Thursday, April 30, 2015

Borrelia miyamotoi in host-seeking Ixodes ricinus ticks in England

Hansford et al. (2015) Epidemiology and Infection 143: 1079-1087

http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0950268814001691

Authors' summary:

This paper reports the first detection of Borrelia miyamotoi in UK Ixodes ricinusticks. It also reports on the presence and infection rates of I. ricinus for a number of other tick-borne pathogens of public health importance. Ticks from seven regions in southern England were screened for B. miyamotoi, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.), Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Neoehrlichia mikurensis using qPCR. A total of 954 I. ricinus ticks were tested, 40 were positive for B. burgdorferi s.l., 22 positive for A. phagocytophilum and three positive for B. miyamotoi, with no N. mikurensis detected. The three positive B. miyamotoi ticks came from three geographically distinct areas, suggesting a widespread distribution, and from two separate years, suggesting some degree of endemicity. Understanding the prevalence of Borrelia and other tick-borne pathogens in ticks is crucial for locating high-risk areas of disease transmission.

The Dutch group, who provided the DNA probes, published somewhat similar data for the Netherlands last year.

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NJ Seminar Draws Hundreds to Hear Medical & Political Lyme

NJ Seminar Draws Hundreds to Hear Medical & Political Lyme Issues

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Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) addressed a group of more than 250 patients, physicians and advocates in New Jersey about federal efforts to combat Lyme disease at the New Jersey Lyme Disease Educational Seminar, April 25, supported by an educational grant given by LDA

Read more...

 

 

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Antibiotic Shortages On the Rise in U.S.: MedlinePlus

Perhaps if they prohibited the agriculture industry from giving antibiotics to livestock in their feed we wouldn't have this issue to such a degree. This industry purchases 80% of the antibiotics available on a yearly basis. They feed it to livestock at subclinical levels when most aren't even ill.  The CDC/NIH/USDA talk about the livestock use contributing to antibiotic resistance, and yet nothing is done to stop it. They'd much rather blame the health care professionals for prescribing it and the patients usage of the drugs. 
 
 

Arguments for and against long-term antibiotic use in Lyme treatment


Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 
Impassioned debate, replete with criticisms and name-calling, rages over the cause of and treatment for lingering Lyme disease symptoms — a topic of local importance considering the infection is now found in every Pennsylvania county.

 

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Lyme Disease Patients to Stage Multiday Protest at IDSA Headquarters

Lyme Disease Patients to Stage Multiday Protest at IDSA Headquarters http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=196881 

Lyme Disease Patients to Stage Multiday Protest at ... http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=196881 The Mayday Project Lyme patient advocacy group announced that it is moving forward with plans for a two-day protest at the headquarters of the Infec... 
View on www.webwire.com http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=196881 
 
The Mayday Project maintains that the IDSA's guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease harm patients who are routinely misdiagnosed and unable to obtain medically necessary treatment due to the restrictions imposed by the guidelines. 

Mayday Project co-founder Josh Cutler has been fighting late-stage neurological Lyme disease for nine years. This condition affects the brain, the central nervous system, and the autonomic nervous system that regulates blood pressure and other vital functions.Cutler says, "We are uniting to demand that IDSA stop its misrepresentation of science, end its conflicts of interest, and fix its guidelines for Lyme." 

Controversy about Lyme disease has divided the medical community and led to the creation of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS), which has published its own guidelines for Lyme. ILADS and IDSA guidelines differ in virtually every aspect, including the testing, diagnosis, and treatment of Lyme disease as well as the definition of Lyme disease. 

IDSA states that Lyme is easy to diagnose and simple to treat with a limited course of antibiotics. According to the IDSA guidelines, chronic Lyme does not exist and long-term treatment is not warranted. ILADS argues that Lyme disease is a national health crisis of epidemic proportion that needs to be treated aggressively and often requires long-term treatment beyond the limits set by IDSA. 

ILADS guidelines recognize chronic Lyme disease and recommend that the "duration of therapy be guided by clinical response, rather than by an arbitrary treatment course. "Large numbers of Lyme patients remain seriously ill despite receiving the IDSA-recommended two- to four-week course of antibiotic treatment. 
A 2013 study http://lymemd.org/pdf/Foundation_for_Case_Definition.pdf by John Aucott of Johns Hopkins University shows that over 30 percent of patients who are diagnosed and treated in the acute stage of Lyme disease continue to have ongoing illness. Debilitation can include being homebound, bedbound, or wheelchair dependent. 

