Current Lyme Disease Research, News and Articles
The latest publications of scientific medical research, articles and news on Lyme disease from many resources are automatically displayed here. It is powered by Medworm, a search engine based on data collected from the RSS feeds of medical sources like science journals and recent medical news articles.
Note: this automated list does not catch all relevant publications; also it is limited to about the past 6 months. Therefore you may also want to check the following sources:
- Topix - recent Lyme disease news articles from around the web (past few weeks only)
- BioPortfolio - recent medical publications on Lyme disease (past few weeks only)
- PubMed - search in a database for publications in the past decades (highly recommended)
LIST OF RECENT MEDICAL SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS:
Thursday 29 July 2010
(Source: AAP News)
Thursday 29 July 2010
Research co-authored by Viral Genetics, Inc., (Pink Sheets: VRAL) lead scientist Dr. M. Karen Newell has been published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Leukocyte Biology (JLB). Newell's article identifies a potential mechanism that promotes chronic inflammation, a characteristic of most autoimmune diseases. Viral Genetics has been pursing treatments for Lyme Disease and HIV/AIDS. Articles published in the JLB undergo rigorous screening to ensure proof of concept as well as high research standards... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Wednesday 28 July 2010
The study by Cerar et al documents that prompt treatment of patients with early Lyme disease seems to result in generally good outcomes. But some of the inference, perhaps the impetus for the study, is that patients with Lyme disease do not develop any relapsing, persistent, chronic symptoms that can be considered to be due to persistent infection. The fact that the authors acknowledge the controversy, there are patients who have persisting symptoms, and the abundant evidence that both untreated and treated patients with Lyme disease can develop a chronic illness needs to be further acknowledged and addressed. Their study did not deal with patients who had delayed treatment or no treatment and whether a short course of doxycycline or other antibiotic would be effective in those patients. O...
Wednesday 28 July 2010
Cerar et al conclude that almost all Lyme disease patients treated for an erythema migrans rash with short-course antibiotic therapy have complete resolution of symptoms at 1 year following treatment. Unfortunately, the design of this Slovenian study promotes a false expectation of therapeutic success that cannot be generalized to all patients afflicted with Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochetal agent of Lyme disease. (Source: The American Journal of Medicine)
Wednesday 28 July 2010
It is encouraging to see the results of the study by Cerar et al showing that 6 and 12 months after enrollment the frequency of symptoms in a group of patients treated for early Lyme disease in Slovenia did not exceed that of a control group without Lyme disease. This is in contrast to the results of our meta-analysis of 5 studies in which significantly more Lyme disease patients than controls had fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, and neurocognitive difficulties years after diagnosis and treatment. The patients in this new study all had a solitary erythema migrans at study entry, with a median of 6-7 days since the erythema migrans was first observed. Patients with multiple erythema migrans lesions or an extracutaneous manifestation of Lyme disease were excluded. In the 5 studies in the meta-...
Wednesday 28 July 2010
Stricker and Johnson have incorrectly summarized our study protocol. Approximately 50% of our patients began antibiotic treatment after 1 week of illness, with 23.5% having symptoms in excess of 3 weeks before enrollment. Although we limited our study to patients with a single erythema migrans skin lesion, such patients are by far the most prevalent group of patients with Lyme disease in Slovenia. Of the 34,166 cases of Lyme disease reported in Slovenia from 2000 to 2008, more than 90% had erythema migrans. Furthermore, among adult patients with erythema migrans evaluated by the Department of Infectious Diseases at the University Medical Center in Ljubljana, more than 90% had only a single erythema migrans skin lesion (unpublished data). In other recent clinical experience in Europe and th...
Wednesday 28 July 2010
We appreciate the comments made by Cairns. Cairns asserts that post-Lyme syndrome is associated with a delay in antibiotic treatment, with neurologic symptoms in the acute phase, and with multiple erythema migrans skin lesions, but this conclusion is not evidence-based. The retrospectively controlled studies that she relied on in her meta-analysis certainly included such groups, but also were likely to have included patients with single erythema migrans skin lesions, and misdiagnosed patients. Our prospectively controlled study of patients with a single erythema migrans skin lesion may be considered as a starting point to address the question of whether post-Lyme disease syndrome exists in adults. The findings of our study do not support its existence, because we found that the frequency o...
Wednesday 28 July 2010
In response to Donta's letter to the editor, the question of whether the frequency of nonspecific symptoms after treated Lyme disease exceeds the background frequency of such complaints in the general population remains unanswered and was the impetus for our study. Our results indicate there is no increase in the frequency of nonspecific symptoms in the particular subgroup of patients with Lyme disease in our study. Further assessment of the outcome in other groups of patients with Lyme disease is warranted, but these studies must incorporate appropriate control groups to provide meaningful data. (Source: The American Journal of Medicine)
Tuesday 27 July 2010
Ticks are ectoparasitic arthropods that can transmit a variety of microorganisms to humans and animals during blood feeding, causing serious infectious disorders, including Lyme disease. Acaricides are pharmacologic agents that kill ticks. The emergence of acaricide-resistant ticks calls for alternative control strategies for ticks and tick-borne diseases. Many animals develop resistance to ticks after repeated infestations, but the nature of this acquired anti-tick immunity remains poorly understood. Here we investigated the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying acquired resistance to Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks in mice and found that antibodies were required, as was IgFc receptor expression on basophils but not on mast cells. The infiltration of basophils at tick-feeding sites...
Tuesday 27 July 2010
MEDICAL MATTERS:If you’re exposed to ticks, do a daily tick check, writesMUIRIS HOUSTON (Source: The Irish Times - Health)
Tuesday 27 July 2010
The purpose of this study is to critically evaluate the typical cost of asymmetrical sensorineural hearing loss (ASNHL) work-up, and to compare the positive predictive value from this common presenting symptom.Retrospective chart review from two major otolaryngology centers.We reviewed charts from patients presenting to New York Eye and Ear Infirmary between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2006, and the University of Minnesota between December 1, 2002 and November 30, 2007 with ASNHL. Diagnostic information included magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and serum laboratory values (antinuclear antibodies, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, Lyme, rapid plasma reagin, and thyroid-stimulating hormone). We calculated positive rate according to each item of diagnosis. To estimate cost-benefit, we furt...
Thursday 22 July 2010
Abstract: The diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS), despite well defined clinical criteria is not always simple. On many occasions it is difficult to differentiate MS from various non-MS idiopathic demyelinating disorders, specific and infectious inflammatory diseases or non-inflammatory demyelinating diseases. Clinicians should be aware of various clinical and MRI “red flags” that may point to the other diagnosis and demand further diagnostic evaluation. It is generally accepted that atypical clinical symptoms or atypical neuroimaging signs determine necessity for broad differential diagnostic work up. Of the infectious diseases that are most commonly mistaken for MS the clinician should take into account Whipple's disease, Lyme disease, Syphilis, HIV/AIDS, Brucellosis, HHV-6 infectio...
Thursday 22 July 2010
Research on the population of black-legged ticks, which can transmit Lyme disease from host animals to humans, reinforces that it is important to take preventative measures when spending time outdoors. University of Illinois graduate student Jennifer Rydzewski conducted a four-year survey of black-legged ticks (also known as deer ticks), their host animals, and their habitat preferences in Cook, Lake, DuPage, and Piatt Counties. The survey confirmed the presence of ticks in all four counties and ticks carrying Lyme disease in Piatt County... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Thursday 22 July 2010
Research on the population of black-legged ticks, which can transmit Lyme disease from host animals to humans, reinforces that it is important to take preventative measures when spending time outdoors. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)
Wednesday 21 July 2010
Research on the population of black-legged ticks, which can transmit Lyme disease from host animals to humans, reinforces that it is important to take preventative measures when spending time outdoors. University of Illinois graduate student Jennifer Rydzewski conducted a four-year survey of black-legged ticks (also known as deer ticks), their host animals, and their habitat preferences in Cook, Lake, DuPage, and Piatt Counties. The survey confirmed the presence of ticks in all four counties and ticks carrying Lyme disease in Piatt County. Higher numbers of ticks were found along the Des Plaines River corridor........ (Source: Medicineworld.org: New Article Alert)
Wednesday 21 July 2010
The immunological events leading to the development of Lyme arthritis in humans are partially understood. Much of this information has been gained by studying the course of infection of naïve or vaccinated mice with Borrelia burgdorferi. However, the Borrelia-vaccination and -infection model has not been described using the organismal parameters commonly used in the widely accepted Borrelia-infection model. This is the first comparison between the Borrelia-infection and the Borrelia-vaccination and -infection models of arthritis. Borrelia-vaccinated and -infected C3H/HeN mice develop acute inflammation comparable to that of nonvaccinated, Borrelia-infected C3H/HeN mice. The duration and severity of arthritis in Borrelia-vaccinated and -infected mice was slightly increased compared with Bo...
