Lyme disease (Borreliosis de Lyme) in Colombia

[panda]

Muñoz A, Orrego JJ, Salazar M, Jaramillo D, Montoya F, Uribe O, Jaramillo A
Reactividad humoral contra Borrelia burgdorferi en pacientes con enfermedades dérmicas y reumáticas.
[Humoral reactivity against Borrelia burgdorferi in patients with skin and rheumatic diseases.]
Acta Med Colomb 20, 1995: 257-261.

Summary
Lyme disease (LD) is the most studied infectious disease in the United States of America (USA) second only to the acquired immunodeficiency Syndrome. There is only one report in Colombia of several cases of rheumatological diseases with a positive serological reactivity to Borrelia burgdorferi. With the purpose of gaining additional information of this disease in Colombia, we carried out a prospective study in individuals with rheumatological and dermatological disease suggestive of LD according to the criteria of the Center for Disease Control in United States.

A total of 31 patients were included in the study, 23 had dermatological diseases and 8 had rheumatological diseases. Immunoglobulin G humoral reactivity against 3 B burgdorferi external membrane proteins (pl00, p41 and p41/l) was determined. Anti-cardiolipin antibodies were determined in all patients by means of the VDRL test. The Warthin-Starry stain was performed in skin biopsies from 19 patients with dermatological diseases in order to identifyt he presence of the spirochete. Only one patient with a clinical diagnosis of localized morphea had a positive serological reactivity to B burgdorferi (reactivity to all 3 membrane proteins), non-reactive VDRL, negative Warthin- Starry stain, and no clinical history of tick bites. In other 7 patients with localized morphea and in 3 with rheumatological diseases the serological reactivity was suggestive (weak or incomplete reactivity). The results of this study suggest the existence of LD in Colombia. Additional studies are required to isolate the microorganism from patients as well as vectors and to define the eco-epidemiological characteristics of the disease in Colombia.

http://www.actamedicacolombiana.com/ane ... rferi.html [free full text, Spanish]


J Med Entomol. 1998 May;35(3):324-6.
Searching for Lyme disease in Colombia: a preliminary study on the vector.
Mattar S, Lopez Valencia G.
Faculty of Sciences, Department of Microbiology, University of Javeriana, Bogota D.C., Colombia.

Abstract
Lyme disease is an infectious multisystemic illness with dermatologic, neurologic, cardiac, and rheumatic manifestations. A total of 4,355 ticks was collected in Colombia, of which 2,805 were identified as Ixodes spp. The midgut contents of 2,600 specimens were fixed on microscope slides and examined by an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) using monoclonal antibodies, anti-ospA H5332, and anti-flagellin 9724. All of the ticks examined by IFA tested negative.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9615553 [abstract]


Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 1999 Jul-Aug;94(4):499-503.
Positive IgG Western blot for Borrelia burgdorferi in Colombia.
Palacios R, Osorio LE, Giraldo LE, Torres AJ, Philipp MT, Ochoa MT.
Centro Internacional de Entrenamiento e Investigaciones Médicas (Cideim), Cali, Colombia.

Abstract
In order to evaluate the presence of specific IgG antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi in patients with clinical manifestations associated with Lyme borreliosis in Cali, Colombia, 20 serum samples from patients with dermatologic signs, one cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample from a patient with chronic neurologic and arthritic manifestations, and twelve serum samples from individuals without clinical signs associated with Lyme borreliosis were analyzed by IgG Western blot. The results were interpreted following the recommendations of the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) for IgG Western blots. Four samples fulfilled the CDC criteria: two serum specimens from patients with morphea (localized scleroderma), the CSF from the patient with neurologic and arthritic manifestations, and one of the controls. Interpretation of positive serology for Lyme disease in non-endemic countries must be cautious. However these results suggest that the putative "Lyme-like" disease may correlate with positivity on Western blots, thus raising the possibility that a spirochete genospecies distinct from B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, or a Borrelia species other than B. burgdorferi sensu lato is the causative agent. Future work will focus on a survey of the local tick and rodent population for evidence of spirochete species that could be incriminated as the etiologic agent.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10446009 [abstract]

http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script= ... en&nrm=iso [free full text]

http://www.scielo.br/pdf/mioc/v94n4/3699.pdf [free full text, pdf]

