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LDA NEWS & UPDATES
March 31, 2024
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Patricia V. Smith, President
Read the full blog.
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There are many versions of what happened out there on the net about the meeting held March 7 and 8 at the CDC Atlanta. Here is a detailed version from my perspective of that meeting including the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s (CDC) actual role in the meeting.
HISTORY: LDA has always been concerned about the new vaccine in FDA trials, but when Pfizer/Valneva might have had the Lyme vaccine ready to roll out in 2025, LDA questioned some entities about getting answers to the questions from the manufacturer about what happened with LYMERix®. No answers were received.
I contacted the CDC to find out what role it plays in the vaccine process. I found out that a Vaccine Advisory Committee makes policies on who gets the vaccine and dosage, etc. It sends those findings to CDC who in my understanding does not have to agree with those–agreement which would make them CDC recommendations. Read more.
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Northeastern Global News (Cynthia McCormick Hibbert, 02.28.24) published “Experimental antibiotic treatment for Lyme heads for human safety trials.” Human safety trials are scheduled to begin for hygromycin A this spring in Australia. Hygromycin A is a novel antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease developed by Northeastern professor Kim Lewis. So far, hygromycin A has been found to clear Lyme spirochete infections in mice without any toxicity to animals. Read more. | |
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Kim Lewis, PhD Professor of Biology Northeastern University Boston, MA
Read the article.
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Louisiana State University announced (03.25.2024) that they have received the largest National Science Foundation Partnership for Innovation (NSF PFI) grant ever awarded to LSU, $550,000. With this grant, LSU Chemical Engineering (ChE) Professor Kerry Dooley, LSU (ChE) Department Chair and Professor Mike Benton, and LSU Department of Biological Sciences (Biol. Sci.) Professor Roger Laine will continue their work on nootkatone.
Nootkatone is an FDA-approved repellent to ticks and insects, an organic compound found in grapefruit skin and Alaska yellow cedar trees that has already been shown to be safer and more effective than existing commercial tick & insect repellents. The problem is that this compound is currently too expensive to synthesize for consumer use. Read more.
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Journal of Medical Entomology (Narvaez, Z.E., et al.) 03.16.2024, published, “First record of Ixodes keiransi (Acari: Ixodidae) in New Jersey, USA.” In this report, researchers have now documented Ixodes keiransi (formerly the North American lineage of Ixodes affinis Neumann) in southern New Jersey. An adult female and nymph I. keiransi were collected in July 2023, showing the northward expansion in the range of this tick species along the East Coast of the US. Read more. | |
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Nature Communications (Strausz, S., et al.) 03.19.2024, published, “SCGB1D2 inhibits growth of Borrelia burgdorferi and affects susceptibility to Lyme disease.” Analysis of data identified two previously known variants associated with Lyme disease and an unknown, secretoglobin protein (SCGB1D2). This protein is produced primarily by cells in the sweat glands and has been found to influence the susceptibility for Lyme disease. Read more. | |
The Highlands Current news writer, Brian PJ Cronin (03.15.2024) published, “Fewer Ticks = Less Lyme? Maybe Not.” In this article, Cronin interviews Richard Ostfeld, a disease ecologist and co-director of The Tick Project. Ostfeld discusses the results of a 5 year study conducted by the Carey Institute where fungal spray and bait boxes were applied across 24 neighborhoods in Dutchess County, including some in Beacon County to determine effectiveness in reducing tick populations and tick-borne disease occurrence in humans. Read more. | |
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WIRED’s staff writer, Emily Mullin (03.15.2024) published, “A Pill That Kills Ticks Is a Promising New Weapon Against Lyme Disease.” A pill is currently in development for humans by Tarsus Pharmaceuticals that could provide protection against the tick-borne disease for several weeks after ingestion. The company announced results from a small, early-stage trial in showing that ticks were killed on humans within 24 hours of taking the drug. And these tick-killing effects lasted up to 30 days. This experimental pill is a formulation of a drug that paralyzes and kills parasites, lotilaner, which is already approved as a veterinary medicine to control fleas and ticks in dogs and cats, under brand name Credelio. Read more. | |
Open Journal of Public Health (Scott, J.D., et al.) 02.12.2024, published, “Human Babesiosis Caused by Babesia odocoilei: Hiding Behind a Mask.” According to the researchers, B. odocoilei is the predominant Babesia sp. infecting humans and wildlife. In this international human babesiosis study, 113 participants from Canada and the USA were sampled for nucleic acid detection of Babesia sp. in blood. Read more. | |
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International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics (Courville, J.M., et al.) 01.21.2024, published, “Obstetrical and neonatal outcomes in women with gestational Lyme disease.” In this study, researchers examined the effects of gestational Lyme disease on obstetrical and neonatal outcomes by conducting a retrospective cohort study of pregnant patients. They utilized data of women admitted to the hospital between 2016 and 2019 from the Healthcare Cost & Utilization Project National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample from the US. Read more. | |