Tuesday 20 July 2010
Originally published in the Guardian on 20 July 1983The 125-million-year-old skeleton of a flesh-eating dinosaur previously unknown to science has been unearthed after its gigantic clawbone, at least half as long again as the talon on the hind foot of the ferocious Tyrannosaurus rex, was found in a Surrey claypit. London's Natural History Museum, which announced the discovery, said it was probably the most important find in Britain in this century. The clawbone was found by Mr Bill Walker, an amateur fossil hunter who shattered it with a hammer as he tried to get it out of a rock, in January.But it was not until the end of May, when the mud began to dry, that Dr Alan Charig and a team of experts from the museum in South Kensington were able to begin excavating the ...
Tuesday 20 July 2010
(University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences) Research on the population of black-legged ticks, which can transmit Lyme disease from host animals to humans, reinforces that it is important to take preventative measures when spending time outdoors. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Friday 16 July 2010
Conclusions: B. burgdorferi seems to increase Fas expression on CD3+ T lymphocytes, which may render these cells more susceptible to apoptosis. This effect is stronger for B. burgdorferi s.s. than for B. garinii genospecies.
PMID: 20639186 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Advances in Medical Sciences)
Wednesday 7 July 2010
Tiny ticks -- blood-sucking arachnids found in North Carolina and throughout the world -- can cause enormous health problems when their bite is undetected and untreated.
Paul Lantos, MD, pediatric infectious disease specialist at Duke, explains what you need to know about ticks and their bites, and recommends ways you can prevent common tick-borne illnesses.
Know Your Ticks and Their Diseases
Different ticks carry different diseases. Click through the slideshow to learn about different ticks and the diseases they carry.
The deer tick carries bacteria in its gut that spread Lyme disease, the most common vector-borne illness in the United St...
Tuesday 6 July 2010
Tiny ticks -- blood-sucking arachnids found in North Carolina and throughout the world -- can cause enormous health problems when their bite is undetected and untreated.
Paul Lantos, MD, pediatric infectious disease specialist at Duke, explains what you need to know about ticks and their bites, and recommends ways you can prevent common tick-borne illnesses.
Know Your Ticks and Their Diseases
Different ticks carry different diseases. Click through the slideshow to learn about different ticks and the diseases they carry.
The deer tick carries bacteria in its gut that spread Lyme disease, the most common vector-borne illness in the United St...
Friday 2 July 2010
Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 51, Issue 3, Page 369-370, 1 August 2010. (Source: Clinical Infectious Diseases Latest Issue)
Friday 2 July 2010
In conclusion, these results combined with earlier results suggest that the joint or a tissue adjacent to the joint is the niche of persisting B. burgdorferi in ceftriaxone-treated mice. (Source: APMIS)
Thursday 1 July 2010
(Source: EHP-in-Press)
Thursday 1 July 2010
Authors: Travinsky B, Bunikis J, Barbour AG
Borrelia burdorferi genotype in the northeastern United States is associated with Lyme borreliosis severity. Analysis of DNA sequences of the outer surface protein C gene and rrs-rrlA intergenic spacer from extracts of Ixodes spp. ticks in 3 US regions showed linkage disequilibrium between the 2 loci within a region but not consistently between regions.
PMID: 20587192 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Emerging Infectious Diseases)
Thursday 1 July 2010
We report an unusual case of human babesiosis in Finland in a 53-year-old man with no history of splenectomy. He had a rudimentary spleen, coexisting Lyme borreliosis, exceptional dark streaks on his extremities, and subsequent disseminated aspergillosis. He was infected with Babesia divergens, which usually causes bovine babesiosis in Finland.
PMID: 20587183 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Emerging Infectious Diseases)
Thursday 1 July 2010
(Source: EHP-in-Press)
Thursday 1 July 2010
Authors: Spolidorio MG, Labruna MB, Machado RZ, Moraes-Filho J, Zago AM, Donatele DM, Pinheiro SR, Silveira I, Caliari KM, Yoshinari NH
Blood samples collected from 201 humans, 92 dogs, and 27 horses in the state of Espirito Santo, Brazil, were tested by polymerase chain reaction, indirect immunofluorescence assays, and indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for tick-borne diseases (rickettsiosis, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, borreliosis, babesiosis). Our results indicated that the surveyed counties are endemic for spotted fever group rickettsiosis because sera from 70 (34.8%) humans, 7 (7.6%) dogs, and 7 (25.9%) horses were reactive to at least one of the six Rickettsia species tested. Although there was evidence of ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia canis) and babesiosis (Babesia canis vogel...
Tuesday 29 June 2010
Authors: Schuijt TJ, Hovius JW, van der Poll T, van Dam AP, Fikrig E
Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, the most prevalent arthropod-borne disease in the Western world, is caused by spirochetes belonging to the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato group and is predominantly transmitted through Ixodes ticks. There is currently no vaccine available to prevent Lyme borreliosis in humans. Borrelia outer membrane proteins are reviewed which have been investigated as vaccine candidates. In addition, several tick proteins are discussed, on which anti-tick vaccines have been based, or are interesting future candidates, to prevent transmission of the spirochete from the tick vector to the mammalian host. Finally, novel vaccination strategies to prevent Lyme borreliosis are proposed, based on multipl...
Monday 28 June 2010
Dixie Coskie is the mother of a child who lived through both a traumatic brain injury and cancer. In this blog post, Dixie writes about the stress that comes from being the primary caregiver of a sick child and the importance of taking care of yourself. Click here to read more of Dixie’s writing, including excerpts from her book, Unthinkable! A Caregiver’s Companion.
Dixie and her son, Paul
No one is immune to getting that phone call—the one that tells you something bad has happened to your family. Be it a diagnosis of a life-threatening disease or an involvement in a horrific accident, you never expect it to happen to someone you love. When it does, most of us are totally unprepared for the constant caregiving that follows and how it can impact your life emotionally, spiritu...
Wednesday 23 June 2010
Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases , Vol. 0, No. 0. (Source: Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases)
Tuesday 22 June 2010
Abstract A 38-year-old HIV-1 infected woman affected with bilateral tonic pupils. Ophthalmologic examination confirmed Holmes–Adie
syndrome (HAS), and peripheral distal polyneuropathy, orthostatic hypotension and leg hyperhidrosis were detected on further
workup. The HAS can be either idiopathic or associated with neuropathy of various etiology (autoimmune, paraneoplastic and
infectious). In our patient, the pupillotonia was the first and early symptom of hitherto unrecognized HIV neuropathy. HAS
has been previously observed in association with syphilis, Lyme borreliosis, herpes simplex and parvovirus B19 infection.
Our case is the first report of HAS in a case of HIV infection.
Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Case ReportDOI 10.1007/s10072-010-0355-9Authors
Ru...