[panda]

Rev Salud Publica (Bogota). 2009 May-Jun;11(3):480-9.
Seroprevalencia de Borreliosis, o Enfermedad de Lyme, en una Población Rural Expuesta de Córdoba, Colombia
[Seroprevalence of Lyme borreliosis in workers from Cordoba, Colombia].
[Article in Spanish]
Miranda J, Mattar S, Perdomo K, Palencia L.
Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas del Trópico, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad de Córdoba, Montería, Colombia. jorgemire@hotmail.com

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:
Establishing the seroprevalence of Lyme disease in workers from Cordoba.

MATERIAL AND METHODS:
Representative serum samples (152) were taken from the cities of Montería, Cereté, Lorica and Cotorra in the Córdoba department in Colombia. Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies were detected by ELISA and confirmed by western blot anti-Borrelia blot assay. RPR (rapid plasma regain) test for Treponema pallidum (syphilis) and ELISA for leptospirosis IgM were carried out to discard cross-reactivity.

RESULTS:
A total of 152 serum samples were tested; 30 (20 %) were positive by ELISA. The 30 positive sera were RPR negative. Seven sera were confirmed by western blot; seroprevalence was 4.6 %. Reactivity against p41, p58, p75, OspA, p30, OspC, p17, VLsE and p83/100 were detected.

CONCLUSIONS:
Our results revealed antigenic evidence of Borrelia in the rural area of Cordoba. Identifying clinical, ecological and serological cases, linked to searching for Borrelia burgdorferi in infected tick vectors must be carried out in rural parts of Colombia.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20027520 [abstract]

http://www.scielo.org.co/scielo.php?pid ... ci_arttext [free full text, Spanish]

http://www.scielo.org.co/pdf/rsap/v11n3/v11n3a16.pdf [free full text, Spanish, pdf]

[panda]

Torres C, Levin M.
Enfermedad de Lyme y su espectro expandido.
[Lyme disease and its expanded spectrum.]
Acta Med Colomb 1994; 19: 187-192.

SUMMARY
Lyme disease can manifest in variety of ways involving different organs including the skin, central nervous system and the musculoeskeletic system. We describe the cases of six children between six and fifteen years of age seen in one institution. They illustrate the various presentations of this disease in the acute and chronic form and the difficulty in the differential diagnosis. In four cases, the disease was acquired in the United Kingdom and in two, in two different countries. The diagnosis and treatment in relatively easy when the presentation is acute and typical, but its diagnosis can be very challenging when the disease has consisted of atypical symptoms and has had a protracted course.

http://www.actamedicacolombiana.com/ane ... andido.pdf [free full text, Spanish, pdf]

[panda]

ANGELA ZULUAGA DE CADENA, FERNANDO BOTERO, WALTER LEÓN HERRERA, JAIME ROBLEDO, ALONSO CORTÉS, MARÍA CRISTINA LOTERO
Enfermedad de Lyme: Un caso comprobado en Colombia
[Lyme Disease: A proven case in Colombia]
Revista CES Medicina Vol 14, No 2 (2000), 44-50.

ABSTRACT
Lyme disease is a multisistemic inflammatory disorder caused by a spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted to human by a tick bite.
It was first described by Steere et al in 1975-77 in the towns of Lyme, by the Conectticut river, in a group of children with epidemic arthritis. An infectious cause was evident when Burgdorfer isolated and cultivated the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi in 1982; since then, multiple cases have been reported all through out the United States and many countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. In Latin America, only a few isolated cases from Brazil have been reported.

We describe the first case of Lyme's disease diagnostic in Colombia, which presented with the cutaneous marker of Lyme's disease, the Erythema Chronicum Migrans (ECM) and a positive specific serological test.

http://revistas.ces.edu.co/index.php/me ... e/view/751 [abstract]

http://revistas.ces.edu.co/index.php/me ... ew/751/460 [free full text, Spanish, pdf]

[panda]

Diazgranados, Jesus Alberto; Villalobos, Francisco Jose; Costa, Jonathan L.
Enfermedad de Lyme con manifestaciones neurológicas
[Lyme disease with neurology symptoms]
Acta neurol. colomb;16(2):150-153, jun. 2000.

