ANTISCIENCE OR SCIENCE OR DESPERATION TO DENY LYME DISEASE PATHOGENSIS

Antiscience and Ethical concerns associated with Advocacy of Lyme Disease

Summary

Advocacy for Lyme disease has become an increasingly important part of an antiscience movement that denies both the viral cause of AIDS and the benefits of vaccines and that supports unproven (sometimes dangerous) alternative medical treatments. Some activists portray Lyme disease, a geographically limited tick-borne infection, as a disease that is insidious, ubiquitous, difficult to diagnose, and almost incurable; they also propose that the disease causes mainly non-specific symptoms that can be treated only with long-term antibiotics and other unorthodox and unvalidated treatments. Similar to other antiscience groups, these advocates have created a pseudoscientific and alternative selection of practitioners, research, and publications and have coordinated public protests, accused opponents of both corruption and conspiracy, and spurred legislative efforts to subvert evidence-based medicine and peer-reviewed science. The relations and actions of some activists, medical practitioners, and commercial bodies involved in Lyme disease advocacy pose a threat to public health.

No prizes for guessing the authors of this poorly presented article.link here

A threat to Public Health? not sure that the authors of the many science articles I have posted on this blog would concur with their Summary.

Now what we really need is more of the following:-

• Findings that shed new light on the possible pathogenesis of a disease or an adverse effect
• Lyme disease following a dog bite - was there a tick?

David Owen

Summary

Lyme disease is the most common tick borne infection in temperate zones and the reported incidence of the condition is increasing. Erythema migrans is one of the few clinical signs of Lyme disease and is usually indicative of recently acquired infection. A case is presented of Lyme disease with erythema migrans which followed shortly after a dog bite. The author is not aware of any previously reported similar case. The author considers that the development of Lyme disease in the case was most likely due to a coincidental tick bite which was not noticed by the patient but an alternative possibility is that the disease was activated from a latent form. Patients with Lyme disease may not give a history of tick bite and clinicians should be aware of this.

Link here

ANXIETY OR PANIC ATTACKS

Here's how to gauge whether your anxiety is linked to Lyme disease or other tick-borne diseases:

• Know how different panic attacks work. Panic attacks spurred by Lyme disease or other tick-borne infections are generally different than non-infectious-based panic attacks, explains Dr. Bransfield. A regular panic attack lasts a few minutes, but he says those brought on by tick-related ailments can go on for more than a half hour. If your panic attack symptoms grow worse while on once-effective antianxiety treatment, it's another sign that Lyme or a related infection could be causing the attacks.

• Know when to consider tick-borne diseases. Don't rely on finding a tick attached to your body to gauge your Lyme disease risk: Many people don’t recall being bitten at all, while others notice migrating rashes or red or black-and-blue splotches shortly after being bitten. Other early Lyme symptoms sometimes pop up a few days to a month after infection and include fatigue, fever, and chills. If the disease becomes more established in your body, it could cause cardiac and neurological problems. If you think you've been recently infected with Lyme, ask your doctor to perform blood tests, and if negative, have them repeated about six weeks later. If the results are still negative and you still suspect Lyme, you may want to see a doctor who specializes in treating Lyme aggressively. Doctors should first test to rule out other conditions with similar symptoms.

• Fight with your doctor if you need to. Lyme disease is a contentious subject, with two different schools of thought: Some consider to be a short-term infection, others believe it can be chronic. Some doctors take the threat of chronic Lyme seriously, and believe it should be treated with longer courses of antibiotics; others believe chronic Lyme doesn't exist. (Read Lyme Hearing Highlights a Broken System and Lyme Disease Treatment Guidelines: All Wrong? for more background.) Until more doctors recognize the severity of the disease, if you believe you have Lyme it's best to advocate for a clinical diagnosis using the strategy above.

The above is an extract from a recent article on Rodale to read the full article click here

There are many other interesting posts on work done by Dr Bransfied which searching in the search box on the right of this blog will find or looking at flipcard link top right may help.

ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE - A NEUROSPIROCHETOSIS

Alzheimer's disease - a neurospirochetosis. Analysis of the evidence following Koch's and Hill's criteria.

Judith Miklossy

• Correspondence: Judith Miklossy judithmiklossy@bluewin.ch

Journal of Neuroinflammation 2011, 8:90 doi:10.1186/1742-2094-8-90

Published: 4 August 2011

Abstract (provisional)

