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.

Crowdfunding campaigns could be raising money for quackery

A research letter has shown that when well meaning and gullible individuals donate for crowdfunding campaigns to raise money for medical treatments, some of them may not be for the benefit of the patients. The money might be used for useless quack therapies which could sometimes be dangerous

25 Oct 2018

Researchers develop new techniques for faster detection of Lyme disease bacteria

Researchers have developed techniques to detect Lyme disease bacteria weeks sooner than current tests, allowing patients to start treatment earlier.

11 Oct 2018

Scientists perform successful trial of new antibiotic on cancer reoccurrence after surgery

SCIENTISTS fighting cancer have carried out the first successful trial of the effects of the antibiotic Doxycycline on cancer reoccurrence in patients after surgery.

3 Oct 2018

Scientists use mice to study transmission of Lyme disease bacteria by infected ticks

Lyme borreliosis is a disease caused by bacteria of the genus Borrelia that are transmitted by a bite from a tick of the genus Ixodes.

21 Sep 2018

NIH officials highlight growing threat of tickborne diseases

The incidence of tickborne infections in the United States has risen significantly within the past decade. It is imperative, therefore, that public health officials and scientists build a robust understanding of pathogenesis, design improved diagnostics, and develop preventive vaccines, according to a new commentary in the New England Journal of Medicine from leading scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health

26 Jul 2018

New vaccine could protect unborn babies from Zika virus

Until recently, the Zika virus was not a priority since it affected relatively few people and the cost of creating a vaccine was estimated at EUR 149-468 million. But the spread of Zika in the Americas and discovery of a link with reduced head size and brain damage in babies of women infected while pregnant changed that.

20 Jul 2018

Ways to stay safe while camping and hiking

When the weather heats up, many nature lovers head to a national park or forest for a summertime hiking or camping trip. A little preparation and an understanding of safety can go a long way to avoid potential pitfalls that come with enjoying Mother Nature.

19 Jul 2018

New study finds ticks that can carry Lyme and other tick-borne diseases

The results of a nationwide citizen scientist study, sponsored by the Bay Area Lyme Foundation and conducted by Northern Arizona University and Colorado State University, found ticks capable of carrying Lyme and other tick-borne diseases in 83 counties throughout the country where they had not previously been recorded

13 Jul 2018

UM researchers awarded NIH funding to study bacterium that causes Lyme disease

University of Montana researchers Dan Drecktrah and Scott Samuels were recently awarded $449,998 from the National Institutes of Health for the first year of a five-year project to study the bacterium that causes Lyme disease.

11 Jul 2018

Forest ecosystem influences tick-borne disease risk in the eastern US

In the eastern US, risk of contracting Lyme disease is higher in fragmented forests with high rodent densities and low numbers of resident fox, opossum, and raccoons.

10 Jul 2018

Few refreshers about how to stay healthy in summer

Life can be pretty good during the summer – especially for those who heed health advice about sun safety, staying hydrated and getting needed vaccinations before traveling abroad. To optimize the good times, here are few refreshers about how to stay healthy this summer.

7 Jun 2018

New environmental monitoring project finds increased numbers of deer ticks in Southern Indiana

A new environmental monitoring project at Indiana University has found increased numbers of the ticks that carry Lyme disease in Southern Indiana.

25 May 2018

Lyme disease researcher dispels misconceptions about ticks and provides prevention tips

Lyme disease is now the most reported vector-borne disease in the United States and the CDC released a report showing that diseases from biting insects, ticks, and mosquitos in the U.S. have tripled since 2004.

25 May 2018

MIT researchers develop new versatile plug-and-play diagnostic devices

Researchers at MIT's Little Devices Lab have developed a set of modular blocks that can be put together in different ways to produce diagnostic devices.

17 May 2018

Massachussetts public health department receives $100,000 grant to subsidize cost of tick testing

A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that warns of a recent surge of tick-borne disease incidence in the United States was no surprise to Massachusetts State Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Catherine Brown and microbiology professor Stephen Rich, director of the Laboratory of Medical Zoology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

9 May 2018

Ticks and mosquitoes a “growing health problem” says CDC

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a new report warning people about the myriad of diseases that are transmitted via bites of blood-sucking insects such as ticks, mosquitoes and fleas calling it a “growing health problem” in the United States.

2 May 2018

New diagnostic methods offer better chance for more accurate detection of Lyme disease

New tests to detect early Lyme disease – which is increasing beyond the summer months – could replace existing tests that often do not clearly identify the infection before health problems occur.

25 Apr 2018

Researchers develop low-cost, portable laboratory on a phone to detect infections

Washington State University researchers have developed a low-cost, portable laboratory on a phone that works nearly as well as clinical laboratories to detect common viral and bacterial infections.

24 Apr 2018

Using biomimicry for faster detection of disease outbreaks

Our immune systems are made up of billions of white blood cells searching for signs of infections and foreign invaders, ready to raise the alarm.

9 Apr 2018

New blood test shows promise to revolutionize diagnosis of tick-borne diseases

A new blood test called the Tick-Borne Disease Serochip (TBD Serochip) promises to revolutionize the diagnosis of tick-borne disease by offering a single test to identify and distinguish between Borrelia burgdorferi, the pathogen responsible for Lyme disease, and seven other tick-borne pathogens.

18 Feb 2018