Tuesday 22 June 2010
Learn about: Insect Bites and Stings Lyme Disease Tick BitesWest Nile Virus (Source: What's New on MedlinePlus)
Tuesday 22 June 2010
Conclusions:
Amyloid metabolism is altered in LNB. CSF levels of alpha-sAPP, beta-sAPP and P-tau are decreased in acute infection and increase after treatment. In combination with earlier findings in multiple sclerosis, cerebral SLE and HIV with cerebral engagement, this points to an influence of neuroinflammation on amyloid metabolism. (Source: BMC Neurology)
Monday 21 June 2010
In conclusion, CRASP‐1 is a multifunctional protein of B. burgdorferi that binds to several human extracellular matrix proteins and plasminogen. These interactions may contribute to adhesion, bacterial colonization, and organ tropism and may allow dissemination of B. burgdorferi in the host. (Source: The Journal of Infectious Diseases Latest Issue)
Monday 21 June 2010
We describe a 6-year-old boy who developed Borrelia burgdorferi-associated lymphocytoma cutis on the ear. Lymphocytoma is a benign polyclonal B-cell lymphoproliferative process; it is defined as a subacute manifestation of early disseminated borrelial infection. Clinical history, physical examination, and serodiagnosis tests are often sufficient to establish diagnosis, but sometimes, histopathologic analysis is needed to exclude malignant cutaneous lymphomas. The outcome is always favorable but after antibiotic therapy, the lesion disappears promptly.
PMID: 20573489 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Archives de Pediatrie)
Monday 21 June 2010
Conclusions: Lyme neuroborreliosis presenting as acute CNS syndrome with peripheral nervous system involvement simultaneously in the disease course, especially acute myelopolyradiculitis, in Taiwan is different from Lyme neuroborreliosis seen in Europe and North America. The treatment outcome is variable and based on the severity of initial neurological deficits, early diagnosis, and early management. (Source: Journal of the Neurological Sciences)
Sunday 20 June 2010
Researchers have developed a more sensitive test for Lyme disease that may offer earlier detection and lower cost. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)
Saturday 19 June 2010
Authors: Kempf F, McCoy KD, De Meeûs T
Population genetics can help us better understand species microevolution and population biology, but inferences made from the genetic polymorphisms of field-collected organisms critically rely on sampling design. The population structure of the tick Ixodes ricinus L. (Acari, Ixodidae), a commonly encountered ectoparasite and the principal vector of human Lyme disease in Europe, has been the focus of some study, but many ecological aspects of this species remain poorly understood. Here, we apply a Bayesian clustering approach to observed and simulated data to examine within-population structure in I. ricinus, and to re-analyse patterns of sex-biased dispersal based on this substructure. We found between 18 and 27 distinct clusters within each of...
Friday 18 June 2010
(American Society for Microbiology) The following are tips from the journals of the American Society for Microbiology: "Prior Exposure to Seasonal Influenza May Explain the Mildness of the 2009 H1N1 Pandemic"; "New Test May Simply and Rapidly Detect Lyme Disease"; and "Oral Bacteria May Offer Probiotic Potential Against Upper Respiratory Infections." (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Thursday 17 June 2010
Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases , Vol. 0, No. 0. (Source: Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases)
Wednesday 16 June 2010
An independent panel recently upheld the IDSA guidelines on Lyme disease. Paul G. Auwaerter, MD, MBA, comments on the evidence, politics, and need to work together to achieve common goals. Medscape Infectious Diseases (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)
Tuesday 15 June 2010
Researchers are hoping to halt the spread of the fastest growing parasite-transmitted disease in the northern hemisphere by reducing tick numbers, writes MICHELLE McDONAGH (Source: The Irish Times - Health)
Tuesday 15 June 2010
Authors: Becker AM, Blevins JS, Tomson FL, Eitson JL, Medeiros JJ, Yarovinsky F, Norgard MV, van Oers NS
Invariant NKT (iNKT) cells regulate early immune responses to infections, in part because of their rapid release of IFN-gamma and IL-4. iNKT cells are proposed to reduce the severity of Lyme disease following Borrelia burgdorferi infection. Unlike conventional T cells, iNKT cells express an invariant alphabeta TCR that recognizes lipids bound to the MHC class I-like molecule, CD1d. Furthermore, these cells are positively selected following TCR interactions with glycolipid/CD1d complexes expressed on CD4+CD8+ thymocytes. Whereas conventional T cell development can proceed with as few as 4/10 CD3 immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs (ITAMs), little is known about the ITAM r...
Thursday 10 June 2010
Authors: Chaconas G, Kobryn K
Spirochetes of the genus Borrelia include important human pathogens that cause Lyme borreliosis and relapsing fever. The genomes of Borrelia species can be composed of up to 24 DNA molecules, most of which are linear. The plasmid content and linear replicon sequence arrangement vary widely between isolates. The linear replicons are terminated by covalently closed DNA hairpins or hairpin telomeres. Replication of these elements involves a unique reaction, called telomere resolution, to produce hairpin telomeres from replicative intermediates. The telomere resolvase, ResT, is thought to contribute to the genetic flux of the linear molecules by promoting stabilized telomere fusions. Telomere resolvases are related to the tyrosine recombinases and ResT can gen...
Wednesday 9 June 2010
This article will examine the interplay between the recent calls for guidelines reform, the ethical canons of medicine, and due process considerations under antitrust laws as they apply to the formulation of the IDSA Lyme disease treatment guidelines. The article will also discuss pitfalls in the implementation of the IDSA antitrust settlement that should be avoided in the future. (Source: Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine)
Monday 7 June 2010
Does Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) exist in Taiwan? Dr. Chan and his colleagues believe so, and make two points in their article “Acute neuroborreliosis with involvement of the central nervous system.” First, they described 11 patients who they feel have LNB. Second, they state that the clinical presentation of their patients is “different from Lyme neuroborreliosis in Europe and North America.” (Source: Journal of the Neurological Sciences)
Monday 7 June 2010
We describe two cases of isolated Lyme ON, one with recurrence 9months after the appearance of initial symptoms. Diagnosis criteria for multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica were not met. The etiological diagnosis was based on European case definition criteria for neuroborreliosis. Both patients had positive serum and cerebrospinal fluid serology, a positive intrathecal anti-Borrelia antibody index, and a good outcome on ceftriaxone. Specific diagnosis of Lyme ON is important since improvement of visual acuity is possible with specific antibiotherapy, even after many months. (Source: Journal of the Neurological Sciences)
Tuesday 1 June 2010
We report the case of a young resident from the New England area presenting with symptomatic bradycardia. A 34-year-old man with limited English proficiency presented with lightheadedness to the emergency department of Baystate Medical Center in July. He was originally from Ukraine, was currently working as an automobile mechanic, and had not visited a physician or a hospital since regular childhood checkups. He had been experiencing generalized malaise for 1 week, complicated by dyspnea on ordinary physical activity, diaphoresis, and occasional presyncopal episodes. On admission, the patient was afebrile at 98.6°F, with a heart rate of 38 beats/min and blood pressure of 126/55 mm Hg. His initial physical examination showed a man in no apparent distress. His lungs were clear, with a norma...
Tuesday 1 June 2010
We have previously demonstrated that two salivary cysteine protease inhibitors from the Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease) vector Ixodes scapularis[ndash] namely sialostatins L and L2 [ndash] play an important role in tick biology, as demonstrated by the fact that silencing of both sialostatins in tandem results in severe feeding defects. Here we show that sialostatin L2 [ndash] but not sialostatin L [ndash] facilitates the growth of B. burgdorferi in murine skin. To examine the structural basis underlying these differential effects of the two sialostatins, we have determined the crystal structures of both sialostatin L and L2. This is the first structural analysis of cystatins from an invertebrate source. Sialostatin L2 crystallizes as a monomer with an 'unusual' conformation of the N-te...
Monday 31 May 2010
A 2-year study was conducted in a mountainous area of northeast Italy to evaluate the occurrence and distribution of ticks, as well as to assess the prevalence of the spirochaete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. All ticks collected were Ixodes ricinus L. (Parasitiformes: Ixodidae). In general, most nymphs and adult ticks were collected from April to July. Tick density was highly variable among sites; however, two areas with different infestation levels were recognized. Prevalences of B. burgdorferi s.l. in nymphal stages were rather variable between sites; overall the prevalence of infected nymphs in the whole area was slightly higher than 20%. The prevalence of B. burgdorferi s.l. in nymphs does not seem to be correlated with nymph density. The correlation between the incidence of Lyme bo...