It is established that chronic spirochetal infection can cause slowly progressive dementia, brain atrophy and amyloid deposition in late neurosyphilis. Recently it has been suggested that various types of spirochetes, in an analogous way to Treponema pallidum, could cause dementia and may be involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we review all data available in the literature on the detection of spirochetes in AD and critically analyze the association and causal relationship between spirochetes and AD following established criteria of Koch and Hill. The results show a statistically significant association between spirochetes and AD (P = 1.5 x 10-17, OR = 20, 95% CI = 8-60, N = 247). When neutral techniques recognizing all types of spirochetes were used, or the highly prevalent periodontal pathogen Treponemas were analyzed, spirochetes were observed in the brain in more than 90% of AD cases. Borrelia burgdorferi was detected in the brain in 25.3% of AD cases analyzed and was 13 times more frequent in AD compared to controls. Periodontal pathogen Treponemas (T. pectinovorum, T. amylovorum, T. lecithinolyticum, T. maltophilum, T. medium, T. socranskii) and Borrelia burgdorferi were detected using species specific PCR and antibodies. Importantly, co-infection with several spirochetes occurs in AD. The pathological and biological hallmarks of AD were reproduced in vitro. The analysis of reviewed data following Koch's and Hill's postulates shows a probable causal relationship between neurospirochetosis and AD. Persisting inflammation and amyloid deposition initiated and sustained by chronic spirochetal infection form together with the various hypotheses suggested to play a role in the pathogenesis of AD a comprehensive entity. As suggested by Hill, once the probability of a causal relationship is established prompt action is needed. Support and attention should be given to this field of AD research. Spirochetal infection occurs years or decades before the manifestation of dementia. As adequate antibiotic and anti-inflammatory therapies are available, as in syphilis, one might prevent and eradicate dementia.

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It is good to see further research by Judith Miklossy to visit her website click here and to read the full paper click here

I have posted about Alzheimer's before here of course those of us who have been following the information about Lyme disease are already aware of the work of Alan Mac Donald interviewed in Under Our Skin Documentary visit their website here or watch a Turn The Corner Foundation U Tube where Alan Mac Donald was interviewed. here

ONE IN FIFTY EIGHT CHILDREN IN THE UK WITH AUTISM- HOW MANY CAN BE PREVENTED?

A new study claims that almost double the number of children could have autism as previously thought.

An unpublished piece of research by Cambridge University's Autism Research Centre (ARC) found that as many as one in 58 children could suffer from the condition, which can affect speech, understanding and communication.

The above article was in the Telegraph in 2007 here

A recent paper by Robert C Bransfield MD

Preventable Cases of Autism : relationship between chronic infectious diseases and neurological outcome.

I don't have the fascility to copy and paste any of this paper but it is a must read, he talks about many chronic infections and their affect on the developing fetus. Access this paper here

CONGRESS ADDRESSES LYME DISEASE ISSUES

Congress Addresses Lyme Disease Issues

LDA Press Release

July 18, 2011. The all volunteer national Lyme Disease Association (LDA) is pleased to announce the introduction of a bill and proposed legislative actions that focus attention on the growing concerns surrounding Lyme and tick borne diseases. Congressman Christopher Smith (R-NJ) introduced HR-2557, the Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Prevention, Education, and Research Act of 2011, on Friday, July 15, 2011, along with cosponsors Frank Wolf (VA), Tim Holden (PA), and Chris Gibson (NY). Congressman Smith's bill, HR-2557, requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a Tick-Borne Diseases Advisory Committee to address a variety of important issues. The Committee will be charged with advising Federal agencies on priorities related to Lyme and tick-borne disease issues and will be composed of scientists, representatives from government agencies, health care providers and patient representatives. The Committee is charged with ensuring that a broad spectrum of scientific and stake-holder viewpoints are represented in public health policy decisions and that information disseminated to the public and physicians is balanced. Congressman Smith, Chairman of the Congressional Lyme Disease Caucus for the past seven years, has worked diligently to foster greater knowledge about tick-borne diseases over the years. Amongst his many Lyme-related endeavors, he hosted a Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Forum last summer in Wall Township, NJ, for health officials, medical professionals and the public, with over 300 people in attendance. Pat Smith of the LDA was one of the guest speakers. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) has plans to highlight legislation to combat the spread of Lyme disease. He will meet with volunteer patient advocates from the Connecticut based Lyme disease group, Time for Lyme (TFL), an affiliate of the Lyme Disease Association, at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven on Monday, July 18, 2011. Senator Blumenthal, who served an unprecedented five terms as Attorney General in Connecticut, is known for his efforts to make real and lasting difference in the lives of the people. He has been a long-time public defender of Lyme disease patients rights. The Lyme Disease Association (LDA), an organization that seeks to eliminate tick-borne diseases by funding research, educating the public, and providing scientific conferences for doctors, is grateful to Congressman Smith, Senator Blumenthal, the bill cosponsors and staff for their enduring commitment to improve the health of countless patients suffering from Lyme and tick-borne diseases. For more information please visit the LDA website www.LymeDiseaseAssociation.org Contact Pat Smith, President, Lyme Disease Association, Inc. PO Box 1438, Jackson, NJ 08527. Toll free information line: 888-366-6611. Fax 732-938-7215. Email president@LymeDiseaseAssociation.org

ANTIBIOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY - LYME DISEASE

Evaluation of in-vitro antibiotic susceptibility of different morphological forms of Borrelia burgdorferi.

