Author: Dr. Daniel Cameron

  • Tick bite leads to multiple co-infections

    Tick bite leads to multiple co-infections

    “Two days after noting this ankle lesion, the patient noticed an erythematous rash on his neck and chest,” the authors explain. He was prescribed an antihistamine and 7-day course of trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole. The rash resolved after 5 days of antibiotic treatment, but the man continued to have pain and swelling in his ankle.  The pain spread…

  • Bell’s palsy due to Lyme disease misdiagnosed, patient bedridden

    Bell’s palsy due to Lyme disease misdiagnosed, patient bedridden

    Until recently, India has been considered a non-endemic region for Lyme disease, the authors point out. And, “Although it had been considered extremely rare in India, a recent study conducted in Nagarahole and Bandipur in South India surprisingly revealed a high seroprevalence (19.9%) of Borrelia burgdorferi infection in a population at risk (forest workers and…

  • Can Lyme disease cause bone loss?

    Can Lyme disease cause bone loss?

    In a 2003 case report, “Bone marrow manifestation of Lyme disease (Lyme Borreliosis),” Kvasnicka et al.² describe a 35-year-old man, who presented with fever, night sweats, inguinal lymph node enlargement and splenomegaly. He also exhibited neurologic symptoms including hyperkinesis and ataxia. Based on results from a lumbar puncture, doctors initially suspected the patient had infectious…

  • Does Lyme carditis differ in children vs. adults?

    Does Lyme carditis differ in children vs. adults?

    The authors analyzed charts of pediatric and adult patients with heart block and a positive Western Blot test for Lyme disease, who were hospitalized at Maine Medical Center. The study included 10 children and 20 adults who were admitted for Lyme carditis between January 2010 and December 2018.¹ The children’s mean age was 12.4 years.…

  • Clinical presentation of Lyme disease in patients living in Germany

    Clinical presentation of Lyme disease in patients living in Germany

    The authors collected data via an online questionnaire from 252 Lyme disease patients and a control group of 267 healthy individuals living in Germany to examine the clinical presentation, including neuropsychiatric and psychological symptoms. The findings revealed that “Lyme disease can cause diverse psychological and neuropsychiatric symptoms. These include limitations in quality of life, sleep,…

  • Autopsy finds Lyme disease spirochetes in patient with Lewy body dementia

    Autopsy finds Lyme disease spirochetes in patient with Lewy body dementia

    In a recent study entitled “Detecting Borrelia Spirochetes: A Case Study With Validation Among Autopsy Specimens,” researchers describe a woman with Lyme disease who was later diagnosed with Lewy body dementia.² Lyme disease diagnosed at age 54 At age 54, the woman was diagnosed with Lyme disease based upon a well-documented erythema migrans rash, along…

  • POTS symptoms in COVID-19 patients

    POTS symptoms in COVID-19 patients

    POTS symptoms have been identified in a group of patients following COVID-19. POTS typically occurs “after viral or bacterial infections, such as Epstein-Barr virus, influenza, and Borrelia burgdorferi infection, [the causative agent of Lyme disease],” explains Blitshteyn and Whitelaw. Or, they add, it can be triggered by surgery, pregnancy, or a concussion. The patients evaluated at…

  • What is Borrelia miyamotoi?

    What is Borrelia miyamotoi?

    Borrelia miyamotoi (B. miyamotoi) was first reported in the United States in 2013 but has become increasingly more common. The tick-borne illness can be transmitted by the same tick that carries Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease pathogen. In their article, Della-Giustina and colleagues² address the question, “What is Borrelia miyamotoi?” and concerns surrounding this growing…

  • The case of an untreated Babesia infection

    The case of an untreated Babesia infection

    In his article, Wormser discusses the case of a 61-year-old woman who went untreated for a Babesia infection, despite positive test results. The patient, who lives in Westchester, NY, a highly endemic area for Lyme disease, reportedly removed an unidentified tick from her left wrist at the end of March 2020, wrote Wormser. In June,…

  • Small fiber neuropathy in Lyme disease and COVID-19

    Small fiber neuropathy in Lyme disease and COVID-19

    Small fiber neuropathy with autonomic and sensory dysfunction has been described in Lyme disease patients. In fact, a small study suggests that SFN may be a viable biomarker of post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome, particularly for patients whose main symptoms involve sensory issues.² In their article, “Resolution of Pain in the Absence of Nerve Regeneration in…