Sunday 30 May 2010
Authors: Brisson D, Vandermause MF, Meece JK, Reed KD, Dykhuizen DE
The per capita incidence of human Lyme disease in the northeastern United States is more than twice that in the Midwest. However, the prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, in the tick vector is nearly identical in the 2 regions. The disparity in human Lyme disease incidence may result from a disparity in the human invasiveness of the bacteria in the Northeast and Midwest caused by fundamentally different evolutionary histories. B. burgdorferi populations in the Northeast and Midwest are geographically isolated, enabling evolutionary divergence in human invasiveness. However, we found that B. burgdorferi populations in the Northeast and Midwest shared a recent common ancestor, which...
Friday 28 May 2010
Conclusion: The study firstly showed the role of rodents in maintaining the pathogen of Lyme disease in the environment from Gansu Province and there existed at least two genotypes of Lyme disease spirochaetes in rodents . (Source: BMC Microbiology - Latest articles)
Thursday 27 May 2010
Conclusion Clinical symptoms and signs of neuroborrelial ATM may be minimal, even in cases with severe involvement of the spine, as shown
by imaging studies. The CSF/blood index can be negative in the early stages and does not exclude Lyme neuroborreliosis; if
there is strong clinical suspicion of Lyme neuroborreliosis, appropriate treatment should be started and the CSF/blood index
repeated to confirm the diagnosis.
Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Case ReportDOI 10.1007/s15010-010-0028-xAuthors
S. Bigi, University Children’s Hospital, Inselspital Neuropaediatrics, Department of Paediatrics Bern SwitzerlandC. Aebi, University Children’s Hospital, Inselspital Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Paediatrics Bern SwitzerlandC. Nauer, University Hosp...
Wednesday 26 May 2010
Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles.
In May 2008, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) entered into an agreement with Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal to voluntarily undertake a special review of its 2006 Lyme disease guidelines. This agreement ended the Attorney General’s investigation into the process by which the guidelines were developed. The IDSA agreed to convene an independent panel to conduct a one‐time review of the guidelines. The Review Panel members, vetted by an ombudsman for potential conflicts of interest, reviewed the entirety of the 2006 guidelines, with particular attention to the recommendations devoted to post–Lyme disease syndromes. After multiple meetings, a public hearing, and extensive re...
Tuesday 25 May 2010
The evidence continues to mount that Chronic Lyme Disease (CLD) exists and must be addressed by the medical community if solutions are to be found. Four National Institutes of Health (NIH) trials validated the existence and severity of CLD. Despite the evidence, there are physicians who continue to deny the existence and severity of CLD, which can hinder efforts to find a solution. Recognizing CLD could facilitate efforts to avoid diagnostic delays of two years and durations of illness of 4.7 to 9 years described in the NIH trials. The risk to society of emerging antibiotic-resistant organisms should be weighed against the societal risks associated with failing to treat an emerging population saddled with CLD. The mixed long-term outcome in children could also be examined. Once we accept t...
Monday 24 May 2010
(Source: AAP News)
Monday 24 May 2010
It's spread by infected ticks (Source: The Doctors Lounge - Infections)
Monday 24 May 2010
It's spread by infected ticks
Source: HealthDay
Related MedlinePlus Page: Lyme Disease (Source: MedlinePlus Health News)
Monday 24 May 2010
Title: Health Tip: Learn the Signs of Lyme DiseaseCategory: Health NewsCreated: 5/24/2010 8:10:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 5/24/2010 (Source: MedicineNet Arthritis General)
Monday 24 May 2010
Title: Health Tip: Learn the Signs of Lyme DiseaseCategory: Health NewsCreated: 5/24/2010 8:10:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 5/24/2010 (Source: MedicineNet Migraine General)
Monday 24 May 2010
Title: Health Tip: Learn the Signs of Lyme DiseaseCategory: Health NewsCreated: 5/24/2010 8:10:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 5/24/2010 (Source: MedicineNet Skin General)
Monday 24 May 2010
Source: J Antimicrob Chemotherapy
Area: News
Antibiotic prophylaxis for people at risk of Lyme disease is effective with a NNT of about 50, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Lyme disease, an infection contracted via a bite from an infected Ixodes tick, is the commonest vector-borne infection in the US, and it also occurs in the UK. Untreated, it can result in serious long-term morbidity. While primary prevention involves avoiding areas at risk, and appropriate clothing etc. in such areas, there is debate over the effectiveness of antibiotic prophylaxis in people bitten by a potentially infected tick. A previous meta-analysis (in 1996) lacked sufficient power to show benefit, however there has subsequently been a large trial showing possible benefit with a wide...
Friday 21 May 2010
Albertans are being told to be on the alert for ticks, after random testing found the kind of tick that can cause Lyme disease. (Source: CTV Health)
Thursday 20 May 2010
Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health is advising Albertans to take precautions against Lyme disease as ticks carrying the disease have been identified in three areas of the province.
Three ticks have tested positive for Borrelia, the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. The ticks were found on dogs in the Calgary, High River and Ardrossan areas, and submitted for testing by veterinarians. Borrelia was first identified in Alberta in 2007, in ticks found on dogs in the Stony Plain area. A bite by an infected tick can cause illness in people, wildlife and domestic animals. (Source: Alberta.ca from- Health and Wellness)
Thursday 20 May 2010
BmpA is an immunodominant protein of Borrelia burgdorferi as well as an arthritogenic factor. Rabbit antirecombinant BmpA (rBmpA) antibodies were raised, characterized by assaying their cross reactivity with rBmpB, rBmpC and rBmpD, and then rendered monospecific by absorption with rBmpB. This monospecific reagent reacted only with rBmpA in dot immunobinding and detected a single 39 kDa, pI 5.0, spot on two-dimensional immunoblots. It was used to assess the BmpA cellular location. BmpA was present in both detergent-soluble and -insoluble fractions of Triton X-114 phase-partitioned borrelial cells, suggesting that it was a membrane lipoprotein. Immunoblots of proteinase K-treated intact and Triton X-100 permeabilized cells showed digestion of BmpA in intact cells, consistent with surface exp...
Wednesday 19 May 2010
The dangers of travelling faster than light; Why is the alphabet in alphabetical order? How cool is Shiraz Engineer?If I could travel faster than the speed of light, wouldn't I bump into things that I couldn't see? Yes, your eyeballs.Steve Vanstone, Purley, SurreyYes, although the phrase "bump into" probably fails to adequately describe the collision.Andrew Marston, Penryn, CornwallWell, Star Trek's USS Enterprise manages to avoid collisions while travelling at warp-factor-eight or whatever, much faster than the speed of light. How does it do that?Jack Johnson, BirminghamKind of, but there is a problem in your premise: if you were travelling faster than the speed of light you would outpace the light coming from behind you, so if you were to look over your shoulder you would effectively see...
Wednesday 19 May 2010
The dangers of travelling faster than light; Why is the alphabet in alphabetical order? How cool is Shiraz Engineer?If I could travel faster than the speed of light, wouldn't I bump into things that I couldn't see? Yes, your eyeballs.Steve Vanstone, Purley, SurreyYes, although the phrase "bump into" probably fails to adequately describe the collision.Andrew Marston, Penryn, CornwallWell, Star Trek's USS Enterprise manages to avoid collisions while travelling at warp-factor-eight or whatever, much faster than the speed of light. How does it do that?Jack Johnson, BirminghamKind of, but there is a problem in your premise: if you were travelling faster than the speed of light you would outpace the light coming from behind you, so if you were to look over your shoulder you would effectively see...
