Latest Lyme disease microbiology Stories

Study Author Dr. Keith Berndtson Establishes Need for Development of New Guidelines for Treating Persistent Infection Park Ridge, IL (PRWEB) May 15, 2013 According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the 30,000-40,000 cases of Lyme disease officially recorded each year from 2008-2011 represent only 10% of actual incidences of the disease. “Lyme disease is the fastest growing vector-borne infectious disease in the country,” says Dr. Keith Berndtson of Park...

Springtime spells tick-time. Lyme borreliosis is the most common tick-borne disease in Switzerland: around 10,000 people a year become infected with the pathogen. The actual hosts for Borrelia, however, are wild mice. Like in humans, the pathogen is also transmitted by ticks in mice. Interestingly, not all mice are equally susceptible to the bacterium and individual animals are immune to the pathogen. Scientists from the universities of Zurich and Lund headed by evolutionary biologist Barbara...

JACKSON, N.J., March 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Spring officially began today, bringing positive thoughts of increasing daylight and warmer temperatures. As we look forward to shedding winter wear and spending more time outdoors, the national Lyme Disease Association (LDA) reminds everyone that ticks, which transmit Lyme disease, become more active when temperatures are above 35°. Lyme is found in ~65 countries worldwide and is endemic in many areas. In 2011, the US Centers for...

Findings could lead to novel strategy to control disease New clues about the bacteria that cause Lyme disease could lead to a novel strategy to reduce infections, according to a study to be published in mBio®, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, on December 4. The study reveals that the immune system of the white-footed mouse, a very common reservoir for Borrelia burgdorferi (the bacterium that causes the disease), responds differently to different...

JACKSON, N.J., Sept. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and the Lyme Disease Association announce their jointly sponsored 13th annual national conference, entitled "Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases: Microbial Persistence & Tick-Borne Diseases New Scientific & Clinical Directions." Designed for health care providers and offering 13.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits(TM) to CME registrants, the conference is Sept. 29/30, Hyatt Bellevue,...

Lyme disease is caused by the bacterial spirochete B. burgdorferi, which is transmitted to humans through tick bites. The disease typically begins with a skin rash and is followed by fever, joint pain, and other flu-like symptoms. If diagnosed early, Lyme disease can be successfully treated with antibiotics; however, up to 25% of patients experience arthritis-like symptoms after treatment. The cause of this condition, termed antibiotic refractory Lyme arthritis, is currently unknown. In the...

RICHMOND, Va., May 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- For more than 250,000 Americans, the bite of a deer tick meant the start of a life changing disease. With record warm temperatures and the start of May's National Lyme Disease Awareness Month, Mosquito Squad (http://www.mosquitosquad.com) is on watch and has six tips to help homeowners tick-proof their yards. Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vector-borne illness in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control...

Scientists are predicting an unusually large surge of Lyme disease this summer in the northeastern U.S, thanks to a low acorn crop of all things. Dr. Richard S. Ostfeld, a disease ecologist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY, says that the mild winter has nothing to do with this expected surge. This prediction comes after 20 years of research and observations of acorn levels, mice population and lyme disease conducted by Dr. Ostfeld, Cary Institute forest ecologist...

Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vector-borne disease in the United States, with the majority of cases occurring in the Northeast. It has been three decades since the agent of the disease, the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, and the ticks that vector it were identified. However, the number of Lyme disease cases have steadily increased. In a new article appearing in the forthcoming issuue of the Journal of Medical Entomology called "What Do We Need to Know About Disease Ecology...

They come out in the spring, and each year they spread further – the ticks. Thirty percent of them transmit borrelia pathogens, the causative agent of Lyme borreliosis that can damage joints and organs. The disease often goes undetected. In the future, a new type of gel is intended to prevent an infection – if applied after a tick bite. For years, Mrs. S. suffered from joint pain and headaches. After an odyssey through doctors’ waiting rooms, one doctor diagnosed Lyme borreliosis –...