Resumo:
La enfermedad de Lyme es una infección multisistémica, transmitida por garrapatas de la especie Ixodes y causada por la espiroqueta Borrelia burgdorferi. Fue descrita en 1977 y sin embargo es la enfermedad transmisible más común en los Estados Unidos de América; también se ha descrito en Canadá, en Europa, en la antigua Unión Soviética, en China en Australia y en Sudáfrica. Este documento presenta el momento de su aparición el primer caso de enfermedad de Lyme no nativo, con manifestaciones neurológicas demostrado en Colombia.

Automatic translation:
BACKGROUND:
Lyme disease is a multisystem infection, transmitted by Ixodes ticks and caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. It was described in 1977 and yet it is the most common communicable disease in the United States of America has also been reported in Canada, in Europe, in the former Soviet Union, in China, in Australia and South Africa. This document presents the time of its appearance the first case of non-native Lyme disease with neurological manifestations demonstrated in Colombia.

http://bases.bireme.br/cgi-bin/wxislind ... xSearch=ID

[michael_mei]

I live in Canada. I recently figured out that my long-term girlfriend has Lyme disease despite what her doctors currently think. She was visiting the country of Columbia about 30 years ago, had a tick bite, and she then had a bull's-eye rash (what I recently learned to be proof of her having Lyme disease) but sadly it never got diagnosed at the time nor treated to this day. She has since had many health issues such as a supposed stroke when she was 20 years old, a learning disability (but she did complete a bachelor's degree in biology), migratory pain, endometriosis, the removal of her jelly-like gall bladder, impaired ability to swallow as of about four years ago, (probably due to) brain lesions that doctors think may be related to MS. She has some vision issues and sensitivity to heat and cold. She has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia but now believe that to be an incorrect diagnosis. She has anger issues and I have read that some psychiatric issues can be related to chronic Lyme disease. Her son has an auditory decoding learning disability and diagnosed ADHD that I have read can be related. Her daughter may have some bipolar personality issues that I have read can be related. Overall there is too much that points to her (and probably her children) having Lyme disease. I understand from a book from Doctor Horowitz, a US doctor who specializes in treating Lyme disease patients, that Lyme disease is diagnosed clinically (a positive blood test is not required). In other words had a doctor 30 years ago seen that bull's-eye rash and knew what it represented, she would have been diagnosed then and hopefully she would have been treated.

She tested negative on the unreliable ELISA blood test within the last couple of years (as doctors have attempted to figure out what is behind her brain lesions and swallowing difficulties).

She was in a rear-end car accident in late 2016 (stopped at a red light, someone hit her at a speed of at least 50 kph) and now has nerve damage that could in part be related to disk degeneration from the Lyme disease over the years, from what I have read. She does have an MRI from about a few years ago when a doctor was attempting to figure out her swallowing issues and one from after the accident so it will now be interesting to compare them.

From what I have read, even if she could get a positive Western Blot blood test done in Canada or if the standard Canadian medical system would accept a Western blood test (and/or other relevant tests) from Igenex, the best that we can probably hope for is a maximum of 30 days of antibiotic treatment that probably won't be effective. So I am trying to get her taking a herbal treatment protocol such as Cowden or more likely Buhner's.

I have written to this level of detail to hopefully demonstrate that Lyme disease has been in Columbia for at least 30 years.

[lou]

Very interesting. It is probably in more places in this hemisphere than is recognized even now.

I hope she is able to get some help. If the herbal treatments are not effective enough, you should contact the Canadian lyme disease foundation for more suggestions on what to do. For a long standing case, it is not a bad idea to start low and slow, in order to avoid a severe herxheimer reaction. I don't know if herbals can do that, but antibiotics certainly can.

There are far too many missed cases everywhere.