Wednesday 19 May 2010
The genome of Borrelia burgdorferi encodes a set of genes putatively involved in cyclic-dimeric guanosine monophosphate (cyclic-di-GMP) metabolism. Although BB0419 was shown to be a diguanylate cyclase, the extent to which bb0419 or any of the putative cyclic-di-GMP metabolizing genes impact B. burgdorferi motility and pathogenesis has not yet been reported. Here we identify and characterize a phosphodiesterase (BB0363). BB0363 specifically hydrolyzed cyclic-di-GMP with a Km of 0.054 µM, confirming it is a functional cyclic-di-GMP phosphodiesterase. A targeted mutation in bb0363 was constructed using a newly developed promoterless antibiotic cassette that does not affect downstream gene expression. The mutant cells exhibited an altered swimming pattern, indicating a function for cyclic-di...
Tuesday 18 May 2010
Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 50, Issue 12, Page 1683-1684, 15 June 2010. (Source: Clinical Infectious Diseases Latest Issue)
Tuesday 18 May 2010
The Health Protection Agency has advised the public to take care when visiting areas where ticks are present, to prevent tick bites and reduce the risk of catching Lyme disease. (Source: Nursing Times Breaking News)
Friday 14 May 2010
It's tick season, and the May issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter covers signs and symptoms associated with tick-related diseases. Although most tick bites are harmless, ticks can pass on infectious organisms that cause serious illnesses. As a general rule, it's important to seek prompt medical attention when symptoms occur after a tick bite. Symptoms may include rash, fever, muscle aches, joint pain, swollen lymph nodes or flulike symptoms. Lyme disease: This illness is transmitted by deer ticks, which are brown and smaller than wood ticks... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Friday 14 May 2010
Conclusions:
Despite their apparent low reservoir competence, the presence of sand lizards had insignificant impact on the B. burgdorferi s.l. infection rate of questing ticks. In contrast, sand lizards might act as reservoir hosts for R. helvetica. Remarkably, the public health risk from tick-borne diseases is approximately five times lower in heather than in woodland, due to the low tick densities in heather. (Source: BioMed Central)
Friday 14 May 2010
Authors: Becker AM, Blevins JS, Tomson FL, Eitson JL, Medeiros JJ, Yarovinsky F, Norgard MV, van Oers NS
Invariant NKT (iNKT) cells regulate early immune responses to infections, in part because of their rapid release of IFN-gamma and IL-4. iNKT cells are proposed to reduce the severity of Lyme disease following Borrelia burgdorferi infection. Unlike conventional T cells, iNKT cells express an invariant alphabeta TCR that recognizes lipids bound to the MHC class I-like molecule, CD1d. Furthermore, these cells are positively selected following TCR interactions with glycolipid/CD1d complexes expressed on CD4(+)CD8(+) thymocytes. Whereas conventional T cell development can proceed with as few as 4/10 CD3 immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs (ITAMs), little is known about the IT...
Thursday 13 May 2010
We report on a 37-year old male, who was admitted to the emergency department because
of dizziness and generalized tiredness. Physical examination and the initial laboratory values revealed no abnormalities.
The patient’s electrocardiogram on admission revealed newly diagnosed bradycardia due to atrioventricular heart block. The
ventricular heart rate was 35/min. The patient was admitted to the ICU. Lyme serology and Western blot were positive for Borrelia
antibodies. After institution of antibiotic therapy with ceftriaxone, atrioventricular heart block resolved rapidly. We therefore
have to assume that in this patient Lyme carditis was the cause of third-degree AV block.
Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Clinical CorrespondenceDOI 10.1007/s00392-010-0152-8Authors
D. Semml...
Wednesday 12 May 2010
Conclusions
The available evidence to date supports the use of antibiotic prophylaxis for the prevention of Lyme disease in endemic areas following an Ixodes tick bite. Pooled data from four placebo-controlled trials suggests that one case of Lyme disease is prevented for about every 50 patients who are treated with antibiotics. (Source: Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy)
Wednesday 12 May 2010
Conclusion Our study suggests that the present practice of applying Lyme serological tests may result in more harm than benefit.
Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original Research PaperDOI 10.1007/s00011-010-0209-1Authors
András Lakos, The Centre for Tick-Borne Diseases Visegrádi 14 Budapest 1132 HungaryJenő Reiczigel, Szent István University Faculty of Veterinary Science Budapest HungaryNorbert Solymosi, Hungarian Academy of Sciences-Corvinus University Adaptation to Climate Change Research Group Budapest Hungary
Journal Inflammation ResearchOnline ISSN 1420-908XPrint ISSN 1023-3830 (Source: Inflammation Research)
Tuesday 11 May 2010
Authors: Bonin S, Tothova SM, Barbazza R, Brunetti D, Stanta G, Trevisan G
The etiology of mycosis fungoides (MF) remains to be determined. Several studies have proposed a viral etiology with controversial results. In this case-control study we investigated the presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and the debated presence of Human T-cell lymphotrophic virus I (HTLV-I) sequences, by polymerase chain reaction on nucleic acid extracts from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded skin biopsies. Moreover, by a multivariate approach we analyzed in the same case-control study also the contribution of two previously examined pathogens: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb). Significant differences in the frequency of infectious agents in cases and controls were detected for Bb, HTLV-I...
Friday 7 May 2010
Compensation from push chair maker, the Council of Dads, and moreRelated items from OnMedicaPresumed consent only way to get more organsHigh-stress jobs raise younger women’s heart riskPublic warned to avoid tick bites and Lyme diseaseDark chocolate may cut stroke damage to brainThe oddest GP of them all (Source: OnMedica Latest News)
Friday 7 May 2010
This study confirms the complexity of tick borne pathogen ecology. They support the importance of small vertebrates as reservoir hosts and makes a case for further studies in Europe on the link between the composition of reservoir host community and the infection prevalence in ticks.
PMID: 20453131 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Applied and Environmental Microbiology)
Friday 7 May 2010
Most people love the Bambi-like quality of white-tail deer, but deer overabundance is creating problems for people and wildlife management:
Deer density increases encounters with humans, including car collisions.
Deer cause millions of dollars worth of damage each year to agricultural crops, nurseries, and landscaping.
They are responsible for damage or the disappearance of wild plant species in our natural areas
Deer play a role in the transmission of tick-borne infections to humans, including Lyme disease. (Source: ActionBioscience)
Friday 7 May 2010
Most people love the Bambi-like quality of white-tail deer, but deer overabundance is creating problems for people and wildlife management:
Deer density increases encounters with humans, including car collisions.
Deer cause millions of dollars worth of damage each year to agricultural crops, nurseries, and landscaping.
They are responsible for damage or the disappearance of wild plant species in our natural areas
Deer play a role in the transmission of tick-borne infections to humans, including Lyme disease. (Source: ActionBioscience)
Thursday 6 May 2010
(Source: Military Medicine)
Thursday 6 May 2010
The Health Protection Agency is advising people to take care when visiting areas where ticks are present, to prevent tick bites and reduce the risk of catching Lyme disease. Late spring, early summer and autumn are peak times for tick bites and coincide with people venturing into the great outdoors for the warmer weather. One of the measures the Health Protection Agency (HPA) has taken this year to raise awareness of tick bites has been to provide advice to The Royal Parks for their leaflet on Lyme disease... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Thursday 6 May 2010
Health Protection Agency issues advice on reducing risk of Lyme diseaseRelated items from OnMedicaVaccine linked to earlier onset of seizures in Dravet syndromeSwine flu cases fall but jabs must continuePay more heed to parent concern over sick childrenTB cases still on the rise across most of the UKGovernment offers health workers swine flu vaccine (Source: OnMedica Latest News)
Wednesday 5 May 2010
The Health Protection Agency is advising people to take care when visiting areas where ticks are present, to prevent tick bites and reduce the risk of catching Lyme disease. (Source: Health Protection Agency)
Tuesday 4 May 2010
The Journal of Infectious Diseases, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles.
