patients, but it remains unclear why these drugs fail to treat 10% to 20% of patients, Rajadas said.
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How To Protect Yourself From Ticks This Summer
But Lyme disease has grown more prevalent with time: Around 8 percent of people studied from 2001 to 2010 had Lyme disease antibodies, according to the new study. From 2011 to 2021, the share was 12 percent.
In the U.S., confirmed cases of Lyme disease rose 44 percent from 1999 to 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The new analysis offers a few explanations for the trend. Deer ticks, which spread Lyme disease to humans, prefer warm, humid climates. Rising global temperatures have resulted in longer summers and shorter winters, which consequently are enabling ticks to become more abundant and widespread. Humans are also encroaching upon forested areas, where ticks generally live.
A third reason, Krause said, is that deer populations have expanded, giving ticks more opportunities to feed and reproduce.
“Wherever deer are, the number of ticks explodes,” he said.
Lyme Disease Detected In Nebraska
On December 10, 2021, a joint news release by Winnebago Public Health Department and Northeast Nebraska Public Health Department was published by the Department of Health and Human Services in Nebraska announcing that Borrelia burgdorferi has been detected for the first time in the State in both ticks and humans in Thurston County. Thurston is
LDA May Lyme Awareness Blogs Begin May 1
Topics of Guest Blogs:Guest Blog Page of the website.
Pat Smith: Milestones in 47-year History of Lyme Disease & Her Story
Presented by PA Lyme Resources Impact SeriesMay 2022
The HHS Tick-Borne Disease Working Group, Washington, DC, created by legislation including patient/advocate representation, presents recommendations to Congress on Lyme & TBD every two years. Read More
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