Keeping You Informed

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The Science

October 2019

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Line Immunoblot Assay for Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever and Findings in Patient Sera from Australia, Ukraine and the USA.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31640151

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"Failure of the Asian longhorned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, to serve as an experimental vector of the Lyme disease spirochete..."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31640938

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VACCINE STUDY- HORSES

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31635975

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"Among patients with possible co-infection, older patients were more likely to be prescribed antibiotics, but the odds for incomplete recovery were similar in those who received antibiotics and those who did not (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.36-1.87; p = 0.630), suggesting that routine antibiotic treatment in patients with TBE and possible co-infection may not be warranted."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31635153

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Fatal Lyme Carditis in New England: Two Case Reports.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31634915

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The Long-Term Persistence of Borrelia burgdorferi Antigens and DNA in the Tissues of a Patient with Lyme Disease

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31614557

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First report of Candidatus Rickettsia mendelii in Ixodes brunneus from the United States.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31591070

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SPOTTED FEVER- TESTING- "If the specimen is collected early enough in the infection there will be no antibodies but there will be a greater chance of a PCR positive result. Conversely, when there are detectable antibodies it is less likely that there will be a positive PCR result."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31587667

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Babesia divergens glycosylphosphatidylinositols modulate blood coagulation and induce Th2-biased cytokine profiles in antigen presenting cells.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31585151

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BRAZIL- Molecular survey of flaviviruses and orthobunyaviruses in Amblyomma spp. ticks collected in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31576974

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UKRAINE- TICK BORE RELAPSING FEVER- Isolation and molecular characterization of tick-borne relapsing fever Borrelia infecting Ornithodoros (Pavlovskyella) verrucosus ticks collected in Ukraine

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31573602

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TICKS ON TORTOISES- PORTUGAL- SPOTTED FEVER

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31574580

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NEBRASKA- HIGH RATE OF SPOTTED FEVERS

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31576408

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SPOTTED FEVER & CHIGGERS- Molecular detection of Rickettsia genus in chigger mites (Trombidiformes: Trombiculidae) collected on small mammals in southeastern brazilian.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31576972

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Essential oils as tick repellents on clothing.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31578646

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NORWAY- The B-lymphocyte chemokine CXCL13 in the cerebrospinal fluid of children with Lymeneuroborreliosis: associations with clinical and laboratory variables.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31573360

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USA- Meningoradiculitis and transaminitis [elevated liver enzymes] from neuroborreliosis: A case of variant Bannwarth syndrome.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31574359

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NERVES- Simultaneous involvement of optic and abducens nerves by Lyme disease: Case report with review of the literature.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31579143

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BULGARIA- "Lyme disease is a serious health risk in Bulgaria especially in its northern part..."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31580560

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CONNECTICUT- "Most I. scapularis ticks tested positive for a single pathogen (33.6%), and only 7.2% were infected with more than one pathogen, of which 93.2% were identified with dual infection and 6.8% tested positive for all three pathogens...

>> Furthermore, we found that ticks were 74% more likely to be infected with B. microti and 98% more likely to be infected with A. phagocytophilum if infected with B. burgdorferi compared with those not infected." <<

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31580216

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Prishtina, Kosovo, Dermatology- An unusual case of Lyme borreliosis: Can we miss it?

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31579469

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DESERT SOUTHWEST, USA- "Pathogen testing of ticks showed that 41% of 54 ticks were infected with Rickettsia hoogstraalii and 23% of 26 ticks were infected with a relapsing fever Borrelia; both agents are associated with uncertain health consequences. Among the blood samples, one was infected with the same Borrelia spp.; this Red-tailed Hawk also had Borrelia-positive ticks."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31567038

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A-GAL SYNDROME- Diagnosis and management of patients with the α-Gal syndrome.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31568928

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FRANCE- SPOTTED FEVER- "Overall, Rickettsia DNA was detected in 208 of 349 pools of ticks..."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31487899

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POLAND- FORESTERS & FARMERS- "The presence of anti-Rickettsia IgG antibodies was confirmed in 42 foresters (51.22%) and in 22 farmers (26.83%). In control group, results of all tests were negative."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31496338

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BRAZIL- SPOTTED FEVER- Rickettsia rickettsii (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) Infecting Amblyomma sculptum (Acari: Ixodidae) Ticks and Capybaras in a Brazilian Spotted Fever-Endemic Area of Brazil.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31504641

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CHINA & ST. KITTS- Bartonella & Babesia in Cows

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31565105

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Behavioral responses of Ixodes scapularis tick to natural products: development of novel repellents.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31564009

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JAPAN- Detection of Borrelia DNA in tick species collected from vegetation and wild animals in Fukuoka, Japan.