Toll‐like receptor 2 (TLR2) plays an important role in the recognition of Borrelia bacteria, the causative agent of Lyme disease, but the existence and importance of additional receptors in this process has been hypothesized. In the present study, we confirmed the role played by TLR2 in the recognition of Borrelia bacteria but also demonstrated a crucial role for the intracellular peptidoglycan receptor NOD2 for sensing the spirochete. Cells from individuals who were homozygous for the loss‐of‐function mutation 3020insC in the NOD2 gene were defective with respect to cytokine release after stimulation with Borrelia species, and this was confirmed in peritoneal macrophages from mice lacking RICK, t...
Tuesday 4 May 2010
The warm spring in Wisconsin has triggered more deer tick activity than usual in many parts
of the state, leading health officials to urge precautions against tick bites when outdoors. (Source: Wisconsin DHFS Press Releases)
Saturday 1 May 2010
Lyme disease — Comprehensive overview covers symptoms, treatment, complications of this tick-borne illness. (Source: MayoClinic.com Full Feed)
Saturday 1 May 2010
Authors: Mason MC
Lyme disease resulting from tick bites can have long-lasting consequences if it is not treated promptly. This is the peak season for bites.
PMID: 20509377 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Nursing Standard)
Saturday 1 May 2010
Authors: McKay G, Gill I, Chauhan S
Lyme disease is a vector-borne multisystem inflammatory disease caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. This disease is frequently seen in North America and to a lesser degree in Europe. However, its presence in England is uncommon and we present a case in which the patient developed a palsy of the common peroneal nerve.
PMID: 20436011 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. British volume)
Friday 30 April 2010
Authors: Volkman D
PMID: 20434537 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Brain, Behavior, and Immunity)
Tuesday 27 April 2010
Conclusions: These data are consistent with I. scapularis ticks dispersed from the USA, by migratory birds, founding populations where the climate is warmest, then establishment of B. burgdorferi from the USA several years after I. scapularis have established. These observations provide vital information for public health to minimize the impact of LD in Canada. (Source: EHP-in-Press)
Friday 23 April 2010
The Infectious Diseases Society of America says its controversial guidelines on Lyme disease will stand. (Source: MedPage Today Infectious Disease)
Friday 23 April 2010
Title: Review Panel Leaves Controversial Lyme Disease Guidelines UnchangedCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/22/2010 4:10:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 4/23/2010 (Source: MedicineNet Arthritis General)
Friday 23 April 2010
Panel defends Lyme disease treatment guidelines; air pollution's health hazards (Source: U.S. News - Health)
Thursday 22 April 2010
Experts dismiss need for long-term antibiotic therapy, but opponents call decision a 'rubber stamp' (Source: The Doctors Lounge - Infections)
Thursday 22 April 2010
After more than a year of hearings and deliberations, a special review panel has unanimously concluded
that no changes are warranted to the Infectious Diseases Society of America's 2006 Lyme disease treatment
guidelines, which have been the subject of an antitrust investigation by Connecticut's attorney general, Richard
Blumenthal. (Source: Modern Medicine)
Thursday 22 April 2010
Authors: Stricker RB, Johnson L
PMID: 20417704 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Brain, Behavior, and Immunity)
Wednesday 21 April 2010
Authors: Alaedini A
PMID: 20417271 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Brain, Behavior, and Immunity)
Wednesday 21 April 2010
Authors: Alaedini A
PMID: 20417272 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Brain, Behavior, and Immunity)
Tuesday 20 April 2010
The spirochetal agent of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, is transmitted by bites of Ixodes ticks to mammalian reservoir hosts and... (Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
Tuesday 20 April 2010
Four years ago, after being bitten by a deer tick, Michelle Backes got treated immediately for Lyme disease. She thought she was safe until three months later, when her body started going numb. Then the onetime teacher from Minnesota, turned to a highly controversial therapy: more than a year's w... (Source: Wash Post Health)
Monday 19 April 2010
(Source: Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation)
Thursday 15 April 2010
Authors: Xu Q, McShan K, Liang FT
During cycling between the tick vector and a mammal, the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi must coordinate expression of outer surface proteins (Osps) A and B to quickly respond to environmental changes. The pathogen abundantly produces OspA/B in the tick, but represses their expression during mammalian infection. Here, consisting of two sequences flanking the ospAB promoter, a regulatory structure required for enhancing ospA expression in B. burgdorferi grown in vitro, but repressing during murine infection, is reported. Deletion or replacement of either the upstream or downstream sequence of the ospAB promoter caused a significant decrease in ospA expression in vitro, but a dramatic increase during murine infection. Fusion of either sequen...
Wednesday 14 April 2010
Authors: Burbelo PD, Issa AT, Ching KH, Cohen JI, Iadarola MJ, Marques A
There is currently a need for improved serological tests for the diagnosis and monitoring of Lyme disease, an infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb). Here, we evaluated Luciferase Immunoprecipitation Systems (LIPS) for profiling antibody responses to a panel of Bb proteins for diagnosis of Lyme disease. Initially, a training serum cohort of patients and controls (n=46) was profiled using 15 different Bb antigen constructs. In the patient sera, antibody responses to several Bb antigens including VlsE, Flagellin (FlaB), BmpA, DbpA, and DbpB, showed high levels of immunoreactivity. However, the best diagnostic performance was achieved with a synthetic protein, designated as VOVO, consisting of a repeated antig...
Wednesday 14 April 2010
Borrelia burgdorferi surface lipoproteins are essential to the pathogenesis of Lyme borreliosis, but the mechanisms responsible for their localization are only beginning to emerge. We have previously demonstrated the critical nature of the amino-terminal 'tether' domain of the mature lipoprotein for sorting a fluorescent reporter to the Borrelia cell surface. Here, we show that individual deletion of four contiguous residues within the tether of major surface lipoprotein OspA results in its inefficient translocation across the Borrelia outer membrane. Intriguingly, C-terminal epitope tags of these N-terminal deletion mutants were selectively surface-exposed. Fold-destabilizing C-terminal point mutations and deletions did not block OspA secretion, but rather restored one of the otherwise pe...
Tuesday 13 April 2010
Source: HealthDay -
Related MedlinePlus Pages: Insect Bites and Stings, Lyme Disease (Source: MedlinePlus Health News)
Monday 12 April 2010
The Halifax Regional Municipality is hoping to fight the spread of blacklegged ticks, and the Lyme disease they can carry, by using a pesticide on deer. (Source: CBC | Health)
Friday 9 April 2010
Deactivating a gene in Borrelia burgdorferi, the tick-borne bacterium that causes Lyme disease in
humans, may prevent the transmission of the disease by a tick, according to a study of mice published online April
5 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (Source: Modern Medicine)
Thursday 8 April 2010
This study indicates that the risk of exposure to vector-borne diseases in rural hunting dogs can be quite high in Korea, while the urban environment may not be suitable for tick infestation on dogs, as evidenced by the low infection status of tick-borne pathogens in stray dogs. (Source: Parasites and Vectors)
Thursday 8 April 2010
Conclusions:
The examination of 4,681 dogs living in Germany showed pathogens like L. infantum that are non-endemic in Germany. Furthermore, the German data are similar in terms of multiple pathogen infection to the data recorded for dogs from Portugal. Based on these findings the importation of dogs from endemic predominantly Mediterranean regions to Germany as well as travelling with dogs to these regions carries a significant risk of acquiring an infection. Thus we would conclude that pet owners seek advice of the veterinarians prior to importing a dog from an endemic area or travel to such areas. In general, it might be advisable to have a European recording system for translocation of dogs. (Source: Parasites and Vectors)
Tuesday 6 April 2010
Title: Genetic Engineering Raises Hope for Lyme Disease VaccineCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/5/2010 4:10:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 4/6/2010 (Source: MedicineNet Skin General)
Tuesday 6 April 2010
Title: Genetic Engineering Raises Hope for Lyme Disease VaccineCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/5/2010 4:10:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 4/6/2010 (Source: MedicineNet Arthritis General)
Tuesday 6 April 2010
Title: Genetic Engineering Raises Hope for Lyme Disease VaccineCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/5/2010 4:10:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 4/6/2010 (Source: MedicineNet Migraine General)
Tuesday 6 April 2010
Title: Genetic Engineering Raises Hope for Lyme Disease VaccineCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/5/2010 4:10:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 4/6/2010 (Source: MedicineNet Heart General)
Monday 5 April 2010
Researcher describes finding as a theory that still needs testing (Source: The Doctors Lounge - Infections)
Thursday 1 April 2010
CONCLUSION: Lyme arthritis in children has an excellent prognosis. More than 75% of referred cases resolved with antibiotic therapy. Of patients with antibiotic refractory arthritis, none in whom followup data were available developed chronic arthritis, joint deformities, or recurrence of infection, supporting current treatment guidelines.