Kenneth Liegner, MD, who specializes in internal medicine, critical care, Lyme disease, and related illnesses, suggests that IDSA has neglected to consider the large body of scientific evidence that chronic Lyme exists and is widespread. Liegner practices in Pawling, New York, near the epicenter of the Lyme epidemic. In a September 2010 letter to the Institute of Medicine, he wrote:"Honest review of the worldwide peer-reviewed scientific literature reveals an abundance of evidence for the existence of chronic Lyme disease. . . . The standard of care set by the IDSA 2006 Lyme disease guidelines is one of medical neglect of persons suffering from chronic Lyme disease." 

On March 9, IDSA released a project plan http://www.idsociety.org/uploadedFiles/IDSA/Guidelines-Patient_Care/PDF_Library/LD%20Project%20Plan%20March%202015%282%29.pdf to update their guidelines. The plan includes a thirty-day period for public comments. Patient advocates have expressed serious concerns there will be a repeat of the 2009 review of the guidelines, which ignored extensive scientific evidence for the existence of chronic Lyme disease. 

According to the article Lyme Disease: the Next Decade http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3108755/: "The review panel held a public hearing that featured more than 300 peer-reviewed articles and 1600 pages of analysis supporting the concept of persistent infection despite short-course antibiotic therapy of 2 to 4 weeks in patients with persistent Lyme disease symptoms. Despite this extensive evidence, the IDSA review panel voted unanimously to uphold the flawed Lyme guidelines." 

On March 20, representatives from Mayday met with IDSA President, Dr. Stephen Calderwood, to discuss concerns about the plan for updating the guidelines. 

During the meeting, Mayday requested that representatives from patient support groups and physicians in private practice who specialize in treating tick-borne illnesses be added to the review panel. Mayday also asked Calderwood to write a letter to Congress requesting more funding for research and expressed strong concerns about the inclusion of panelists with significant conflicts of interests. 

The Lyme Disease Association report, Conflicts of Interest in Lyme Disease: Laboratory Testing, Vaccination and Treatment Guidelines, documents the most serious conflicts of interests among members of IDSA's review panels. 

In November 2006, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, now a U.S. Senator, launched an investigation of IDSA, based on allegations of abuses of monopoly power and exclusionary conduct, in violation of antitrust law. In a May 2008 press release http://www.ct.gov/ag/cwp/view.asp?a=2795&q=414284 Blumenthal said, "My office uncovered undisclosed financial interests held by several of the most powerful IDSA panelists. The IDSA's guideline panel improperly ignored or minimized consideration of alternative medical opinion and evidence regarding chronic Lyme disease, potentially raising serious questions about whether the recommendations reflected all relevant science." 

IDSA reached a consent agreement with Blumenthal's office calling for the creation of a review panel to thoroughly scrutinize the 2006 guidelines. In 2009, the guidelines were reviewed, but no significant changes were made, despite the large body of peer-reviewed evidence for the existence of chronic Lyme disease that was presented to the panel. According to Blumenthal, the panel used an "improper voting procedure," based on a process of its own design, which undermined the integrity of the voting process and violated the consent agreement http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/02/prweb3566094.htm

Mayday held its first protest at IDSA headquarters in May 2014. IDSA released a statement that they were "listening," but no action was taken regarding the guidelines, so Mayday held a follow-up candlelight vigil and protest at IDSA's IDWeek medical conference in October 2014. During the conference, Mayday released an open letter to IDSA members calling on them to intervene on the behalf of patients to help rectify the guidelines in the interest of improving patient care. 

Call to Action 
Josh Cutler and co-founder Allison Caruana are calling on patients and others touched by Lyme to stand together and make a difference. 

"We expect hundreds to attend," says Caruana, whose five children contracted Lyme disease at birth. "Patients are suffering and angry about the handling of the Lyme epidemic. They want access to treatment. They want better tests. They want insurance coverage that doesn't end when treatment fails. They want doctors to stop telling them it's all in their heads. And most fundamentally, they want the IDSA to place the health of patients ahead of professional biases and self-interest." 

