Lyme disease

Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is an infectious disease caused by bacteria of the Borrelia type. The most common sign of infection is an expanding area of redness, known as erythema migrans, that begins at the site of a tick bite about a week after it has occurred. The rash is typically neither itchy nor painful. About 25% of people do not develop a rash. Other early symptoms may include fever, headache, and feeling tired. If untreated, symptoms may include loss of the ability to move one or both sides of the face, joint pains, severe headaches with neck stiffness, or heart palpitations, among others. Months to years later, repeated episodes of joint pain and swelling may occur. Occasionally, people develop shooting pains or tingling in their arms and legs. Despite appropriate treatment, about 10 to 20% of people also develop joint pains, have memory problems, and feel tired much of the time.

Lyme disease is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected ticks of the Ixodes genus. Usually, the tick must be attached for 36 to 48 hours before the bacteria can spread. In North America, the only bacterium involved is Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, while in Europe and Asia, the bacteria Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii are also causes of the disease. The disease does not appear to be transmissible between people, by other animals, or through food. Diagnosis is based upon a combination of symptoms, history of tick exposure, and possibly testing for specific antibodies in the blood. Blood tests are often negative in the early stages of the disease. Testing of individual ticks is not typically useful.

Lyme disease controversy

Chronic Lyme disease is a controversial diagnosis that encompasses "a broad array of illnesses or symptom complexes for which there is no reproducible or convincing scientific evidence of any relationship to B. burgdorferi infection." There is no clinical evidence that "chronic" lyme disease is caused by a persistent infection. Most medical authorities advise against long-term antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease.

Background

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that "approximately 10 to 20% of patients treated for Lyme disease with a recommended 2–4 week course of antibiotics will have lingering symptoms of fatigue, pain, or joint and muscle aches. In some cases, these can last for more than 6 months. Although often called 'chronic Lyme disease', this condition is properly known as 'post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome' (PTLDS)". The term is often applied to several different sets of patients. One usage refers to people suffering from the symptoms of untreated and disseminated late-stage Lyme disease: arthritis, peripheral neuropathy and/or encephalomyelitis. The term is also applied to people who have had the disease in the past and some symptoms remain after antibiotic treatment, which is also called post-Lyme disease syndrome. A third and controversial use of the term applies to patients with nonspecific symptoms, such as fatigue, who show no objective evidence they have been infected with Lyme disease in the past, since the standard diagnostic tests for infection are negative.

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Latest News for: lyme disease

What a colder winter means for Maine ticks

Bangor Daily News 24 Feb 2025
After another year of record-breaking Lyme disease case reports, Mainers may be hoping a colder, drier winter is putting a dent in tick populations ... Tick-borne disease cases rose in those years.

RFK Jr. brings questionable record to Department of HHS

The Day 24 Feb 2025
Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Over many years, he has espoused bizarre and erroneous theories regarding vaccines, polio, autism, the importance of the National Institute of Health and military origins of Lyme disease.

Norfolk-based Mold Dog of Virginia helps property owners sniff out potential problems

Daily Press 24 Feb 2025
Rudy, a 14-month-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, can alert people to the presence of mold ... When he finds mold, his enthusiastic tail wagging stops and he sits ... 14, 2025 ... Lee was diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease in 2015 while preparing for surgery.

Hutchinson woman’s struggle to navigate Minnesota’s Medicaid system highlights long wait for aid

Winona Daily News 23 Feb 2025
HUTCHINSON, MINN. - Until two years ago, Kristen Ellingson was fit, active and had a good full-time job. Not now. Disabled with Lyme disease and preparing for surgery to repair damaged vertebrae in her neck, the Hutchinson woman struggles to ... .

Letter: Existential threat to public health

Daily Freeman 23 Feb 2025
... into cancer, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes, diseases that touch every Hudson Valley family. NIH-backed studies tackle Lyme disease, while NSF projects protect the Hudson River’s ecosystem.

From teen idol to lost soul: The dark descent of Justin Bieber

The Daily Telegraph 23 Feb 2025
In 2020, he revealed he had Lyme disease ... they failed to realise I’ve been recently diagnosed with Lyme disease, not only that but had a serious case of chronic mono which affected my skin, brain ...

Sharyl Attkisson: Lyme disease and weaponized tick-borne illnesses

Baltimore Sun 21 Feb 2025
There’s an epidemic of tick-transmitted Lyme disease, with some estimates putting the number of people diagnosed and treated in the U.S ... The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons.”.

Colorado CDC researcher terminated amid federal budget cuts while working on Lyme disease projects

CBS News 21 Feb 2025
"We had a group of six of us that were working on Lyme disease or the bacteria that causes Lyme disease." ... His Microbial Pathogenesis Team was working on a groundbreaking new way of using CRISPR technology to detect Lyme disease sooner.

‘Unable to speak’: Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde diagnosed with Bell's palsy

Hindustan Times 21 Feb 2025
As per the John Hopkins Medicine organisation, the cause of Bell's palsy is not known, though it can be linked to diabetes, Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), high blood pressure and Lyme disease.

Yearslong shortage of popular weight-loss and diabetes drugs is resolved, FDA says

Baltimore Sun 21 Feb 2025
By The Associated Press ... Related Articles. Health .. Sharyl Attkisson. Lyme disease and weaponized tick-borne illnesses. Health .. Dairy workers’ cats died from bird flu, but it’s not clear how they got infected. Health . ... Health .. No pain, no gain? Hardly ... .

Letter: Only we can save America

Bangor Daily News 20 Feb 2025
Letters submitted by BDN readers are verified by BDN Opinion Page staff ... Sen ... Trump has paused medical research funding critical for research into cancer and chronic diseases ... fires, floods, droughts, and the spread of insect-borne diseases like Lyme.

News shorts

Jamaica Star 20 Feb 2025
Farmers urged to store water during dry season ... Normal to below normal rainfall is expected over the upcoming weeks ... Rats can transmit diseases to humans including leptospirosis. They can also carry parasites that spread diseases such as Lyme disease ... .

Luigi Mangione due in court Friday as new website raises questions about his defense strategy

Baltimore Sun 20 Feb 2025
Then there were Mangione’s previous social media posts about his struggles with Lyme disease and spinal issues requiring surgery, and a notebook found on him that, according to a federal ...

Letter: Maine should stop coyote killing contests

Bangor Daily News 19 Feb 2025
They eat the wildlife that harbor ticks, such as the white footed mouse, which is the principal natural reservoir for Lyme disease bacteria. Eastern chipmunks and shrews are also moderately competent reservoirs for the Lyme disease bacteria.
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