PMID: 20360182 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: J Rheumatol)
Thursday 1 April 2010
Authors: Cullen E
PMID: 20486310 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Ir Med J)
Wednesday 31 March 2010
Content Type Journal ArticleCategory CorrespondenceDOI 10.1007/s15010-010-0010-7Authors
V. Babu, Bridgeport Hospital/Yale University Internal Medicine Residency Program Bridgeport CT USAS. Sukumarannair, Bridgeport Hospital/Yale University Internal Medicine Residency Program Bridgeport CT USAZ. Saul, Bridgeport Hospital/Yale University Internal Medicine Residency Program Bridgeport CT USA
Journal InfectionOnline ISSN 1439-0973Print ISSN 0300-8126 (Source: Infection)
Tuesday 30 March 2010
Many of the more than 30,000 people a year in the United States with suspected cases of Lyme disease spirochete (bacterial) infection can now take a DNA test developed by a Connecticut scientist/physician and his team that can quickly determine if they test positive for Lyme spirochetes in their blood... (Source: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses News From Medical News Today)
Tuesday 30 March 2010
Many of the more than 30,000 people a year in the United States with suspected cases of Lyme disease spirochete (bacterial) infection can now take a DNA test developed by a Connecticut scientist/physician and his team that can quickly determine if they test positive for Lyme spirochetes in their blood. This is the first such early Lyme test available, and most insurance companies have already agreed to cover the cost for their members. The scientific medical paper about the advanced test will be printed in the April 2010 edition of the "American Journal of Clinical Pathology... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Monday 29 March 2010
Title: Watch Out for Lyme DiseaseCategory: Health NewsCreated: 3/28/2010 10:10:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 3/29/2010 (Source: MedicineNet Skin General)
Monday 29 March 2010
Title: Watch Out for Lyme DiseaseCategory: Health NewsCreated: 3/28/2010 10:10:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 3/29/2010 (Source: MedicineNet Hepatitis C General)
Monday 29 March 2010
Title: Watch Out for Lyme DiseaseCategory: Health NewsCreated: 3/28/2010 10:10:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 3/29/2010 (Source: MedicineNet Arthritis General)
Monday 29 March 2010
Title: Watch Out for Lyme DiseaseCategory: Health NewsCreated: 3/28/2010 10:10:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 3/29/2010 (Source: MedicineNet Migraine General)
Sunday 28 March 2010
Risk is highest from April to October (Source: The Doctors Lounge - Infections)
Sunday 28 March 2010
Risk is highest from April to October
Source: HealthDay
Related MedlinePlus Page: Lyme Disease (Source: MedlinePlus Health News)
Friday 26 March 2010
In a murine model of antibiotic-refractory Lyme arthritis, the numbers of Treg cells are dramatically reduced. The aim of this study was to examine Treg cell numbers and function in patients with antibiotic-refractory Lyme arthritis.CD4+ T cell subsets were enumerated in the peripheral blood (PB) and synovial fluid (SF) of 12 patients with antibiotic-refractory arthritis and 6 patients with antibiotic-responsive arthritis. Treg cell function was examined using Borrelia-specific and nonspecific Treg cell proliferation assays.In both patient groups, interferon-[gamma]-positive Th1 cells in SF were abundant and enriched ([sim]50% of CD4+ T cells). In patients with antibiotic-refractory arthritis, the median percentages of FoxP3-positive Treg cells were significantly higher in SF than in PB (1...
Saturday 20 March 2010
Authors: Meyer JM, Kurtti TJ, Van Zee JP, Hill CA
In spite of the global medical and veterinary importance of Ixodid ticks, relatively little is known about their genome organization. To address this, we developed the first fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)-based chromosome markers in the Lyme disease vector, Ixodes scapularis. Shotgun genomic DNA (gDNA) sequences were used to identify three major tandem repeat families which were localized to specific heterochromatic regions of I. scapularis chromosomes prepared from the mitotic cell line ISE18. Together, these repeats were estimated to contribute approximately 159 Mb (8%) of the 2.1 Gb (haploid) I. scapularis genome. The relative arrangement of each tandem repeat family and the nucleolar organizing regions was determined by r...
Friday 19 March 2010
Authors: Rudenko N, Golovchenko M, Grubhoffer L, Oliver JH
A group of 16 isolates with genotypic characteristics different from those of known species of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (sl) complex were cultured from ear biopsies of the rodents Peromyscus gossypinus and Neotoma floridana trapped at 5 localities in South Carolina, United States. Multilocus sequence analysis involving 16S rRNA, 5S-23S (rrf-rrl) intergenic spacer region, flagellin, ospA and p66 genes was used to clarify the taxonomic status of the new group of B. burgdorferi sl isolates. Phylogenetic analysis based on concatenated sequences of 5 analyzed genomic loci showed that the 16 isolates clustered together but separately from the other species in the B. burgdorferi sl complex. The analyzed group therefore represen...
Thursday 18 March 2010
Authors: Lee SH, Vigliotti VS, Vigliotti JS, Jones W, Pappu S
The DNA of Borrelia burgdorferi spirochetes extracted by ammonium hydroxide was used as the template for nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the species-specific 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA). The primers were those well known to be specific for signature sequence amplification of the B burgdorferi sensu lato 16S ribosomal RNA gene. The positive 293-base-pair nested PCR amplicon was subjected to routine direct automated Sanger sequencing. A 50-base sequence excised randomly from the sequencing electrophoretogram between the 2 nested PCR primer binding sites was sufficient for the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) analysis to validate the B burgdorferi sensu lato 16S rDNA without a reasonable doubt. Nes...
Wednesday 17 March 2010
Authors: Lafleur RL, Callister SM, Dant JC, Jobe DA, Lovrich SD, Warner TF, Wasmoen TL, Schell RF
Laboratory-reared beagles were vaccinated with placebo or a bacterin comprised of Borrelia burgdorferi S-1-10 and ospA(-)/ospB(-) B. burgdorferi 50772 and challenged after one year with B. burgdorferi-infected Ixodes scapularis ticks. In the placebo-recipients, spirochetes were recovered from 9 (60%) skin biopsies collected after 1 month, and the organisms persisted in the skin thereafter. Ten (67%) dogs also developed joint infection (3 dogs), lameness or synovitis (7 dogs), or B. burgdorferi-specific antibodies (8 dogs). In the vaccine-recipients, spirochetes were recovered from 6 (40%) skin biopsies collected after 1 month. However, subsequent biopsies were negative, and the dogs failed...
Tuesday 16 March 2010
Most genomes are heterogeneous in codon usage, so a codon usage study should start by defining the codon usage that is typical to the genome. Although this is commonly taken to be the genomewide average, we propose that the mode—the codon usage that matches the most genes—provides a more useful approximation of the typical codon usage of a genome. We provide a method for estimating the modal codon usage, which utilizes a continuous approximation to the number of matching genes and a simplex optimization. In a survey of bacterial and archaeal genomes, as many as 20% more of the genes in a given genome match the modal codon usage than the average codon usage. We use the mode to examine the evolution of the multireplicon genomes of Agrobacterium tumefaciens C58 and Borrelia burgdo...
