Information For Healthcare Providers
Reporting tickborne diseases in people
All cases of tickborne diseases in a person should be reported using DC Reporting and Surveillance Center , our online reporting system.
Submit a Notifiable Disease and Condition Case Report Form using DCRC
TreatmentWhen treating patients for tickborne diseases keep in mind that due to the possibility of ticks transmitting more than one disease there is the potential of co-infections.Tickborne Disease Resources for Human Healthcare Providers
Internal Medicine Located In Washington Dc & Bethesda Md
Lyme disease is a serious condition thats often misdiagnosed due to the complexity of its symptoms. At Spring Valley Internal Medicine in Washington, DC, and Bethesda, Maryland, the team specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease. The medical team offers comprehensive care that focuses on easing the severity of your symptoms and protecting your general health and quality of life. To learn more about treatment options for Lyme disease, call the office or book an appointment online today.
Tick Borne Disease Referral Clinic
Long Island harbors a large area of beautiful, recreational parks where ticks and other insects can be found. For medical reasons, ticks are important because they are vectors of microorganisms such as bacteria, virus or parasites. Not all ticks carry these infectious organisms, thus not all tick bites are dangerous or pose a risk for acquiring an infection. Still, people can contract an infection without recognizing a recent tick bite.
Some ticks can transmit the following infectious diseases :1. Lyme Disease3. Anaplasmosis4. Babesiosis
Most of these infections are cured by a short course of antibiotics. Sometimes, these infections can cause a more severe disease in some patients. Other infectious diseases that can be transmitted by ticks in Long Island are: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Tularemia, and Powassan virus.
Our highly-trained doctors will help review and manage these infections when you are seen in our outpatient facility. For treatment purposes, we follow the Infectious Diseases Society of America Guidelines .
As Tick-Borne Diseases are a topic of national research interest, we also have research projects underway to understand and provide new medical knowledge that will help other physicians to manage these infections for their patients. Our research explores how these tick borne diseases affect the health of humans. The more we understand these diseases, the better we can assign treatment modalities to patients.
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Comprehensive Lyme Disease Treatment
Reduce the Microbial Burden on the Body
- Antibiotic Therapy following ILADS protocol
- Because Lyme Disease can cause severe consequences antibiotic therapy is usually recommended based on ILADs protocols.
- Herbal Therapy Supplementation
- Herbal therapy if you cannot take antibiotics, or prefer herbals, based on the work of Buhner that may help kill the bacteria, relieve symptoms and/or strengthen your immune system.
Support the Immune System with Additional Therapies
Every patient needs to support their immune system in order to heal. This may done with IV Therapy, nutritional support, herbal supplementation, digestive support and detoxification therapies based on your symptoms and the direction of your doctor.
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What Is Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is an infection that develops due to bacterium known as a Borrelia burgdorferi, which ticks carry. When a tick has an infection, it can pass it along to humans and animals through a bite.
The bacterial infection can travel through your bloodstream and settle into your body tissues. When not properly treated, the infection can cause a variety of symptoms that can linger forever.
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Information For Human Healthcare Providers
When treating patients for Lyme disease, keep in mind that ticks can transmit more than one disease, and there is always a potential for coinfection with multiple tick-borne diseases.
Reporting Lyme disease in people
All cases of Lyme disease in a person should be reported within 48 hours of suspected diagnosis or the appearance of symptoms using DC Reporting and Surveillance Center , our online reporting system.
Candace Willett Mph Msn Ppcnp
Candace Willett, certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, focuses on JSCs® youngest patients. She joined JSC® in 2017 and sees patients from infancy to early adulthood.
Candace attended Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts for her undergraduate studies, going on to earn her Master of Public Health at George Washington University in Washington, DC. She then went on to obtain her masters in nursing science from Yale School of Nursing in Connecticut.
Prior to joining JSC®, she worked within primary care and dermatology settings and has been interested in tick-borne illness for many years.
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Lyme Disease Brain Scan
SPECT is a nuclear medicine study that evaluates blood flow and activity in the brain. Basically, it shows three things: healthy activity, too little activity, or too much activity. The healthy surface brain SPECT scan on the left, looking down from the top, shows full, even symmetrical activity. The scan on the right, which is the scan of a patient with Lyme disease, shows overall decreased blood flow in the brain denoted by the bumpy surface of the brain. The indentations seen in the brain scan are areas of the brain that are low in blood flow and activity due to the infection.
Ready to learn more? Speak to a care coordinator today!
How We Can Help
For most cases of Lyme disease, a brief course of antibiotics is enough to clear the infection and become symptom-free, however, our approach is to take the time to explore the onset of your condition, the specific nature of your pain sensations and the overall status of your health. To gather additional information about your condition, your Kaplan physician may also order diagnostic laboratory testing .
After reviewing all of the factors contributing to your condition, your physician will spend time talking with you about your diagnosis. Together youll create a customized and multi-dimensional treatment plan that addresses your symptoms and any possible co-existing conditions that may be causing or aggravating your health problems.