Event Details 
The event will take place on the public sidewalks surrounding IDSA headquarters at 1300 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA, across the street from the Hyatt Arlington and one block from the Rosslyn Metro station. 

The event begins with a Wednesday evening meet and greet and conference. The conference includes a presentation by the National Capital Lyme Disease Association on "The Necessity of Investigative Hearings," and a presentation about the "The Science the Media Needs to Know." 

Rallies and demonstrations will be conducted Thursday and Friday. A group Lyme Disease Challenge is planned ‎Thursday afternoon, with the goal of taking the largest bite out of Lyme disease yet. A candlelight vigil will be held Thursday evening to honor those who lost their lives while battling chronic Lyme disease. 

Patients who are too sick to attend are encouraged to send a pair of shoes to IDSA to highlight the extent of the epidemic of chronic Lyme disease. Attendees are encouraged to bring footwear from Lyme patients to commemorate those who are unable to attend. 

Wednesday, April 29 
Advocate Conference from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Holiday Inn, Rosslyn, VA 
Thursday, April 30 
Rally from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. 
Candlelight vigil from 6:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. 
Friday, May 1 
Rally from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. 
For more details and to register, visit www.facebook.com/events/1524051617834268http://www.facebook.com/events/1524051617834268 

About the Mayday Project 
The Mayday Project was formed by a group of volunteers who have been touched by Lyme disease. Mayday advocates for more accurate tests, better guidelines, improved access to treatment, increased education for physicians, and more funding for research. 
For more information, visit http://www.themaydayproject.org/ http://www.themaydayproject.org/

References 
The Infectious Diseases Society of America Lyme Guidelines: a Cautionary Tale About the Development of Clinical Practice Guidelines 
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2i901226 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2i901226 
Severity of Chronic Lyme Disease Compared to Other Chronic Conditions: A Quality of Life Survey 
https://peerj.com/articles/322/ https://peerj.com/articles/322/ 
HMO Abuse of Lyme Disease Surveillance Case Definition 
http://lyme.kaiserpapers.org/barbiejo.html http://lyme.kaiserpapers.org/barbiejo.html 
Review of evidence for immune evasion and persistent infection in Lyme disease 
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3636972/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3636972/ 


Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Lyme Patient Advocates Denounce Intellectual Conflicts of Interest

Lyme Patient Advocates Denounce Intellectual Conflicts of Interest for Seven IDSA Guidelines Review Panelists

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
ARLINGTON, VA, Tuesday, April 21—The Mayday Project—a volunteer organization comprised of those touched by Lyme disease—wants to know the answer to the question: How can certain members of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) review panel, those with entrenched intellectual conflicts of interest, be trusted to revise the guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease?
 
On March 9, IDSA released a project plan to update its Lyme disease treatment guidelines; guidelines The Mayday Project believes already harm patients who are routinely misdiagnosed and unable to obtain medically necessary treatment due to the restrictions imposed by those guidelines. The IDSA plan provides a period for public comment, which ends April 24.
 
Mayday co-founder Josh Cutler says, "What's most disturbing is that the 2015 IDSA review group contains members who are not coming to the task from neutral positions." According to Cutler, "Six people involved in the 2015 guideline revisions helped co-author the 2006 guidelines. The seventh person led the internal IDSA review of those guidelines after a state investigation in Connecticut. These seven people, at the very least, have inherent intellectual conflicts of interest. In addition to authoring or reviewing the 2006 guidelines, they have continued to publish articles maintaining the view that there is no convincing evidence for the existence of chronic Lyme disease."
 
Click here for full release: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lyme-patient-advocates-denounce-intellectual-conflicts-of-interest-for-seven-idsa-guidelines-review-panelists-300069030.html
 


Saturday, April 18, 2015

What Is Powassan Virus? Rare Tick Infection Could Be Worse Than Lyme Disease


Doctors in the Northeast and Great Lakes regions are warning Americans of a rare tick-borne illness they say is more serious than Lyme disease. Nobody is known to have contracted the Powassan virus yet this year, but it has been found recently in ticks in Bridgeport and North Branford, Connecticut. Officials are urging people to be vigilant as they head into summer, when ticks tend to be most active.

