Lyme Disease News and Research

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Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system. Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings (e.g., rash), and the possibility of exposure to infected ticks; laboratory testing is helpful in the later stages of disease. Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with a few weeks of antibiotics. Steps to prevent Lyme disease include using insect repellent, removing ticks promptly, landscaping, and integrated pest management. The ticks that transmit Lyme disease can occasionally transmit other tick-borne diseases as well.

Mites and ticks are part of the same evolutionary line, research shows

Scientists from the University of Bristol and the Natural History Museum in London have reconstructed the evolutionary history of the chelicerates, the mega-diverse group of 110,000 arthropods that includes spiders, scorpions, mites and ticks.

27 May 2019

Tips to stay safe and well when temperatures soar

Dehydration, sunburn, heatstroke, insect bites, rashes, and lacerations – summer can spell health meltdown with a seemingly endless list of unsightly, uncomfortable, and potentially lethal hazards.

24 May 2019

New technology helps reduce cost and time needed to do common laboratory tests

A desire for a simpler, cheaper way to do common laboratory tests for medical diagnoses and to avoid "washing the dishes" led University of Connecticut researchers to develop a new technology that reduces cost and time.

23 May 2019

New coalition to boost fight against blood-feeding insects

As the incidence of diseases transmitted by ticks and mosquitoes in the U.S. continues to rise, a coordinated and strategic response is needed now more than ever--and a diverse set of organizations are aligning to answer the call.

21 May 2019

Scientists find several shifts in Pennsylvania tick population over the last century

The prevalence of the most abundant species of ticks found in Pennsylvania has shifted over the last century, according to Penn State scientists, who analyzed 117 years' worth of specimens and data submitted primarily by residents from around the state.

3 May 2019

Three-antibiotic cocktail eradicates 'persister' Lyme bacteria in mouse model

A new study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that a slow-growing variant form of Lyme bacteria caused severe symptoms in a mouse model.

24 Apr 2019

Researchers describe a case of tick-borne relapsing fever in Mexico

Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever is a recurring fever caused by exposure to infected Borrelia bacteria.

12 Apr 2019

New project to develop prototype diagnostic tool for early detection of Lyme disease

Unitive Design & Analysis are the sole UK contributors to a three year translational project to develop a prototype Point of Care Diagnostic tool to address the growing problem of Lyme disease.

2 Apr 2019

Staten Island severely infested with self-cloning Asian longhorned ticks

Staten Island residents have another reason to apply insect repellent and obsessively check for ticks this spring and summer: the population of a new, potentially dangerous invasive pest known as the Asian longhorned tick has grown dramatically across the borough, according to Columbia University researchers.

29 Mar 2019

Researchers harness power of artificial intelligence to better match cancer patients with clinical trials

A team of researchers from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory Health Data Sciences Institute have harnessed the power of artificial intelligence to better match cancer patients with clinical trials.

6 Mar 2019

Risk of red meat allergy from tick bites higher than previously thought

New research has shown that the risk of developing a red meat allergy after being bitten by a tick may be much higher than scientists had thought.

26 Feb 2019

Advanced scan shows brain inflammation related to post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome

More than 1 in 10 people successfully treated with antibiotics for Lyme disease go on to develop chronic, sometimes debilitating, and poorly understood symptoms of fatigue and brain fog that may last for years after their initial infection has cleared up.

6 Feb 2019

USC research could lay foundation for a vaccine against tick-borne virus

Two groundbreaking discoveries by USC researchers could lead to medications and a vaccine to treat or prevent a hemorrhagic fever transmitted by a new tick species before it spreads across the United States.

7 Jan 2019

Stress related pathway instrumental in controlling function of immune cells

The immune system is composed of a wide range of different immune cells each with dedicated functions. Natural killer T cells form a specialized immune cell that protects against a variety of diseases such as cancer, autoimmunity, metabolic disease or certain infections such as Lyme disease.

20 Dec 2018

Quidel receives CE mark to use Sofia 2 Lyme+ Fluorescent Immunoassay with Sofia 2 analyzer

Quidel Corporation, a provider of rapid diagnostic testing solutions, cellular-based virology assays and molecular diagnostic systems, announced today that it has received CE Mark to market Quidel's Sofia 2 Lyme+ FIA to be used with the Sofia 2 Fluorescent Immunoassay Analyzer for the rapid differential detection of human IgM and IgG antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia garinii, and Borrelia afzelii from serum and plasma specimens.

19 Dec 2018