LDA NEWS & UPDATES
August 2021
|
|
2021 Annual Scientific Conference - The Lyme Disease Association Inc. and Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons are jointly providing the 21st annual CME scientific conference, Lyme & Other Tick-Borne Diseases: Research for a Cure, virtually, on October 2, 2021. This conference is designed to meet
|
|
the high standards for continuing medical education credits for medical & health professionals and researchers. Exhibitors are welcome to register. It is also open to the general public (adults only). Attendance may be limited! Please freely share this information on your website, social media, etc. For more details, visit the conference website.
Registration fees & dates:
-
CME $325 after Aug. 15th/ more “at door”
-
Non-CME $260 after Aug. 15th/ more “at door”
Exhibitor Booth Registration:
Scholarship availability:
-
Limited number of scholarships will be available for certain medical students, medical professionals and health department representatives. More info.
|
|
The Lyme Disease Association, Inc. (LDA) is pleased to announce the opening of its new, free LDA Doctor Referral System©. The System is provided as a service; LDA does not provide recommendations. Many |
|
of these doctors are known as LLMDs (Lyme Literate Medical Doctors), those doctors “in the trenches” who are very knowledgeable about Lyme disease and treating patients, and who are more open to treating patients with chronic Lyme & other TBD, sometimes using long-term treatments. Other specialists who may not treat Lyme disease itself but some specific symptoms and understand about Lyme disease are also included, as are some laboratories and other healthcare providers, including some international providers. Read more.
|
|
A group of Columbia physicians, led by Brian Fallon MD, MPH, Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the director of Columbia’s Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center, continues with plans to dramatically expand their efforts in combating the growing threat of Lyme & TBD to public health in the US. Thanks to a $16 million gift from the Steven & Alexandra
|
|
Cohen Foundation, announced earlier this year, the group recently launched a new clinical program, the Cohen Center for Health and Recovery from Tick-Borne Diseases. The center, is committed solely to the treatment of Lyme and similar conditions, such as anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and will be the first of its kind in New York City. Read more.
|
|
|
Top Lyme disease researchers from across the United States have collaborated on a new publication, Recent Progress in Lyme Disease and Remaining Challenges. In this review article, researchers summarize the state of Lyme over the past 5 years, addressing major scientific advances as well as identifying remaining challenges and needs.
|
|
Topics covered in the publication include diagnosis, testing, signs and symptoms of disease, treatment, genomics, vector transmission, pathogenesis, persistence of disease, and prevention and funding. The long-term impact of Lyme disease on patients has historically been controversial, however the authors present escalating evidence that supports the idea that a great number of patients experience |
|
persistent symptoms following treatment, and that this number continues to grow. Read more.
|
|
Findings of a recent study, Comparison of two highly-effective mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 during periods of Alpha and Delta variant prevalence, show that Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine appears to
|
|
have a higher effectiveness rate compared with the Pfizer vaccine. This observational study was conducted from a Minnesota patient cohort in July 2021. Both vaccines appeared to be highly protective (Moderna 86%, Pfizer 76%) from January to July 2021, which was the period of time when the Delta variant first became predominant. However, the researchers observed the rates of protection for both vaccines dropped during the month of July 2021, and that the Moderna vaccine maintained higher protection than Pfizer (Moderna 76%, Pfizer 42%). Read more.
|
|
In a recent article, investigators describe multiple cases of organ transplant derived ehrlichiosis infections in donor recipients. Two cases of ehrlichiosis were reported to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for investigation in 2020. These two kidney recipients from a |
|
common donor developed fatal ehrlichiosis-induced hemophagocytic lymphocytic histiocytosis (HLH). Additionally, two kidney recipients and a liver recipient from another common donor developed ehrlichiosis, and were all treated successfully. Investigators suggest that donor-derived ehrlichiosis should be considered by clinicians when evaluating recipients with fever early after transplantation after more common causes are |
|
ruled out, and cases that are suspected for Ehrlichiosis should be reported to the organ procurement organization (OPO) and the OPTN for further investigation. Read more.
|
|
B. mayonii is a relatively new species of Lyme-causing pathogen that has only been detected in the Upper Midwest of the United States. It is considered a rare cause of Lyme disease and may frequently go undetected.
Mayo Laboratories recently observed that spirochetes of the pathogen Borrelia mayonii can occasionally be visualized on routine blood smears, much like spirochetes of the Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever group. B. mayonii spirochetes are found at high levels in peripheral blood, whereas B. burgdorferi spirochetes are not. This understanding may raise awareness and recognition of the Lyme
|
|
disease causing bacterium, and could lead to more consistent and accurate diagnosis of this cause of Lyme disease. Read more.
|
|
|
|
In a recent press release, researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have discovered that T-cells, which are important fighters in the immune system, not only become “exhausted” from fighting cancer or viral infections, but they remain “exhausted” many weeks after these exposures. According to the press release, “exhaustion” leaves durable “epigenetic scars” in T cells that restrict their ability to support immune responses. T-cell function is critical to the immune system, especially in prolonged battles against cancers and viral infections. The findings lead to a need to discover how to reverse “epigenetic scarring” and rejuvenate T-cell function after exhaustion occurs. Read more.
|
|
In a recent study conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), serum samples were analyzed from free-ranging white-tailed deer for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Researchers found that a cohort of white-tailed deer populations from Illinois, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania were exposed to SARS-CoV-2. The USDA-APHIS has published an informational brief that addresses both questions and answers regarding these findings. USDA-APHIS also expresses the need for more research on the significance of the finding of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in free-ranging white-
|
|
tailed deer, as well as what, if any, potential impacts this may have on overall deer populations, other wildlife species, and humans. Read more.
|
|
The American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) can sanction physicians who publicly spread misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. Read on MedPageToday.
|
|
Donate to LDA, No Cost to You!
Shop using these links and LDA gets a portion of the sales!
You can donate to LDA without costing you anything. Shop through smile.amazon.com, and a portion of the sales will then go to LDA for its programs! To sign up for AmazonSmile and have LDA receive a portion of sales click here.
You can also register to become an igive member through igive.com which includes 2326 online stores to shop from. By shopping at the store through igive.com website, LDA will receive a donation. Thank you!
|
|
888-366-6611 Toll Free Info Line
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