"Borrelia turdi and Borrelia sp. HM were identified in two of the 561 pools."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31564692

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7-Legged Tick Living in Connecticut!

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31564642

September 2019

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RED FIRE ANTS & TICK BEHAVIOR

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31552562

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TEXAS- Detection of Rickettsiae, Borreliae, and Ehrlichiae in Ticks Collected from Walker County, Texas, 2017-2018.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31557808

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Association of Seropositivity to Borrelia burgdorferi With the Risk of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Functional Decline in Older Adults: The Aging Multidisciplinary Investigation Study.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31560067

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Atypical Lyme Neuroborreliosis, Guillain-Barré Syndrome or Conversion Disorder: Differential Diagnosis of Unusual Neurological Presentations

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31543796

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Q-FEVER- "An infection with Coxiella burnetii (Q FEVER) can be manifested as an autoimmune or rheumatologic disease as it was presented in our patient, showing cryoglobulinemia and massive destruction of the aortic valve."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31507108

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Q-FEVER- "B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma was linked to C. burnetii."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31538423

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FINLAND- Detection of novel tick-borne pathogen, Alongshan virus, in Ixodes ricinus ticks, south-eastern Finland, 2019

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31290392

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Oral histoplasmosis masquerading as acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis: A rare case report.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31501651

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FUNGUS MEDIATED TICK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM- "The treatments resulted in 60-90% mortality after 30 days."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31419401

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Five Emerging Neuroinvasive Arboviral Diseases: Cache Valley, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Jamestown Canyon, Powassan, and Usutu

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31533182

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ITALY- "Our findings seem to confirm an underreporting of the cases of TBE and inadequate TBE surveillance in the Veneto, despite the clinical severity of the disease and the fact that it is mandatory to report all cases."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31536983

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Massachusetts- Possible Prognostic Value of Serial Brain MRIs in Powassan Virus Encephalitis

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31538917

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FLORIDA- "Within these ticks, six bacterial species were identified: Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia lonestari, Ehrlichia ewingii, Rickettsia amblyommatis, Rickettsia andeanae, Rickettsia parkeri, and Rickettsia endosymbionts."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31540253

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A "Cat"-astrophic Case of Bartonella henselae Infective Endocarditis Followed by Cardiac Transplantation Salvage Therapy.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31541582

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Maternal antibodies provide strain-specific protection against infection with the Lyme disease pathogen in bank voles

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31540991

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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Autoimmunity and Neuroinflammation.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31367805

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Neurohistoplasmosis and cutaneous leishmaniasis in an immunocompetent patient

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31487250

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Calcium channel blockers reduce severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus(SFTSV) related fatality

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31444469

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ARMENIA- Evidence of Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever Virus Occurrence in Ixodidae Ticks of Armenia

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31346531

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Suppressors of Cytokine Signaling and Protein Inhibitors of Activated Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcriptions As Therapeutic Targets in Flavivirus Infections

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31436502

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The efficacy of anti-viral therapy and serotherapy of tick-borne encephalitis in children

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31532590

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Femoral mononeuropathy in Lyme disease: a case report.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31534373

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Pre-existing yellow fever immunity impairs and modulates the antibody response to tick-borne encephalitis vaccination

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31508246

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Flaviviridae Viruses and Oxidative Stress: Implications for Viral Pathogenesis

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31531178

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BARTONELLA DEATH- Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of cancers in which immature blood cells in the bone marrow do not mature and therefore do not become healthy blood cells.

Bartonella henselae bacteremia diagnosed post-mortem in a myelodysplastic syndrome patient.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31531628

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FATALITY (4 Yr. Old Girl)- "A fatal case of tick-borne rickettsiosis caused by mixed Rickettsia sibirica subsp. sibirica and "Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae" infection in Russia."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31477530

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HORSES- "Overall, 90/93 horses (96.8%) were infected with one or more vector-borne organisms."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31518572

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Seroreactivity to Chikungunya and West Nile Viruses in Rwandan Blood Donors

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31246538

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Q-Fever & Borrelia

Anti-C. burnetii IgG was detected in six foresters (7.3%). ...Anti-C. burnetii IgG was detected in five farmers (6%). Four farmers with anti-C. burnetii IgG presence were positive toward anti-B. burgdorferi IgG and two with anti-TBE.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31522333

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POLISH Study- Part 1 & Part 2

Psychosis in Borrelia burgdorferi infection - part I: epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of neuroborreliosis.

