|
LDA NEWS & UPDATES
November 30, 2023
| | |
|
Courthouse News Service (Langford, C.) 11.16.2023, published “Fifth Circuit rejects Lyme disease patients’ coverage-denial conspiracy claims.” The article discusses the ruling of a legal case where patients with long-term Lyme disease were denied coverage and sued the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) for their stance on chronic Lyme disease. The patients alleged that the IDSA conspired with health insurers to establish guidelines that limited treatment for Lyme disease, causing their suffering. Read more. | |
eBioMedicine (Vrijmoeth, H.D., et al.) 11.27.2023 published “Determinants of persistent symptoms after treatment for Lyme borreliosis: a prospective observational cohort study.” Researchers assessed 1,135 physician-confirmed Lyme disease patients from the time of initiation of treatment with antibiotics to a one year follow-up. Patients were assessed for a range of potential determinants of persistent symptoms, including microbiological, immunological, genetic, clinical, functional, epidemiological, psychosocial and cognitive behavioral variables. Read more. | |
|
The People’s Pharmacy, Joe Graedon, (11.28.2023) reports “New Concerns About Gabapentin and Pregabalin (Lyrica) for Nerve Pain.” Concerning data has come out of the FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) regarding drugs that are regularly prescribed for nerve pain. Read more. | |
| |
|
Frontiers (Alruwaili, Y., et al.) 11.21.2023, published “Superior efficacy of combination antibiotic therapy versus monotherapy in a mouse model of Lyme disease.” This article delves into Lyme disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a prevalent tick-borne infection in North America. While most cases are treatable with antibiotics, a subset of patients experiences chronic symptoms known as Post-Treatment Lyme Disease due to incomplete or delayed treatment. Read more. | |
The Journal of Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus (Silverstein M., et al.) 10.25.2023, published “Yearly Occurrence and Seasonality of Neuro-ophthalmic Manifestations of Pediatric Lyme Disease.” This article reviews the manifestation of visual problems related to the nervous system in relation to Lyme disease in at a central Ohio pediatric tertiary care center. Read more. | |
| |
|
5 On Your Side (Bassler, H.) 11.22.2023, published “A sesame seed-sized tick is spreading across Missouri. Here’s what to know.” The article discusses the spread of various tick-borne diseases in Missouri, particularly due to the invasive Asian longhorned tick. This tick was first reported in the U.S. in 2017, but potentially present since before 2010. It has been detected across multiple states and is known for transmitting diseases like anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, theileriosis, and rickettsiosis. Read more. | |
Oxford University Press (McGowan, M. S., et al.) 10.24.2023, published “Acute Lyme Disease With Atypical Features due to Borrelia mayonii.” This article discusses the emergence of a new strain of Lyme disease called Borrelia mayonii and its limited impact since its identification in the US in 2016. Only a few cases have been reported, emphasizing the need for increased awareness. Read more. | |
| |
|
JAMA Network (Vordenberg, S. E.) 11.03.2023, published “Topical Nonprescription Pain Medications for Adults.” Vordenberg talks about pain medications that you can buy without a prescription. These medications are applied directly to the skin to relieve pain. Topical Nonprescription Pain Medications are pain-relieving drugs that are applied on the skin, making them easy to use. Read more. | |
Newswise (Tufts University) 10.27.2023, published “Powassan Virus: What to Know about this Rare Tick-Borne Disease.” This article discusses the rising cases of Powassan virus, a tick-borne infection with no vaccine or cure, which kills 1 in 10 people who contract it and causes long-term neurological problems in half of reported cases. Read more. | |
| |
|
The Journal of Immunology (Hastey, C. J., et al.) 11.15.2023 published “Borrelia burgdorferi Infection–Induced Persistent IgM Secretion Controls Bacteremia, but Not Bacterial Dissemination or Tissue Burden.” In this study, researchers investigated the immune response of mice to B. burgdorferi infection. They found that Lyme infection creates a continuous production of IgM antibodies in mice primarily by conventional B cells (not B-1 cells), independent of T-cells function. Read more. | |
Frontiers (Stewart Z., et al.) 10.24.2023, published “Crowd-sourced investigation of a potential relationship between Bartonella-associated cutaneous lesions and neuropsychiatric symptoms.” This article explores the potential relationship between Bartonella bacteria infections and psychiatric symptoms, focusing on how certain skin lesions associated with Bartonella might coincide with neuropsychiatric issues. Read more. | |
| |
|
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (McClung, K.L., et al.) 11.01.2023, published “Seasonality of Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae) Activity and Prevalence of Infection with Tick-Borne Disease Agents in North Central Oklahoma.” This study focused on Amblyomma americanum, a common tick in the southern US, and its transmission of diseases to humans and animals. The study's objectives included gaining a better understanding of the tick’s activity in Oklahoma and exploring the seasonal presence of tick-borne infectious organisms. Read more. | |
The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice (Ailsworth SM., et al.) 10.31.2023, published “Alpha-gal IgE Prevalence Patterns in the United States: An Investigation of 3000 Military Recruits”. This study investigated Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), an allergy to mammalian meat, | |
particularly associated with bites from lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum). The study analyzed serum samples from military personnel in the central and eastern US to explore alpha-gal IgE prevalence, regional patterns, and risk factors. Results showed a 6.0% prevalence, with higher rates in states like Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri. Read more. | |
| |
|
Cell Chemical Biology (Carlson, D.L., et al.) 11.01.2023 published online “Targeting Borrelia burgdorferi HtpG with a berserker molecule, a strategy for anti-microbial development.” Researchers have found that by targeting a non-essential enzyme, Borrelia burgdorferi HtpG, they are able to expand what is considered “druggable” in any pathogen, effectively killing Lyme bacteria. Read more. | |
JAMA (Yang, Y., et al. ) 10. 24. 2023 published “Traditional Chinese Medicine Compound (Tongxinluo) and Clinical Outcomes of Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction: The CTS-AMI Randomized Clinical Trial.” Investigators conduced a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of 3,777 patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Read more. | |
| |
|
New York Post, 11.3.2023, published “Tiny, cattle-killing ticks spread across Ohio: ‘No getting rid of them.’” The article, which includes a video, covers a recent study from Ohio State University warning of the danger of Asian longhorned ticks (Acari: Ixodidae: Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann). Read more. | |
The New England Journal of Medicine (Singhal, U., et al.) 11.04.2023, published a perspective article, “Modernizing Federal Oversight of Laboratory-Developed Tests — Toward Safety, Validity, and Utility.” The authors describe the current Federal oversight processes of Laboratory-developed tests (LDTs) and how it has evolved over time. They describe the potential harms that unregulated LDTs may have on patients as well as the potential obstacles that laboratories may face with innovation if regulations are too restrictive. Read more. | |
|
|
WHAT IS #IGiveLDA? It is part of the Lyme Disease Association’s charitable giving─one of the ways Donors can support LDA. #IGiveLDA was started as part of the #GivingTuesday initiative.
WHEN DOES IT RUN? #IGiveLDA started Nov. 28, 2023, in conjunction with #GivingTuesday, and runs until Jan. 6, 2024. (Additional donations may be made anytime during the year and are greatly appreciated.)
WHERE DO I GET INFORMATION? Visit the LDA Donation Page at
www.lymediseaseassociation.org/donate
| |
|
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.
| |
888-366-6611 Toll Free Info Line
| | | | |