Friday, April 17, 2015

Lyme Patients Launch Campaign to Protest of IDSA Guidelines

Wow. This seems big. A total of 554 thirty-second ads?!  
-Bob


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Lyme Patients Launch Aerial Campaign to Support Boots on the Ground Protest of IDSA Guidelines

 

ARLINGTON, VA, Friday, April 17—The Mayday Project Lyme patient advocacy group announced the launch of a television advertising campaign to support its boots on the ground protest scheduled for April 29 through May 1 at the headquarters of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). 
 
The ad raises awareness about the "hidden" epidemic of chronic Lyme and the harm caused by the IDSA Guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease.
 
The campaign includes 554 thirty-second spots that will run throughout the Washington, DC metro area, including Arlington County, VA, where IDSA's headquarters is located. The ads will run on CNN, Fox News, the Discovery Channel, and the Weather Channel through May 3.

 

Clues to How an Electric Treatment for Parkinson’s Works

In 1998, Dr. Philip A. Starr started putting electrodes in people's brains.

A neurosurgeon at the University of California, San Francisco, Dr. Starr was treating people with Parkinson's disease, which slowly destroys essential bits of brain tissue, robbing people of control of their bodies. At first, drugs had given his patients some relief, but now they needed more help.

After the surgery, Dr. Starr closed up his patients' skulls and switched on the electrodes, releasing a steady buzz of electric pulses in their brains. For many patients, the effect was immediate.

More:

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Thursday, April 16, 2015

Eating Healthy Can Be A Mental Disorder- Orthorexia

I guess anything can be taken too far. Now they have a name for trying to eat too healthy! But as a contributor to the medical listserv from where I received this story, 

"Have no fear- "orthorexia can successfully be treated with a combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychoeducation, and medication."   Or my preference to that really unexciting 'standard of care'- lots of ice cream and cake!

Officials Declare "Eating Healthy" A Mental Disorder

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/orthorexia-nervosa

 2015 Feb 18;11:385-94. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S61665. eCollection 2015.
The clinical basis of orthorexia nervosa: emerging perspectives.
Koven NS1Abry AW1.
Author information

1Department of Psychology, Bates College, Lewiston, ME, USA.

Abstract
Orthorexia nervosa describes a pathological obsession with proper nutrition that is characterized by a restrictive diet, ritualized patterns of eating, and rigid avoidance of foods believed to be unhealthy or impure. Although prompted by a desire to achieve optimum health, orthorexia may lead to nutritional deficiencies, medical complications, and poor quality of life. 

Despite its being a distinct behavioral pattern that is frequently observed by clinicians, orthorexia has received very little empirical attention and is not yet formally recognized as a psychiatric disorder. In this review, we synthesize existing research to identify what is known about the symptoms, prevalence, neuropsychological profile, and treatment of orthorexia

An examination of diagnostic boundaries reveals important points of symptom overlap between orthorexia and anorexia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), somatic symptom disorder, illness anxiety disorder, and psychotic spectrum disorders. 

Neuropsychological data suggest that orthorexic symptoms are independently associated with key facets of executive dysfunction for which some of these conditions already overlap. Discussion of cognitive weaknesses in set-shifting, external attention, and working memory highlights the value of continued research to identify intermediate, transdiagnostic endophenotypes for insight into the neuropathogenesis of orthorexia

An evaluation of current orthorexia measures indicates a need for further psychometric development to ensure that subsequent research has access to reliable and valid assessment tools. Optimized assessment will not only permit a clearer understanding of prevalence rates, psychosocial risk factors, and comorbid psychopathology but will also be needed to index intervention effectiveness. 

Though the field lacks data on therapeutic outcomes, current best practices suggest that orthorexia can successfully be treated with a combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychoeducation, and medication. 

KEYWORDS: 
diagnosis; endophenotypes; neuropsychology; orthorexia nervosa; psychometrics; treatment
Link to abstract- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25733839

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Another Powassan Virus article

A New Incurable Virus Found in Bridgeport and Branford

From CTboom.com

Augh.  Here’s a reason to freak out.  A new virus similar to Lyme disease has been detected in Bridgeport and Branford.  The bad news?  There’s no treatment for it and it may be deadly.  The good news?  No human has contracted it yet in our state.