Sapi E, Kaur N, Anyanwu S, Luecke DF, Datar A, Patel S, Rossi M, Stricker RB.

Source

Lyme Disease Research Group, Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of New Haven, New Haven, CT, USA;

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Although antibiotic therapy is usually effective early in the disease, relapse may occur when administration of antibiotics is discontinued. Studies have suggested that resistance and recurrence of Lyme disease might be due to formation of different morphological forms of B. burgdorferi, namely round bodies (cysts) and biofilm-like colonies. Better understanding of the effect of antibiotics on all morphological forms of B. burgdorferi is therefore crucial to provide effective therapy for Lyme disease.

METHODS:

Three morphological forms of B. burgdorferi (spirochetes, round bodies, and biofilm-like colonies) were generated using novel culture methods. Minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of five antimicrobial agents (doxycycline, amoxicillin, tigecycline, metronidazole, and tinidazole) against spirochetal forms of B. burgdorferi were evaluated using the standard published microdilution technique. The susceptibility of spirochetal and round body forms to the antibiotics was then tested using fluorescent microscopy (BacLight™ viability staining) and dark field microscopy (direct cell counting), and these results were compared with the microdilution technique. Qualitative and quantitative effects of the antibiotics against biofilm-like colonies were assessed using fluorescent microscopy and dark field microscopy, respectively.

RESULTS:

Doxycycline reduced spirochetal structures ∼90% but increased the number of round body forms about twofold. Amoxicillin reduced spirochetal forms by ∼85%-90% and round body forms by ∼68%, while treatment with metronidazole led to reduction of spirochetal structures by ∼90% and round body forms by ∼80%. Tigecycline and tinidazole treatment reduced both spirochetal and round body forms by ∼80%-90%. When quantitative effects on biofilm-like colonies were evaluated, the five antibiotics reduced formation of these colonies by only 30%-55%. In terms of qualitative effects, only tinidazole reduced viable organisms by ∼90%. Following treatment with the other antibiotics, viable organisms were detected in 70%-85% of the biofilm-like colonies.

CONCLUSION:

Antibiotics have varying effects on the different morphological forms of B. burgdorferi. Persistence of viable organisms in round body forms and biofilm-like colonies may explain treatment failure and persistent symptoms following antibiotic therapy of Lyme disease.

Link to paper here

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This excellent study may add to why some LLMD's are finding results with starting with cyst busters early in treatment. What a pity the denialists can't be bothered to read such research but instead insist they know that Lyme is easy to diagnose and simple to cure. Let them go live with our symptoms after inadequate treatment.

GERMAN GUIDELINES FOR LYME DISEASE - A SLIGHT CHANGE IN DIRECTION.

At last a slight change in direction from the overly dependence on the IDSA Guidelines, well done to these doctors for producing these new Guidelines and referencing to more of the doctors who specialise in Chronic Lyme disease and have a better understanding than the narrow minded doctors who only see an acute form and thus they believe we can all be cured in just a couple of weeks antibiotics!

Most of the patients I am in touch with failed the IDSA's treatment of a couple of weeks antibiotics but have made significant progress on longer courses of treatment.

Deutsche Borreliose-Gesellschaft e. V.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Lyme borreliosis

Guidelines here

Just a few points mentioned

Chronic Lyme

Latency 8 years before symptoms developed.

50% not aware of tick bite

50% no EM

Seronegativity following early anti-biotic treatment therefore does not rule out Lyme borreliosis in any way.

Chronic stage

Lyme borreliosis can lead to numerous symptoms. The following are particularly frequent:

• fatigue (exhaustion, a chronic feeling of illness)

• encephalopathy (impaired cerebral function)

• muscular and skeletal symptoms

• neurological symptoms (including polyneuropathy)

• gastrointestinal symptoms

• urogenital symptoms

• ocular symptoms

• cutaneous symptoms

• heart diseases.

The success of treatment must be assessed clinically

A negative serological finding does not rule out Lyme borreliosis

There may be a disease requiring treatment even without the detection of antibodies. (Causes: e. g. antibi-otic treatment starting early but inadequate with immunodepressants, including cortisone, exhaustion of the immune system, masking of the causative agents, genetic disposition.)

Co-infections can be transmitted by ticks or by other routes of infection

The scientific basis for antibiotic treatment is still inadequate at the present time, with the exception of the localised early stages (EM). The considerable shortcomings in the scientific-clinical analysis are reflected in therapeutic guidelines, which are severely limited in the reli-ability of their recommendations and in their evidence base in the international litera-ture,(159) and they do not meet the requirements from the medical and health-policy aspects.

Successful antibiotic treatment is possible only if the individual has an effective immune sys-tem. With regard to antibiotic treatment, problems also arise with Borrelia due to natural or acquired resistance. The causative agent of Lyme borreliosis can evade the immune system by what are known as “escape mechanisms”