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Psychosis in Borrelia burgdorferi infection - part II: case reports.

https://sites.google.com/view/mental-health-issues--lyme/neuropsychiatric/psychosis-in-bb-infection-2019-polish-study

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COSTA RICA- Spotted Fever

"Results confirm that dogs in Costa Rica are exposed to different species of SFG rickettsiae."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31489383

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MALAYSIA- Ticks on Python

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31494069

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Unilateral pigmentary retinopathy: about 2 cases

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31486313

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EGYPT & JAPAN- "Screening the Malaria Box against the in vitro growth of Babesia and Theileria parasites helped with the discovery of new drugs than those traditionally used, diminazene aceturate and imidocarb dipropionate, and indicated the potential of the Malaria Box in finding new, potent antibabesial drugs."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31494399

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INDIA- "The nucleotide sequences of tick-borne pathogens like Theileria orientalis, Babesia vogeli, Hepatozoon canis, Anaplasma marginale, An. bovis, Rickettsia sp. closely related to Ri. raoultii, Ri. massiliae, Ri. africae and Ri. slovaca were detected."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31489558

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COLUMBIA & BRAZIL Epidemiology of zoonotic tick-borne diseases in Latin America: Are we just seeing the tip of the iceberg?

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31489178

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"Antibodies against B. burgdorferi were detected in 189 individuals (13.2%): 16 (5.1%) in the blood donors group, 62 (14.4%) in subjects who attended hospital without infection and 111 (16.2%) in subjects in whom a differential diagnosis of Lyme disease was requested (p < 0.0001).

In subjects with an occupational risk factor, the prevalence was 23.5%, peaking at 45.8% in men over 65 years."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31488336

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Doxycycline prophylaxis for bacterial sexually transmitted infections

https://sites.google.com/view/treating-lyme-related-diseases/one-dose-doxy-no/doxy-for-other-sexually-transmitted-diseases

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Malarone & Pancreatitis- "Based on these findings, drug-induced acute pancreatitis and alopecia with superficial pyoderma were diagnosed. Malarone® may induce severe adverse reactions in dogs. Therefore, careful monitoring for adverse effects is required when using Malarone® in dogs."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31477120

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Scrutinising Lyme disease in the UK- Lancet Editorial

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(19)30436-0/fulltext

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Knowledge and prevention of tickborne diseases among Hispanic and non-Hispanic residents of Maryland and Virginia

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31478316

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THE PREVALENCE OF LYME DISEASE AND ASSOCIATED CO-INFECTIONS IN PEOPLE WITH A CHRONIC POST-CONCUSSIVE SYNDROME

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335590121_THE_PREVALENCE_OF_LYME_DISEASE_AND_ASSOCIATED_CO-INFECTIONS_IN_PEOPLE_WITH_A_CHRONIC_POST-CONCUSSIVE_SYNDROME

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Detection of "Candidatus Rickettsia wissemanii" in ticks parasitizing bats in the northern Brazilian Amazon.

"Nineteen Artibeus planirostris bats (3.9 %) were infested with 160 ticks, all identified as Ornithodoros hasei. ... phylogenetic analysis confirmed the occurrence of "Candidatus Rickettsia wissemanii" in Brazil."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31473856

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Molecular investigation of the natural transovarial transmission of tick-borne pathogens in Turkey.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31473450

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Cistus creticus (aka Pink Rock-Rose, Hoary Rock-Rose)

"The application of C. creticus preparations by Lyme disease self-help groups may be considered as a reasonable therapy approach."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31474477

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Interesting study from 4 different countries- Spain, Brazil, Canada and France.

Sex-Specific Linkages Between Taxonomic and Functional Profiles of Tick Gut Microbiomes

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31475121

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Brazil- Evidence of Borrelia detected in donated blood.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31468639?fbclid=IwAR00EZqzaC-nDJh46AOOq_u6R7KyWAs04Qg68q5p0CWVvONJDr3AJ4PF0Bw

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Babesia- Blood Transfusions- Testing Donations Has Helped. "Nucleic acid testing of blood has reduced risk of Zika infection and reduced transfusion-transmitted risk of Babesia. Other collection and testing measures have reduced but not eliminated the risk of sepsis from bacterially contaminated blood components. Cytomegalovirus has almost been eliminated..."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31466601?fbclid=IwAR3N7d73a06K1onT4cWQkNxrhjLmqoWzNh23Xcmwc6amGG3gQJT8FQ8r1Nc

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Check Your Camel For Parasites, Including Babesia. 62% camel were infected with at least one genus of parasite. 15% camel were harboring more than one genus of parasite.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31453183?fbclid=IwAR1snKzldMi2NitLUeB4h5kgJH34QKb5CxCgLg-Bz2Bt1rZSOyf87PXalSU

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Spotted Fevers in the CNS- "In this article, we systematically reviewed the literature reporting cases of CNS R to provide scientists and healthcare providers with a summary of the current knowledge on and challenges posed by these diseases. We also included data on Orientia, Anaplasma, and Ehrlichia species, which are phylogenetically close to Rickettsia species."

