Myth vs Fact Lyme Disease

Lyme Disease Myth vs Fact the link to the original web page.

Lyme Disease - Myths versus Fact

Myth

There are no benefits associated with long term antibiotic use

It takes 24-48 hours for a tick to transmit Lyme disease

Short term antibiotic use eradicates Lyme.

There is no such thing as chronic Lyme disease.

Lyme Disease is easily diagnosed with conventional blood tests

Fact

Numerous studies document the benefits of long term antibiotic treatment

Lyme has been detected after attachment for a short period of time. One issue, most people don't know when the tick became attached.

Early treatment is key to preventing LYME. Lyme aware doctors now believe it is better to admister antibiotics early, to prevent long term need.

Diagnosing tests are getting better, but too early testing or late term infections can still be hard to detect.

Evidence

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17578772?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1&log$=relatedreviews&logdbfrom=pu bmed long-term antibiotic therapy improves persistent symptoms associated with Lyme disease

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19268485?ordinalpos=3&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum there is insufficient evidence to deny antibiotic treatment to chronic Lyme disease patients

Ticks can spread disease within hours of a bite. Some co-infections transmit very quickly.

http://campother.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/24-hours-of-attachment-is-estimate-not.html transmission when attached for less than 24 hours

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22104184 - Clinical evidence for rapid transmission of Lyme disease http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/8/2/01-0198_article - relapsing fever spirochetes are efficiently transmitted in

saliva by fast-feeding argasid ticks within minutes of their attachment to a mammalian host

http://lymedisease.org/news/hardscienceonlyme/hard-science-on-lyme-ticks-can-transmit-infection-the-first- day.html - Researchers Patmas and Remora reported on a case of Lyme disease that was transmitted after only 6 hours of attachment by a deer tick.

Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) can persist long after antibiotic treatments stop.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2876246/ proof chronic Lyme exists http://www.lymedisease.org/resources/persistence%20confirmed.pdf Evidence of persistent infection

notwithstanding previous antibiotic treatment is strong

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1980573?dopt=Abstract Active cases of Lyme disease show clinical relapse following antibiotic therapy

http://lookingatlyme.blogspot.com/2010/09/case-for-chronic-infection.html Borrelia Burgdorferi can persist within specific body tissues and cells of various mammals despite antibiotic therapy

http://www.nature.com/emi/journal/v3/n7/full/emi201453a.html Borrelia burgdorferi persists after using FDA approved drugs

http://lymedisease.org/news/hardscienceonlyme/621.html Lyme Bacteria survives antibiotic treatment

http://www.hcplive.com/articles/New-Study-Provides-Hope-for-Chronic-Lyme-Disease-Sufferers Some studies estimate up to 20% of Lyme patients suffer long-term symptoms after initial antibiotic treatment is done

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/immune_system_research_may_help_doctors_predict_w ho_gets_long_term_complications_from_lyme_disease some patients experience long-term complications after antibiotic treatment

http://www.jci.org/articles/view/58813 Borrelia burgdorferi antigens persist after antibiotic treatment http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0029914 Persistence of Borrelia

burgdorferi in Rhesus Macaques following Antibiotic Treatment http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2346637/ Persistence of Bb after antibiotic treatment in mice

The CDC approved two-tier blood test is notoriously inaccurate and unreliable.

False negatives are reported over 50% of the time.

http://lymemd.blogspot.com/2013/11/lies-about-western-blot.html Lies about western blot blood test http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/news/health/lyme-disease/2014/03/21/lyme-diagnosis-false-

tests/6692353/ CDC two-tier blood test misses over half Lyme positive patients http://tbdalliance.org/diagnosing-tbds/tests According to many experts, there is no reliable test for Lyme disease

and many other tick-borne diseases at this time

www.lymeinfo.net/medical/LDSeronegativity.pdf false negative blood results are common http://www.lymedisease.org/lyme101/lyme_disease/lyme_tests.html blood tests are not accurate

Lyme disease is only transmitted by deer ticks

Lyme disease cannot be transmitted sexually

Lyme disease cannot be spread from mother to child

14-21 days of antibiotic use will cure Lyme disease.

There is no such thing as Chronic Lyme.