We offer a multitude of effective treatment options, including:
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Use Of Disulfiram For Lyme Disease
Disulfiram was initially marketed in the U.S. as Antabuse as an alcohol sobriety aid which deters alcohol consumption by eliciting physical discomforts . Its use as a possible treatment for Lyme disease has been described in several recent studies. Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease, possesses survival strategies in humans. Current antibiotic therapies for early Lyme disease have been shown to be less
Can Lyme Disease Cause Cognitive Dysfunction Or Dementia
The question of whether Lyme disease could cause dementia was addressed by Wormser and colleagues in an article entitled Lack of Convincing Evidence That Borrelia burgdorferi Infection Causes Either Alzheimer Disease or Lewy Body Dementia, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.¹ The authors reviewed a paper by Gadila et al.² which concluded that a Lyme disease infection might cause Lewy body dementia. The case described a 69-year-old woman who died
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The Tale Of Twin Epidemics
Sarah points out that Dr. Jemseks early work with HIV, along with his curiosity, intrigue and open-minded approach lends well to working with Lyme disease patients. Along with taking the time to really listen to patients and to consistently do physical exams, Dr. Jemsek has developed a comprehensive approach that addresses the many facets of tick-borne illnesses. His early commitment to HIV patients has developed into a fierce advocacy for Lyme patients. He emphasizes that it is critical for physicians to not only listen to, but to learn from their patients.
Today in medicine we have a situation where a lot of its programmed and visits are very short. If you have complex issues, you have no chance, and in fact a lot of doctors say, ok you have time for one complaint, as we all know with Lyme borreliosis, there are literally dozens and dozens and dozens of complex and evolving issues.
Dr. Joseph Jemsek
Ilads Mourns The Passing Of Charles Ray Jones Md
ILADS is saddened to report the passing of pediatric Lyme specialist and long-time ILADS member, Dr. Charles Ray Jones. Dr. Jones was a legend in the Lyme community for his dedication to treating children with Lyme and tick-borne diseases. He endured harassment from the medical establishment and cared for chronically ill children at a time when many physicians were not willing to acknowledge the true cause of their pain and suffering. His willingness to listen to patients and support families through the healing process made him a legend and a hero to the Lyme community.
In 2014, Dr. Jones was honored with the ILADEF Pioneer in Lyme award for recognition of his work with pediatric Lyme patients. He shared his knowledge at countless ILADS conferences and trained scores of physicians through the ILADEF Physician Training Program. We are grateful for all he did for his patients and the ILADS community.
If you are interested in supporting ILADS and the ILADEF Physician Training Program, please consider a donation to the ILADEF Charles Ray Jones, MD memorial fund.
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Infected Brains Work Differently
On brain SPECT scans, infections in the brain can appear as an overall pattern of significantly high or low blood flow and may look similar to a brain affected by toxins. When these abnormal brain patterns are visible, it indicates a potentially infectious process at work. When we see evidence of infectious disease on SPECT scans, we investigate with additional testing.
Notes On Serologic Tests For Lyme Disease
- While not necessary, acute and convalescent serologies may be useful for diagnosis in some cases, such as for patients with suspected re-infection.
- Serologic tests cannot be used to measure treatment response.
- Other conditions, including some tickborne infections and autoimmune diseases, can result in false positive test results.
NOTE: Coinfection with Babesia microti or Anaplasma phagocytophilum should be considered in patients who present with initial symptoms that are more severe than are commonly observed with Lyme disease alone, especially in those who have high-grade fever for more than 48 hours despite appropriate antibiotic therapy or who have unexplained leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, or anemia. Coinfection should also be considered in patients whose erythema migrans skin lesion has resolved but who have persistent systemic symptoms.
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Carrye Hodges Msn Fnp
Carrye Hodges, certified Family Nurse Practitioner, joined JSC in 2019. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Alabama and went on to receive her Masters at the University ofAlabama at Birmingham. She has a background in trauma/ emergency department medicine as well as pediatric intensive care.
She has been involved with Lyme activism for the past decade. Carrye is an avid Alabama fan and enjoys traveling and spending time with her family, friends, and rescue dog, Millie.
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Do Your Research And Get Referrals
You can learn a lot just by researching doctors and reading patient reviews online. You can also connect with other patients through local and online support groups for various tick-borne diseases. Asking other patients to recommend or share their own experiences with different doctors can be particularly helpful when youre trying to locate and learn about physicians who specialize in various tick-borne illnesses.
The following sites can connect you to online support-group forums or help you identify different tick-borne support groups in the United States:
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Ad Hoc Requests For Internal Purposes
For internal requests such as grant proposals, clinical trials, etc. that involve site-specific data and can be confined to a count or list of available participants, an email request can be sent to Amanda Castel at . If it is determined that the request is lengthy in nature or rises to the level of an analysis, then it may be determined that a concept sheet and data request form may be required following the processes described above.
