Whole genome sequencing of human Borrelia burgdorferi isolates reveals linked blocks of accessory genome elements located on plasmids and associated with human dissemination

ByCanLyme Team

Abstract Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in North America and Europe. The clinical manifestations of Lyme disease vary based on the genospecies of the infecting Borrelia burgdorferi spirochete, but the microbial genetic elements underlying these associations are not known. Here, we report the whole genome sequence (WGS) and analysis of 299 B. burgdorferi (Bb) isolates derived from…

Children are more than twice as likely to lose their detectable antibodies to Lyme disease bacteria

ByCanLyme Team

Background Lyme borreliosis (LB), caused by Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), is the most common tick-borne infection in Germany. Antibodies against Bb are prevalent in the general population but information on temporal changes of prevalence and estimates of seroconversion (seroincidence) and seroreversion are lacking, especially for children and adolescents. Aim We aimed at assessing antibodies against Bb and factors associated with seropositivity…

Lyme neuroborreliosis: A case report

ByCanLyme Team

Abstract Key Clinical Message Lyme neuroborreliosis is the manifestation of Lyme borreliosis that impacts the nervous system. It gives rise to various neurological and psychiatric conditions, and its diagnosis is challenging. The timely administration of antibiotics is effective. A male patient, aged 55, was admitted to the emergency department due to the sudden onset of…

6-year-old may need to relearn how to walk, talk after tick bite leads to ICU, mom says

ByCanLyme Team

A bite from a tick left a 6-year-old Arkansas boy fighting for his life, his mother says, and he may not be the same when he wakes up. In late June, Aiden Debusk went on a short hike with his family, his mother, Laiken Debusk, told KTHV. She checked her kids for ticks when they…

Female ticks (Ixodes scapularis) infected with Borrelia burgdorferi have increased overwintering survival, with implications for tick population growth

ByCanLyme Team

Abstract The tick, Ixodes scapularis, vectors pathogens such as Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Over the last few decades I. scapularis has expanded its range, introducing a novel health threat into these areas. Warming temperatures appear to be one cause of its range expansion to the north. However, other factors are also involved. We show that…

Complete Remission in Paralytic Late Tick-Borne Neurological Disease Comprising Mixed Involvement of Borrelia, Babesia, Anaplasma, and Bartonella: Use of Long-Term Treatments with Antibiotics and Antiparasitics in a Series of 10 Cases

ByCanLyme Team

Abstract This study aimed to demonstrate that severe neurological motor deficits in the context of late tick-borne disease with mixed microorganism involvement are eligible for long-term combined antibiotic/antiparasitic treatments. The inclusion criteria were: 1. neurological limb paralysis with a disability score >4 according to the EDSS Kurtzke disability scale; 2. serological tests pointing to an…

Primary Detection of the Establishment of Blacklegged Ticks, Ixodes scapularis, in British Columbia, Canada

ByCanLyme Team

Abstract Ticks transport and transmit microbial pathogens that inflict malevolent diseases on domestic and wildlife animals, and humans. We reveal the first-time record of the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, in British Columbia (BC) and, concurrently, far western North America. We unveil the primary tick-host record of I. scapularis parasitizing a Mallard duck, Anas platyrhynchos. In…

Complete Remission in Paralytic Late Tick-Borne Neurological Disease Comprising Mixed Involvement of Borrelia, Babesia, Anaplasma, and Bartonella: Use of Long-Term Treatments with Antibiotics and Antiparasitics in a Series of 10 Cases

ByCanLyme Team

Abstract This study aimed to demonstrate that severe neurological motor deficits in the context of late tick-borne disease with mixed microorganism involvement are eligible for long-term combined antibiotic/antiparasitic treatments. The inclusion criteria were: 1. neurological limb paralysis with a disability score >4 according to the EDSS Kurtzke disability scale; 2. serological tests pointing to an…