Category Archives: Co-infections

Recent in: Co-infections

Detection of tick-borne infection in Morgellons disease patients by serological and molecular techniques

Marianne J Middelveen, Iris Du Cruz, Melissa C Fesler, Raphael B Stricker, Jyotsna S Shah 1Atkins Veterinary Services, Calgary, AB, Canada; 2IGeneX Laboratories, Palo Alto, CA, USA; 3Union Square Medical Associates, San Francisco, CA, USA Background: Morgellons disease (MD) is a skin condition associated with Lyme disease (LD) and tick-borne illness. Patients with this skin disorder experience ulcerative lesions that contain multicolored filamentous collagen and keratin inclusions. Continues →

Mount Allison University’s Lyme Research Network presents their 2017 – 2018 report on research funded by the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation

Another successful year building capacity and knowledge within the Canadian science community. These funded students will be our near-future experts. “Overview On May 2017, Mount Allison University announced the formation of the Mount Allison Lyme Research Network, formed with support of the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation. This network consists of 14 researchers united to provide a comprehensive approach to Lyme Continues →

Ticks do not only transmit Lyme disease: After Tularemia Death, Experts Stress Education

[Learn more about tularemia ] Article… September 13, 2018 Julia Wells The Vineyard Gazette With tick-borne diseases a growing matter of public health concern on Martha’s Vineyard, education and prevention are more important than ever, the state’s leading expert in infectious diseases said in an interview this week. Dr. Catherine Brown, the state epidemiologist and senior scientist for the Massachusetts Department Continues →

What are implications for eastern Canada? – New York – Warning Issued After New Tick Species Discovered In Westchester

[CanLyme Note:  Ticks in New York state are only a short flight away aboard our migratory passerine birds ie robins, finches, wrens. who bring these ticks into Canada in the millions each year.] July 18th, 2018 State officials are warning New York residents, visitors and farmers about the continued importance of taking measures to protect against ticks, as a new tick species Continues →

Lyme disease in Saskatchewan ticks, and dog ticks can infect Borrelia miyamotoi.

The vast majority of ticks found in Saskatchewan are Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick), a species not known to be a competent vector of typical Lyme borreliosis (Borrelia burrgdorferi s.l.) to humans.  However, recently Borrelia miyamotoi has been found in Canadian ticks coast to coast. Also, this from Manitoba, Saskatchewan’s next door neighbour. Borrelia miyamotoi causes similar disease in humans to Lyme borreliosis. Needing more Continues →

Nova Scotians continue to be affected by Lyme disease

May 26th, 2018 Virginia Smith will have to wait before finding out whether she’s the victim of another nasty tick infection. On two occasions over the past week, the Weymouth farmer discovered a tick-sucking blood from the very spot on her body, just above her right shoulder blade. She heeded all precautions to avoid contact with the parasites both times Continues →

Global News television: Manitoba Canada Lyme awareness – province leads the country in working directly with patient groups.

Watch this interesting piece… “Marnie Le Page from Manitoba Lyme and Communicable Diseases Medical Officer of Health Dr. Richard Rush joined Gobal’s Shannon Cuciz to discuss emerging tick-bone diseases in Manitoba.” Canada-wide we are in a crisis due to a very well imbedded denial of access to health care relative to Lyme and other tick-bonre diseases. Patient groups and their Continues →

Human Babesiosis Caused by Babesia duncani Has Widespread Distribution across Canada

John D. Scott * and Catherine M. Scott  published May 17, 2018 Abstract   Human babesiosis caused by Babesia duncani is an emerging infectious disease in Canada. This malaria-like illness is brought about by a protozoan parasite infecting red blood cells. Currently, controversy surrounds which tick species are vectors of B. duncani. Since the availability of a serological or molecular test in Canada for B. duncani has been Continues →

History of Morgellons disease: from delusion to definition

Middelveen, et al   https://doi.org/10.2147/CCID.S152343 Abstract: Morgellons disease (MD) is a skin condition characterized by the presence of multicolored filaments that lie under, are embedded in, or project from skin. Although the condition may have a longer history, disease matching the above description was first reported in the US in 2002. Since that time, the condition that we know as MD has Continues →

CanLyme has questioned the self-policing of physicians for years as it protects bad nonsense – NOW CHANGE MAY HAPPEN? Are our politicians listening?

[CanLyme Note: This is not isolated to Ontario, it is Canada and world-wide. Many provinces and countries have given the right to medical colleges and associations to self-police. The process has been corrupted and abused for years with many doctors given far too light consequences while on the other hand they use self-policing to force doctors to follow bad policy Continues →

Human seroprevalence of Borrelia miyamotoi in Manitoba, Canada, in 2011-2014: a cross-sectional study.

CMAJ Open. 2017 Sep 6;5(3):E690-E693. doi: 10.9778/cmajo.20170070. Kadkhoda K, et al Abstract BACKGROUND: Hard tick-borne relapsing fever caused by Borrelia miyamotoi has been reported in Russia, the Netherlands, Germany, Japan and the northeastern and upper midwestern United States. We sought to investigate the presence of B. miyamotoi infection in humans in Manitoba, Canada. METHODS: Two hundred fifty sera collected from residents Continues →

Lyme in the maritimes: Health P.E.I. should re-evaluate efforts at prevention and diagnosis of tick-borne diseases

BY CHRIS ROBINSON [ – Chris Robinson is a health economist / epidemiologist, and former head of Evidence and Risk Assessment Division, Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, Public Health Agency of Canada. He is now retired and living in Cavendish ] January 9th, 2017 published by The Guardian There are no deer on P.E.I. Local public health officials have Continues →