KY3 News, Nick Kelly, 03.12.2024, published online, “Ticks already back in action across the Ozarks: Medical & veterinary experts urging people to stay proactive.” According to Kelly, both veterinarians and medical care personnel in Missouri are reporting a recent increase of tick activity in the Ozarks, caused by mild winter weather. This mild winter weather is demonstrated by Springfield, MO experiencing the seventh-warmest December on record, and February 2024 being the second-warmest on record. Read more. | |
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New York Post’s, Brooke Steinberg, 03.07.24, published online, “Tick season is kicking off early this year — experts warn of Lyme disease risk.” Steinberg states that many northern states (NH, MN, NY) in the US are reporting tick activity earlier than usual this year, and warn that it could be a high risk year for ticks and tick-borne diseases. Mild winter temperatures are proposed as being responsible for this earlier than usual tick activity. Read more. | |
KTTC.com News journalist, Eric Min, 03.11.24 reports, “Iowa and Minnesota sees uptick in uncommon tickborne disease.” Min reports that the number of cases of Alpha-gal meat allergy are increasing from southern Iowa north to southern Minnesota. One of the issues surrounding tracking for this condition is that Alpha-gal may be under-reported due to lack of awareness about the condition and symptoms. Read more. | |
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Lonestar tick, source James Occi, PhD. Rutgers University
Read the article.
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Frontiers in Neurology (Adler, B.L., aet al.) 02.07.24, published a review article, “Dysautonomia following Lyme disease: a key component of post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome?” Though the Lyme patient community and treating physicians report disabling symptoms of dysautonomia as a complication of Lyme disease, dysautonomia has not yet been established as a complication of Lyme in the medical literature. Read more. | |
Science Direct (Gidengil, C., et al.) 03.19.2024, published, “Lyme disease vaccine attitudes and intentions among parents of children aged 5–18 years in the United States.” In this study, an online survey of 1,351 parents of children aged 5–18 years was conducted in states with high and/or emerging prevalence of Lyme disease to determine willingness for their child to receive a Lyme disease vaccine, and preference for vaccine type. Read more. | |
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WPRI.COM12 News (Melanie DaSilva,02.29.2024) published “RI reports case of rare tick-borne disease.” A confirmed case of Powassan virus was reported by The Rhode Island Department of Health. It is reported that an elderly man from Kent County, RI presented with symptoms in January and is now recovering at home. Read more. | |
The FY24 Defense Appropriations Act is anticipated to provide funding for the Tick-Borne Disease Research Program (TBDRP) to support innovative, high-impact tick-borne disease research. The managing agent for the anticipated program announcements/ funding opportunities is the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) at the US Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC). Read more. | |
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Journal of Medical Entomology (Paddock, CD, et al.) 02.26.2024, published, “Rickettsia species identified in adult, host-seeking Dermacentor occidentalis (Acari: Ixodidae) from Baja California, Mexico, and Oregon and Washington, United States.” In this study, researchers collected and tested 1,367 host-seeking, adult D. occidentalis (Pacific Coast ticks), between 2015 – 2022 in Baja California, Mexico, and Oregon and Washington. This is the first survey for rickettsiae in Pacific Coast ticks from these regions. Read more. | |
Rx Lyme editor, Stanley Lang, MD, 12.29.2023 posted, “How does sleep affect Lyme disease.” In this article, Dr. Lang discusses how those with chronic Lyme symptoms often experience disorders in sleep. He explains how many forms of sleep disruption can exacerbate symptoms of Lyme disease and demonstrates how important adequate sleep is to supporting the immune system in fighting the infection. He stresses the significance of both the quality and quantity of sleep that can affect the course of Lyme illness, and then presents strategies to improve sleep for patients suffering from Lyme disease, including diet, exercise, mindfulness, and stress reduction. Read more. | |
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Virtual - June 4th - 10th, 2024
DrTalks is proud to announce the upcoming Healing from Lyme Disease Summit in a significant stride toward combating tick-borne illnesses. This free virtual event, happening from June 4 to 10, 2024, invites individuals affected by these debilitating diseases to embark on a journey of hope and healing. It aims to educate attendees on the various treatment options available beyond the conventional approach.
For more information about the summit and to register, please visit: https://drtalks.com/lyme-summit-2024/
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The Lyme Disease Association Inc. (LDA) does not charge any membership fees. Most of our
materials are free to download and most of our videos are free on YouTube. Our nationwide
doctor referral system is free to access. Printed brochures can be ordered for the cost of S&H.
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