LDA NEWS & UPDATES
June 2020
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John Aucott, Director, Johns Hopkins Lyme Disease Research Center & Assoc. Prof. of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Univ., published a piece in
The Conversation
providing his insight on the controversial topic of chronic Lyme disease.
In the article, Aucott outlines the existence of a population of patients – an estimated 10-20% – with persistent, lingering symptoms months to years after treatment. He details some of his experience treating
these patients and provides an explanation
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of the various challenges that impair the diagnostic and treatment process ...
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Robert Bransfield, MD, discusses the similarities and differences of COVID 19
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and Lyme disease, including medical and political aspects of both in a
A Tale of Two Pandemics: Lyme & COVID-19
video
,
which he presented to the Academy of Nutritional Medicine, London, England. There is an emphasis on
neuropsychological manifestations and a Q & A is included. Dr. Bransfield is a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Past President of ILADS, and an LDA Professional Advisory Board member.
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The LDA President, Pat Smith, was interviewed about Lyme & other TBD on Pennsylvania’s Forever Johnstown Media radio. Included in the 25-minute interview were Lyme case numbers, the Lyme controversy, spread, ticks, other tick-borne diseases, and prevention.
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The interview aired on 103.5 WNTJ-FM/WNTJ-AM (Johnstown, PA) and 104.5 WNTI-FM/990 WNTI-AM (Somerset, PA) at 8:10 AM on May 20, 2020 and also aired on the Sunday Magazine.
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Specialty vaccine company Valneva SE and Pfizer Inc. announced a collaboration to develop VLA15, Valneva’s Lyme disease vaccine candidate, which is currently in Phase 2 clinical studies.
Read more
about the collaboration and LDA’s comments on the new Lyme disease vaccine development.
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Daniel Cameron, MD, reported in his
Lyme Science
blog on a study that uncovers new information about deer tick questing. The study, from the SUNY Broome Community College’s Tracy R. Curtis, et al., was published in
Medical and Veterinary Entomology
and looked at how adult blacklegged ticks (
Ixodes scapularis
) move on public trails with “increasing levels of terrain complexity with a potential host nearby.”
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Blacklegged Deer Tick (I
xodes scapularis
)
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The study examined the extent to which adult ticks may actively search (vs. sit-and-wait) for a nearby host. The researchers aimed to determine whether or not ticks could locate the position of the host in natural conditions, as well as to better understand the role of terrain complexity on the distance ticks traveled in a brief period of time (30 min).
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The thirteenth meeting of the
Tick-Borne Disease Working Group
(Working Group) was held online on April 27, 2020, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., ET. This meeting was open to the public, with request to comment accepted by April 19, 2020.
The Working Group members engaged in
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heated discussion regarding one recommendation “that IF the CDC posts any Lyme treatment guidelines, that they include guidelines on persistent Lyme disease.” Pat Smith, Lyme Disease Association President, argued persuasively on behalf of the chronic Lyme patient community, in favor of this recommendation. After the vote to pass the recommendation, some members wanted to change votes. …. In the end the original vote accepting the recommendation stood.
Read more
about the meeting, including member roll call votes, on LDA's website.
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Elizabeth L. Maloney, MD, President of the Partnership for Tick-Borne Diseases Education and Family Medicine Physician in Wyoming, MN published a paper titled “Reducing the Burden of Lyme Disease” in
Minnesota Family Physician
. It includes discussion of tick bite management, early treatment, and shared decision-making.
In the article, Dr. Maloney highlights the expensive cost of Lyme disease, stating that, “Nationwide, the annual direct medical
costs could reach 1.3 billion dollars ..."
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Elizabeth L. Maloney, MD, author of
"Reducing the Burden of Lyme Disease"
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888-366-6611 Toll Free Info Line
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