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Evaluation of pathogen specific urinary peptides in tick-borne illnesses

Abstract Mass spectrometry enhanced by nanotechnology can achieve previously unattainable sensitivity for characterizing urinary pathogen-derived peptides. We utilized mass spectrometry enhanced by affinity hydrogel particles (analytical sensitivity = 2.5 pg/mL) to study tick pathogen-specific proteins shed in the urine of patients with (1) erythema migrans rash and acute symptoms, (2) post treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS), and (3)…

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Prevalence of Infection and Co-Infection and Presence of Rickettsial Endosymbionts in Ixodes Scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) in Connecticut, USA.

Abstract Ixodes scapularis is currently known to transmit 7 pathogens responsible for Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, tick-borne relapsing fever, ehrlichiosis, and Powassan encephalitis. Ixodes scapularis can also be colonized by endosymbiotic bacteria including those in the genus of Rickettsia. We screened 459 I. scapularis ticks submitted to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Tick Testing Laboratory with the objectives to (1) examine…

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Nova Scotia, Canada: Lyme disease conference held in Bridgewater

November 17th, 2019 CTV reporter Heidi Petracek @HeidipCTV As the number of reported cases of Lyme disease on Nova Scotia’s South Shore continues to rise, so too does public concern. That’s why hundreds of residents and medical professionals gathered in Bridgewater this weekend for the Bridgewater Lyme Disease Conference. “When you look at the map…

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Co-infection of bacteria and protozoan parasites in Ixodes ricinus nymphs collected in the Alsace region, France

[CanLyme Note: ‘No Tick is a Good Tick’ Canadian ticks are equally co-infected.] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.06.001 Abstract Fifty nymphal Ixodes ricinus ticks collected in Alsace, France, identified by morphological criteria and using MALDI-TOF MS, were tested by PCR to detect tick-associated bacteria and protozoan parasites. Seventy percent (35/50) of ticks contained at least one microorganism; 26% (9/35) contained two or…

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Recommendations for Reducing the Risk of Transfusion-Transmitted Babesiosis, a tick-borne disease

[CanLyme Note: Canadian Blood Services does in-house studies with no input from the public and their experts. We, the public, with our experts should be fully engaged in all policies that affect us. From funding determination, terms of reference, study design, to implementation and publishing approval of results we need to be involved as equal…

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Establishment of a continuous in vitro culture of Babesia duncani in human erythrocytes reveals unusually high tolerance to recommended therapies. [ie Mepron not too effective?]

November 21st, 2018 Abstract Human babesiosis is an emerging tick-borne disease caused by apicomplexan parasites of the genus Babesia. Clinical cases caused by Babesia duncani have been associated with high parasite burden, severe pathology and death. In both mice and hamsters, the parasite causes uncontrolled fulminant infections, which ultimately lead to death. Resolving these infections requires knowledge of B. duncani biology, virulence,…

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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….

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Empirical validation of the Horowitz Multiple Systemic Infectious Disease Syndrome Questionnaire for suspected Lyme disease

International Journal of General Medicine September 4th, 2017 Purpose: Lyme disease is spreading worldwide, with multiple Borrelia species causing a broad range of clinical symptoms that mimic other illnesses. A validated Lyme disease screening questionnaire would be clinically useful for both providers and patients. Three studies evaluated such a screening tool, namely the Horowitz Multiple…

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Watch New York State Senate Public Hearing on Lyme and Tick Borne Diseases

LYME SCI: Re-cap of New York’s Lyme disease hearing On August 29, the New York State Senate’s Task Force on Lyme and Tick-borne Diseases held a public hearing, with participation from many stakeholders. Public health officials, scientists, patients, and doctors from IDSA and ILADS all addressed the committee hearing, which was streamed live to a…

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If Not Lyme Disease, What Caused This Man’s Fever?

June 16, 2016 by Lisa Sanders, M.D. THE PRESENTING PROBLEM A doctor thought he knew what brought on this patient’s flulike symptoms, but antibiotics weren’t helping. “Nonno says he doesn’t feel good,” the 8-year-old girl reported, handing her mother a digital thermometer. The woman looked at the readout — just under 102 degrees. Her father,…

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Global TV, Winnipeg, Canada: Winnipeggers cautioned to watch out for ticks [Lyme on increase]

May 24th, 2016 WINNIPEG — A Winnipeg mom is warning people to be on the lookout for black legged ticks inside the city. Marnie Le Page’s daughter Brooke contracted Lyme disease in December, 2014. “She came home with a headache, a severe head ache and a fever, went to bed, and since that day she’s never…

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Development of droplet digital PCR for the detection of Babesia microti and Babesia duncani

doi:10.1016/j.exppara.2014.12.003 Abstract Babesia spp. are obligate protozoan parasites of red blood cells. Transmission to humans occurs through bites from infected ticks or blood transfusion. Infections with B. microti account for the majority of the reported cases of human babesiosis in the USA. A lower incidence is caused by the more recently described species B. duncani….

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Australia: Researcher calls for action after those suffering Lyme Disease head abroad…

A TURRAMURRA researcher is calling on the medical fraternity to advocate for recognition of Lyme disease in Australia, both for treatment and insurance purposes. Mualla McManus’s call follows an appeal from tick bite victim and East Lindfield teen Francesca Wallis who is trying to raise $30,000 for Lyme disease treatment at a German clinic, as the…

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Lyme [borreliosis] Helps Spread Other Tick Infections

December 31, 2014  By Christopher Intagliata – Scientific American Mice infected with Lyme and the Babesia parasite are more likely to pass on babesiosis than mice infected with babesiosis alone. Christopher Intagliata reports Lyme disease may be the most well known illness spread by ticks. But it’s far from the only one. The most common…