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Are Video Visits With A Neurologist Online Covered By My Insurance
Most insurers provide coverage for video visits at the same cost as in-person visits. You can search on Zocdoc specifically for Neurologists in Washington, DC who accept your insurance for video visits by selecting your carrier and plan from the drop-down menu at the top of the page. We recommend you check with your insurance carrier directly to confirm your coverage and out of pocket costs for video visits.
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Lyme Disease In An African American Child With Downs Syndrome
Welcome to another Inside Lyme Podcast with your host Dr. Daniel Cameron. In this episode, Dr. Cameron discusses the case of a 3-year-old African American child with Downs syndrome, developmental delays and disseminated Lyme disease. By Dr. Daniel Cameron A case of disseminated Lyme disease in a child with skin of color was published by Bax and colleagues in the journal Pediatric Dermatology.¹ The child, who had trisomy 21 (Downs
Ilads Campaign Highlights Importance Of Doctor
Bethesda, MD, December 9, 2021 The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society is running a powerful public awareness campaign to highlight the importance of doctor-patient relationships in the treatment of Lyme and other chronic diseases. The campaign debuted this week on a jumbotron in New York Citys Times Square.
The jumbotron video highlights the challenges doctors face from bureaucratic institutions when trying to treat patients. The video sends viewers to the ILADS.ORG website for more information. .
ILADS supports a doctors freedom to treat and a patients right to choose the best treatment options available, without bureaucratic interference. A doctors primary duty is to put the patient first. Outside interference restricts a physicians ability to provide optimum care.
We want to restore real healthcare for our patients and allow doctors to prescribe the best possible treatments without interference from insurance companies and other bureaucracies, said Dr. Steven J. Bock, president of the ILADS Board of Directors.
The jumbotron is anything but invisible. The giant video screen is 29 feet tall and 56 feet across and is strategically positioned at 1500 Broadway on the corner of 44th Street and 7th Avenue in New York City. The spot will run 5 times per hour for 36 days. It is estimated that 1.6 million people pass through Times Square each day. The spot will remain in place during the December holidays and New Years Eve celebration for bonus exposure.
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Washington Lyme Disease Treatment Clinic
- Exosome Therapy
Exosomes are extracellular vesicles released from cells that act as shuttles for certain genetic information and proteins to other cells.
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- Stem Cells
Stem cells are special human cells that are able to develop into many different cell types. This can range from muscle cells to brain cells.
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- Peptide Therapy
Our peptide protocol can boost your energy and stamina, enhance your sex drive, improve your skins elasticity, and bring many more benefits.
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- PRP for Joints
Injections of platelet-rich plasma are a novel treatment for managing pain related to osteoarthritis of the knees.
Our peptide protocol can boost your energy and stamina, enhance your sex drive, improve your skins elasticity, and bring many more benefits.
Identify Doctors Trained In The Diagnosis And Treatment Of Tick
You can access a variety of online resources and directories to locate doctors who are specifically trained in identifying and treating tick-borne illnesses. These do not have to be infectious disease specialists they can be physicians from any practice area who simply have extensive experience with tick-borne diseases.
It is particularly important to find a Lyme expert if you suspect that you may have Lyme disease, since it is the most frequently misdiagnosed of all tick-borne diseases. Finding a Lyme-literate medical doctor a physician who is familiar with the vast range of symptoms that may indicate infection at various stages of the disease, as well as potential coinfections and other complexitiescan help ensure that you get the right treatment, right away.
To find a doctor who is also a Lyme expert, you may want to explore the following resources:
Note: Some of these organizations may require you to submit a form or create a login to access their databases.
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How Can I Make A Same
On average, patients who use Zocdoc can search for a Neurologist in Washington, DC, book an appointment, and see the Neurologist within 24 hours. Same-day appointments are often available, you can search for real-time availability of Neurologists in Washington, DC who accept your insurance and make an appointment online.
Lyme Disease & Other Infectious Agents
Lyme disease isnt the only infection that can interfere with brain function. Other infectious agents can also cause inflammation and lead to brain disorders, which can mimic or cause a multitude of symptoms associated with mental health conditions. Because of this, people with these infections are often misdiagnosed with psychiatric disorders.
Traditionally, the medical community has dismissed the fact that infections can be associated with these types of symptoms, but that is changing. A 2016 editorial in the Journal of Alzheimers Disease written by a worldwide group of 33 scientists suggested the medical community has been neglecting to look at infectious diseases as a root cause of many memory problems, including Alzheimers disease and other dementias.
Bacteria, parasites, viruses and other infectious agents that can cause inflammation and lead to brain disorder include:
- Streptococcusstrep throat
- Toxoplasma gondiia tiny single-celled parasite that is often carried in cats and shed in their feces
- Fungal infectionscommonly an overgrowth of Candida albicans, a yeast found in the mouth, gut, and genitals
- West Nile virusa mosquito-borne disease
- Meningitisinflammation of the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord
- Epstein-Barr virusa member of the herpes family
- Influenzathe common flu bug
- Herpes virusesone of the most common human viruses
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