https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pntd.0007469&fbclid=IwAR3PRu9Au0dumnxaDI8xQZVGFbGFk86_nSt4NuDBUBzyb52u8kWc23HB0zA

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Bartonella in Rodents- "For the rodents overall, the prevalence of Bartonella spp. was 54.8%..."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31451710?fbclid=IwAR2LOGL7oQ3HjlXmkM_FJL9NfxX9825HXhD_bds6XaQ2USexdWeX2UuYNZU

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The Latest News

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The News Reports

October 2019

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Join the Fight Against Lyme Disease- "Students, post-docs, and faculty from across Tufts University are invited to lend their expertise and fresh ideas to the fight against Lyme disease—no medical experience necessary."

https://now.tufts.edu/articles/join-fight-against-lyme-disease

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SHAPIRO WANTS TO KNOW WHY AREN'T THERE MORE TICKS?- NIH announces ‘focused roadmap’ to address rise in tick-borne diseases

https://www.healio.com/infectious-disease/emerging-diseases/news/online/%7B4a36a3fb-9e67-4d83-9848-9517f4bd209b%7D/nih-announces-focused-roadmap-to-address-rise-in-tick-borne-diseases

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CHEATING SCANDAL- Cheating to get daughter into college, according to the parents, was because she had Lyme disease and couldn't keep up with schools or grades.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-08/college-admissions-scandal-abbott-sentencing

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*Important Article- Describes the reasons why Lyme persists and it debunks the "resistance" in antibiotic resistance.

Cause of antibiotic resistance identified

https://phys.org/news/2019-09-antibiotic-resistance.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly-nwletter&fbclid=IwAR2t9E8Vl-TqzxgzhPjArZDeCMVLhqq5g0gVCbOhHongM3TxQ9t8_dMcY6Q

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Up to $935B wasted in health care spending annually

https://www.healio.com/primary-care/practice-management/news/online/%7Bfffdab25-8006-46a9-92d0-5afdae61c2d7%7D/up-to-935b-wasted-in-health-care-spending-annually?utm_source=selligent&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=primary+care+news&m_bt=2729783187520

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SUPPLEMENTS- MENTAL HEALTH- "Certain supplements may be helpful in treating some mental disorders, according to recent research published in World Psychiatry."

https://www.mdlinx.com/internal-medicine/article/4672?uic=ZZABA79299BD804D47A16A6031F4BE61D6&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=All%20Evening%20Oct7&utm_term=Daily%20Update%20All%20Specialties%20with%20Sailthru%20Activity

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IRELAND- Special report: Lyme disease - Failure to tackle tick problem may come back to bite us

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/specialreports/special-report-lyme-disease--failure-to-tackle-tick-problem-may-come-back-to-bite-us-955320.html

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CONNECTICUT- “With Powassan, the tick only needs 15 minutes to transmit the virus." (Quote- Karen Gaudian)

https://www.theridgefieldpress.com/news/article/Tick-borne-Powassan-virus-confirmed-in-Ridgefield-14490524.php

September 2019

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Inner Workings: Lyme disease vaccines face familiar challenges, both societal and scientific.

https://www.pnas.org/content/116/39/19214.long

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DA report: Officers justified in shooting man who took hostages at clinic

"Hamilton had been a patient at the clinic but had “continued to claim a disorder involving bugs in his skin,” according to Darragh’s letter."

https://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/da-report-officers-justified-shooting-man-who-took-hostages-clinic/

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NOT RECOMMENDED! Lyme Vaccine Study

https://studies.clin-edge.com/clinical-research-consulting-lyme/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Traffic&utm_campaign=701f20000012z15AAA

August 2019

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New law extends insurance coverage for those with Lyme disease

https://week.com/news/top-stories/2019/08/26/new-law-extends-insurance-coverage-for-those-with-lyme-disease/

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Educate Your Doctors! Publicize the 20th Annual Lyme Conference

https://lymediseaseassociation.org/news/educate-your-doctors-publicize-the-20th-annual-lyme-conference/

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Lyme Disease Is Baffling, Even to Experts

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/09/life-with-lyme/594736/

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Woman bedridden for two years by Lyme disease from tick bite

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-49422017

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Can a new Lyme disease vaccine overcome a history of distrust and failure?

https://www.statnews.com/2019/08/22/lyme-disease-vaccine-market/

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‘Mommy, I just want to die:' Mother recalls daughter’s fight against Lyme disease

https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/mommy-i-just-want-to-die-mother-recalls-daughters-fight-against-lyme-disease/70009099

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