Lyme disease and post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome: the neglected disease in our own backyard

Lymelight: forecasting Lyme disease risk using web search data

“…According to CDC, 10-20% of patients who undergo full course of antibiotics have "post treatment Lyme disease syndrome", 59,69 which manifests as lingering fatigue, pain, or joint and muscle aches. [70][71][72][73] Furthermore, although an early course of antibiotics can usually effectively treat Lyme disease, diagnosis and treatment can often be delayed, resulting in long-term symptoms of headaches, chronic gastrointestinal problems, memory loss, stiffness of joints, and speech impairment. 74 Without access to electronic health records (EHR), we are unable to confidently determine if a Lymelight-positive case is acute or chronic.…”

Post-treatment Lyme Disease as a Model for Persistent Symptoms in Lyme Disease

“…In a 2010 survey of primary care physicians in Connecticut, 50% responded that the did not "believe" in CLD, however almost all of the remainder (48%) responded that they were undecided or unsure (185). Despite the impression given that very few reputable physicians "believe" in CLD, many physicians and public health faculty acknowledge a real problem that is not just being driven by a small group of patients, physicians and advocacy groups (186). Given the wide variety of prescription, over the counter, and alternative treatments still currently being prescribed by physicians or sought independently by patients, there is a need to rigorously test new evidence-based therapeutic options for patients with persistent symptoms (187).…”

Prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi-infected ticks from wildlife hosts, a response to Norris et al.

“…[ 1 ] that our intergenic spacer (IGS) data for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto sequences does not support the claim of B. burgdorferi tick infection rates in Texas and northeastern Mexico. First and foremost, perspectives like the one presented in our publication can help address the gap in knowledge of Lyme disease (LD) considering that its geographical area is expected to spread in the coming years [ 2 ]. Norris et al .…”