It’s called “Powassan” and it’s a tick-borne disease.  Unlike Lyme disease where your symptoms show up relatively quickly, this virus can show no signs for up to a month.  Like Lyme disease, if contracted, one may start getting headaches, nausea, and fever.  It can attack the central nervous system and trigger meningitis.

Last year 12 people in the country contracted the disease.  People are being urged to wear plenty of clothing and to cover up skin whenever traveling into wooded areas.  So far we couldn’t figure out where or how they detected the virus in those towns.  In the meantime if you like to freak out over diseases that most likely will never affect you, here’s a super comprehensive YouTube video about the new virus.

Here's the original article link:
http://ctboom.com/a-new-incurable-virus-found-in-bridgeport-and-branford/

Friday, April 10, 2015

Experts warn of potentially deadly tick-borne illness similar to Lyme disease

Published April 10, 2015
Every year in the United States, there are at least 20,000 confirmed cases of Lyme disease, a painful but treatable tick-borne illness. But now, experts are warning of a faster-acting, untreatable and potentially fatal sickness called Powassan virus that is most commonly found in the same tick that hosts Lyme disease.

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

The IDSA and CDC's answer to claims of chronic LD

"Chronic Lyme Disease"

I am posting this for informational purposes, not because I agree with the IDSA's position on chronic Lyme disease. I do not. My journey has been an arduous, painful and expensive one, stretching over ten years at this point, with no clear end in sight.  (I don't want to count the price of treatment in $ terms. It's too depressing and makes me angry.)  If you are dealing with and living with what you suspect may be persistent and chronic Lyme disease, it will certainly be helpful to understand the position the medical establishment takes on the topic. Why? Because it affects virtually all aspects of your treatment protocol, from the very first intake interview with a prospective doctor to what your providers such as HMO, Social Security, SSDI, private disability insurance, (non)coverage, etc. will pay for your treatments, and how long they will pay. Knowing the position of the "other side" empowers us to better self advocacy and, if used wisely,  may even advance the political and scientific agendas around Lyme and associated tick-borne diseases.  -Bob

What is "chronic Lyme disease?
Lyme disease is an infection caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. In the majority of cases, it is successfully treated with oral antibiotics. Physicians sometimes describe patients who have non-specific symptoms (like fatigue, pain, and joint and muscle aches) after the treatment of Lyme disease as having post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS) or post Lyme disease syndrome (PLDS).....

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Time is short. Express your opinion to the IDSA in our survey now!






Let your voice be heard!
3500+ people have taken our survey. Have you? 

The IDSA is reviewing its Lyme guidelines. Its handpicked panel excludes Lyme patients and Lyme-treating doctors. It includes people with financial conflicts-of-interest.

Our survey allows you to express your views about Lyme diagnosis and treatment. We'll share results with the IDSA, journalists, politicians, health policy makers, and the public at large. Time is short. Do it now. 


The IDSA has a complicated process for public comments. For more information:

LymeDisease.org, publisher of The Lyme Times, advocates nationally for people with tick-borne diseases, educates the public, and helps fund medical research. We are the go-to source for news, information, and health policy analysis in the Lyme community. Become a member today.

Like us on Facebook     Follow us on Twitter     View our videos on YouTube     Visit our blog  

Monday, April 6, 2015

Thousand-year-old Anglo-Saxon potion kills MRSA superbug

Here's an interesting story about an elaborate concoction that ancient Anglo-Europeans somehow dreamt up. How do they do that?  Even breaks up biofilms, apparently. Check out the story and video here:




Saturday, April 4, 2015

Best Lyme coverage to date?

I received this today from one of the most prolific Lyme activists, Jessica Bernstein. I had just read the article yesterday at the infusion center where I go for treatment. I believe she is right. This is huge coverage for Lyme, and we should leverage it as much as possible to our advantage.

-Bob

As you may know, People magazine just did a cover article about singer Avril Lavigne's battle with Lyme disease. This is probably the best coverage Lyme has received in the history of the disease. People magazine is one of the top 10 most read magazines in the United States. I recommend that we use this opportunity to flood People magazine with letters to the editor to help get our message out there. 

Keep letters short and simple with one main message. First thank them for doing the article about Avril. Then decide what message you want to get across. My focus was on how we need more funding for research and more media attention informing people about this silent pandemic.

Here's the email to send your letter to the editor: Editor@people.com