Monday 15 March 2010
(Source: Neurology)
Monday 15 March 2010
Pediatric joint effusions are more likely to be due to Lyme arthritis than septic arthritis in the Northeastern United States and other areas where Lyme disease is more prevalent. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)
Sunday 14 March 2010
Abstract Lyme disease risk is increasing in the United States due in part to the spread of blacklegged ticks Ixodes
scapularis, the principal vector of the spirochetal pathogen Borrelia
burgdorferi. A 5-year study was undertaken to investigate hypothesized coinvasion of I. scapularis and B. burgdorferi in Lower Michigan. We tracked the spatial and temporal dynamics of the tick and spirochete using mammal, bird, and vegetation
drag sampling at eight field sites along coastal and inland transects originating in a zone of recent I.
scapularis establishment. We document northward invasion of these ticks along Michigan’s west coast during the study period; this pattern
was most evident in ticks removed from rodents. B.
burgdorferi infection prevalences in I.
scapularis sampl...
Sunday 14 March 2010
(NaturalNews) A bee sting is an unpleasant experience that undoubtedly everyone would choose to avoid if given the choice. However a growing number of people are choosing to be stung by bees in an alternative form of illness treatment called apitherapy. Apitherapy contends that bee venom holds therapeutic value in treating serious illness and that it is a viable alternative to dangerous pharmaceutical drugs that often do not work and have harmful side effects.Apitherapy, a traditional folk remedy that has been used in many other countries for centuries, takes advantage of the healing power contained in honeybee venom which helps to alleviate serious conditions like multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and lupus. According to 51-year-old Reyah Carlson of Vermont, a proponent of apitherapy, bee ve...
Sunday 14 March 2010
Authors: Woo-Yong Lee, Tara J Moriarty, Connie H Y Wong, Hong Zhou, Robert M Strieter, Nico van Rooijen, George Chaconas & Paul Kubes (Source: Nature Immunology)
Friday 12 March 2010
In this study, 1,394 nymphal and adult Ixodes ricinus ticks sampled monthly during the active season from 33 ecologically distinct collection sites throughout Luxembourg were screened for all human tick-borne pathogens relevant in Central Europe. Species were identified by sequence analysis of detection PCR amplicons. Mean infection rates of ticks were 11.3% for Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., 5.1% for Rickettsia sp., 2.7% for Babesia sp., and 1.9% for Anaplasma phagocytophilum. No tick was found to be infected with Coxiella sp., Francisella tularensis ssp. or Tick-borne encephalitis virus. 3.2% of ticks were infected with more than one pathogen species, including mixed Borrelia infections (1.5%). Seasonal variations of tick infection rates were observed for Borrelia, Babesia and Anaplasma, pos...
Thursday 11 March 2010
This study is the first to assess the involvement of individual residues and domains of OspC in its in vivo function. The data support the hypothesis that OspC interacts with a mammalian derived ligand that is critical for survival during early infection. These results shed new light on the structure[ndash]functions relationships of OspC and challenge existing hypotheses regarding OspC function in mammals. (Source: Molecular Microbiology)
Thursday 11 March 2010
Authors: Chandra A, Wormser GP, Klempner MS, Trevino RP, Crow MK, Latov N, Alaedini A
Some Lyme disease patients report debilitating chronic symptoms of pain, fatigue, and cognitive deficits despite recommended courses of antibiotic treatment. The mechanisms responsible for these symptoms, collectively referred to as post-Lyme disease syndrome (PLS) or chronic Lyme disease, remain unclear. We investigated the presence of immune system abnormalities in PLS by assessing the levels of antibodies to neural proteins in patients and controls. Serum samples from PLS patients, post-Lyme disease healthy individuals, patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, and normal healthy individuals were analyzed for anti-neural antibodies by immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. Anti-neural antibody ...
Wednesday 10 March 2010
In conclusion, despite serological evidence of infection/immunization no clinical signs of disease were observed. The antibody patterns in a single Western blot did not permit differentiation between the different sources of antigen (vaccine vs. natural infection). However repeated Western blots may be useful for confirmation of infection or vaccination status as time course of specific antibodies levels seem to be different.
PMID: 20219882 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Clinical and Vaccine Immunology)
Saturday 6 March 2010
Published by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in 2010, this 92-page Annual Report on Zoonoses in the United Kingdom presents a summary of the trends and sources of zoonotic infection in humans, animals, food and feedstuffs in the UK in 2008, and also includes data from early 2009. The contents include a preface, executive summary, introduction, sections on major foodborne and waterborne zoonoses, notifiable zoonotic diseases of animals, other zoonoses, and appendices. Organisms and diseases covered include Campylobacter, Salmonella, E. coli, Cryptospridium, bovine tuberculosis, brucellosis, anthrax, rabies, transmissible spongiform encephalopathies including BSE and CJD, avian influenza, West Nile virus, leptospirosis, listeriosis, Lyme borreliosis, Q fever, an...
Friday 5 March 2010
Authors: Talhari S, Santos MN, Talhari CC, Ferreira LC, Jr RM, Zelger B, Massone C, Ribeiro-Rodrigues R
In the present study, we report the occurrence of Lyme's borreliosis in patients from the Brazilian Amazon Region. Borreliosis was investigated by immunohistochemistry and focus floating microscopy for Borrelia burgdorferi in skin biopsy samples from 22 patients with both clinical and histopathology evidences compatible with Erythema Migrans. Spirochetes were detected by specific immunohistochemistry and focus floating microscopy for Borrelia burgdorferi in samples from five patients. Clinical cure of the cutaneous lesions was observed in all the patients after treatment with doxycycline regimen as proposed by the Center Disease Control guidelines. A limitation of our study was the f...
Thursday 4 March 2010
Funding Opportunity Number: RFA-CK-10-004 Opportunity Category: DiscretionaryFunding Instrument Type: GrantCategory of Funding Activity: HealthCFDA Number: 93.942Eligible Applicants Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)Agency Name HHS-CDC-HHSCDCERA (Source: Grants.gov)
Thursday 4 March 2010
Funding Opportunity Number: RFA-CK-10-005 Opportunity Category: DiscretionaryFunding Instrument Type: Cooperative AgreementCategory of Funding Activity: HealthCFDA Number: 93.942Eligible Applicants Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)Agency Name HHS-CDC-HHSCDCERA (Source: Grants.gov)
Thursday 4 March 2010
Authors: Little SE, Heise SR, Blagburn BL, Callister SM, Mead PS
Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto is the only established etiologic agent of Lyme borreliosis in dogs and in humans in North America. Lyme borreliosis differs in dogs and humans in terms of clinical outcome following infection, diagnostic approaches, prevention strategies and treatment recommendations. Nonetheless, serologic evidence of exposure of dogs to B. burgdorferi agrees with the geographical distribution of autochthonous transmission of the agent of Lyme borreliosis, and continued monitoring of exposure rates in dogs might allow early recognition of geographic expansion of endemic areas as well as identify hyperendemic areas where both humans and dogs are at increased risk of infection.
PMID: 20207198 [PubMed...
Sunday 28 February 2010
This article was amended on Monday 1 March. The headline incorrectly said the number of bugs had doubled. This has been corrected.InsectsWildlifeBiodiversityBiologyAgricultureJuliette Jowitguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Sunday 28 February 2010
Natural History Museum starts courses at Dorset heritage siteHilary Penrose, an artist from Oxfordshire, was feeling soggy but inspired. Soggy because she had misjudged a wave during a windy walk on Britain's Jurassic Coast. Inspired because she had been learning about the geology of the area from some of the world's leading experts.Penrose is one of the first students to attend a course at a new outreach centre opened by the Natural History Museum in Lyme Regis, Dorset.The museum may be best known for its stunning collections of all creatures great and small and its displays of dinosaur and whale skeletons, but the new Jurassic Coast Studies Centre is part of an attempt to spread its message farther and wider.Effectively, the pilot scheme is turning the 95 miles of coastline in Devon and ...
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