Co-infections are not common

Lyme disease can be transmitted by many species of ticks and other arthropods including black fly, sand flea, biting flea and mosquito

http://cassia.org/library/N_Engl_J_Med_1990_Jun_14,322(24),1752.htm Lyme disease transmitted by biting fly http://www.lymefight.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Handbook-Transmission-Studies-1-page.doc Lyme

transmitted by many types of vectors

http://www.lymeneteurope.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1489 Borrelia burgdorferi in other insects and ticks http://www.txlda.com/transmission.php -Lyme can be transmitted by many types of ticks

http://www.stopthelymelies.com/lyme-disease-101/transmission-controversies Lyme is transmitted by sand flea, mosquito, flea, biting flies, mites, other arthropods

http://lymediseaseresource.com/wordpress/sandflies-in-iraq-infect-americans-who-bring-home-lyme-disease- and-multiple-co-infections/ - transmitted by sand fleas in Iraq

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4075471 Lyme disease transmitted by mosquito or biting fly

The evolution of medical science shows Lyme disease can be transmitted through sexual contact

http://www.onlineprnews.com/news/454866-1390261507-lyme-disease-may-be-sexually-transmitted-study- suggests.html Lyme disease can be transmitted sexually

http://whatislyme.com/recovery-of-lyme-spirochetes-by-pcr-in-semen-samples-of-previously-diagnosed-lyme- disease-patients/ Lyme spirochetes recovered in semen of Lyme positive patients

http://lymediseaseresource.com/wordpress/the-risk-of-getting-infected-with-lyme-disease-in-the-bedroom/ The presence of the Lyme spirochete in genital secretions and identical strains in married couples strongly suggests that sexual transmission of the disease occurs

http://player.vimeo.com/video/37137701 Lyme transmitted through sexual contact and from mother to child congenitally

http://lymediseaseresource.com/wordpress/lyme-disease-on-the-rise-sexual-transmission/ Laboratory studies confirm the existence of Lyme spirochetes in semen/vaginal secretions.

http://www.myfoxdc.com/video?clipId=10214080&autostart=true#axzz3393SezSP Video newscast Lyme can be sexually transmitted

Lyme disease can be spread through blood transfusions as well as congenitally from mother to child

http://home.comcast.net/~runagain/Congenital%20Transmission%20of%20Lyme.doc Specific studies referencing Lyme transmission during pregnancy

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2685924 Documentation that transplacental transmission of the Lyme spirochete from mother to fetus is possible.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2687033/?tool=pubmed Documentation that Babesia, a Lyme co- infection can be transmitted from pregnant mother to fetus

http://jcm.asm.org/content/48/6/2289.abstract Molecular Evidence of Perinatal Transmission of Bartonella vinsonii and Bartonella henselae to a Child

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2349627?ordinalpos=74&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) can survive in human blood stored under blood banking conditions

http://player.vimeo.com/video/37137701 Lyme transmitted through sexual contact and from mother to child congenitally

A significant number of Lyme patients experience long term chronic symptoms after stopping antibiotic treatment.

http://lookingatlyme.blogspot.com/2010/09/case-for-chronic-infection.html Evidential persistence of Borrelia species post antibiotic exposure in vivo and in vitro.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2876246/ Evidence continues to mount that Chronic Lyme exists and needs to be addressed by the medical community

http://www.hcplive.com/articles/New-Study-Provides-Hope-for-Chronic-Lyme-Disease-Sufferers Some studies estimate up to 20% of all patients with Lyme disease may suffer long-term symptoms known as Chronic Lyme after their initial treatment period is done

http://www.nature.com/emi/journal/v3/n7/full/emi201453a.html Post antibiotic use Lyme disease symptoms can persist

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1980573?dopt=Abstract Active cases of Lyme disease may show clinical relapse following antibiotic therapy

http://www.sys-con.com/node/3265359 For some patients antibiotic use is not effective

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/immune_system_research_may_help_doctors_predict_w ho_gets_long_term_complications_from_lyme_disease After antibiotic use some patients develop post- treatment Lyme disease syndrome

http://www.jci.org/articles/view/58813 Lyme disease symptoms persist after antibiotic treatment ends

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0029914 Persistence of Borrelia burgdorferi in Rhesus Macaques following Antibiotic Treatment of Disseminated Infection

In addition to Lyme disease (borrelia burgdorferi) ticks transmit many other diseases or co-infections

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18648996?ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Ticks are often infected with more than one pathogen Several field surveys have documented nonrandom levels of coinfection.

http://www.lymeresearchalliance.org/PDF/TFLpressreleases/Sept08-Lyme-Disease-Co-Infect.pdf Lyme disease proves even more complicated with associated coinfections

http://lymedisease.org/news/lymepolicywonk/lymepolicywonk-ticks-transmit-a-world-of-disease-and-co- infections-into-the-lives-of-lyme-patients.html study showing co-infections are common

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/09/prweb1345344.htm Ticks that transmit Lyme disease transmit other pathogens which can complicate Lyme treatment leading to a more devastating illness

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16814477?ordinalpos=9&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Numerous different microbes have been found in ticks which co-infect the human host.

http://www.lymedisease.org/lyme101/coinfections/other_tick_diseases.html Coinfections complicate diagnosis and treatment and make recovery even more difficult.

Medical Disclaimer: The foregoing information is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace or supersede patient care by a healthcare provider. If an individual suspects the presence of a tick-borne illness, they should consult a healthcare provider who is familiar with the diagnosis and treatment of tick-borne diseases.

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