Lyme disease: a ticking time bomb
An article in The Conversation written by Vis-a-Vis Patron Hany Elsheikha, was published 28th April 2016 Concludes- Tackling the threat The effects of the disease on so many body systems, and the debilitating impact on the life of the affected patient, have triggered a crisis that has far-reaching implications for public health and policy. When people get diagnosed with Lyme, they make a shift to a life of increasing uncertainty, particularly from a lack of adequate and credible information. It’s clear, given the rise in clinical cases across the world and the number of people who continue to suffer even after antimicrobial treatment, that Lyme disease is spreading rapidly. For example, in the US the number of annual reported Lyme cases has increased about 25-fold since the national surveillance began in 1982. Many aspects of the disease mechanisms, such as the chronic condition, remain controversial or evolving, due to the scarcity of robust evidence-based data. There is not even one consistent terminology that defines “chronic Lyme disease”. More measures are also needed to resolve the crippling uncertainty surrounding the infection. We need more research to help develop reliable diagnostic tests, identify sub-populations of patients who are most likely to benefit from antibiotic treatment, and ultimately to ensure that Lyme disease does not become a pandemic reality. Go to this link to read the full article – https://theconversation.com/lyme-disease-a-ticking-time-bomb-57844...Lyme in the 21st Century
Published on Apr 20, 2016 Ten of the world’s top scientists from leading institutions discuss their scientific insights on the problems and potential solutions for Lyme disease. Notes from the video – Senator Richard Blumenthall US Senate Speech ‘The cases of Lyme are exploding in number and their severity impacts our economy as well as quality of life for Americans’ Introduced by David Rothman– Lyme Advocate CDC reported 10 fold increase in the number of cases in 2013. Dr Neil Spector Cancer researcher talks about implications in organ donation. He had a heart transplant due to undiagnosed Lyme Disease. ‘In the era of genomics are we using archaic unreliable methods to test for Lyme?’ Dr William H Robinson Stanford University talks about the need to develop next generation tests that are much more accurate and sensitive to identify people with Borrelia Burgdorferi as well as other tick borne infections. Dr Safwan Jaradeh Stanford University Neuromuscular and Neurological faculty. ‘Nobody seems to think well could it be something like Lyme.’ Dr Brian Fallon Columbia University Director of the Lyme and Tick-borne diseases research center at Columbia. says – Lyme can cause many symptoms he talks about a child who manifested with compulsive cycling behaviour and anorexia which was caused by Lyme Disease and with treatment symptoms went away. Dr Neil Spector goes on to say- ‘Over 300000 cases a year I think demands more attention than Zika virus which overnight becomes a W.H.O. global health crisis. So it’s not to minimize the problems of Zika but it is saying there are...Understanding Bartonella
Webinar recorded July 10, 2015 Bartonella infections are increasingly implicated in complex chronic disease syndromes, yet are extremely difficult to diagnose accurately. The purpose of this webinar is to raise awareness about Bartonella; its prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Medical, veterinary and public health professionals will benefit from attending this webinar. Speakers include subject matter experts Edward Breitschwerdt, DVM and B. Robert Mozayeni, MD. Please note that the content is highly technical and designed for an audience of medical, veterinary and public health professionals. Learning objectives include the ability to: Describe the epidemiology of Bartonella; Identify populations most at risk for Bartonella infection; and Explain the process for accurate and timely diagnosis of and treatment considerations for Bartonella Our mission is to educate as many people as possible about the increasing medical importance of Bartonella. As an advocate for One Health, please share this free webinar link with others who may be interested. Free Webinar: Understanding Bartonella Earlier post http://www.visavissymposiums.org/bartonellosis-one-health-perspectives-on-an-emerging-infectious-disease/ Galaxy Diagnostics – http://www.galaxydx.com/web/ Links to further research...NORTHEASTERN RESEARCHERS INVESTIGATE FOUR PROMISING NEW TREATMENTS FOR LYME DISEASE
‘when Northeastern researchers reported last May how the bacterium that causes the disease evades antibiotics, suggesting new treatments, the media and the general public took notice. University Distinguished Professor Kim Lewis, who leads the Lyme disease research team, is now expanding that therapeutic reach with the help of a $1.5 million grant from the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation. The team is pursuing four arms of treatment-related research at Northeastern’s Antimicrobial Discovery Center, which Lewis directs. They are: a mouse study of a regimen that eradicated the bacterium in the test tube, setting the stage for human trials; antibiotic cocktails using existing drugs; strategies to discover new drugs that selectively target the Lyme bacterium; and ways to alter the composition of the microbiome—the community of microorganisms inhabiting the human body—to stop the autoimmune reactions that characterize the disease. All four show exciting promise. The grant, Lewis says, “will give us the flexibility to test our approaches in parallel, which will save us an enormous amount of time.” If Lyme is caught early, patients generally recover quickly when treated with antibiotics, primarily doxycyline. However, 10 to 20 percent of patients go on to develop a debilitating chronic condition called Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome, or PTLDS, with symptoms that include extreme fatigue, arthritis, muscle pain, and cognitive difficulties. “I find it amazing that when you show up at the doctor’s office you are not told that there is a 10 to 20 percent chance that your life as you know it has ended,” says Lewis. “Nobody seems to be focusing on the next step: How to prevent the subsequent rise of the chronic condition.” ...Tracking and Treating UK Parasites
University of Nottingham School of Veterinary Medicine and Science Course description A team of interdisciplinary renowned speakers are gathering at University of Nottingham Vet School on the 19th of May to deliver one day of parasitology education that will be a great professional development opportunity to all those with interest in parasitology. Reasons not to miss this great value for money event are: A range of topical parasitology subjects which not only satisfy simple CPD requirements but are also of direct relevance and use to delegates. Speakers are acknowledged experts in their specialism and will present their talks in an informative and interesting way. Accessible venues with good conference and catering facilities. Affordable prices – our full day conference include refreshments, lunch, course documentation at prices from only...SAATCHI BILL
Access to Medical Treatments (Innovation) Bill passes third reading in the House of Lords Dear , The Access to Medical Treatments (Innovation) Bill has passed its third reading in the House of Lords, meaning it’ll soon have Royal Assent and pass into law. The Bill is the result of a lot of hard work by Lord Saatchi and Chris Heaton-Harris MP. Lord Saatchi first championed this issue in the House of Lords with the Medical Innovation Bill in 2014, which made important progress and truly threw open the debate on the outdated systems that surround drug development and patient prescription. Unfortunately the Medical Innovation Bill was defeated in the House of Commons. Subsequently, Chris Heaton-Harris MP took on the task and with the support of the Life Sciences Minister George Freeman he got the new Access to Medical Treatments (Innovation) Bill through the House of Commons in 2015. This new bill was guided through the House of Lords by Lord Saatchi, and provides a real opportunity to renew the focus on patients’ rights to try innovative medicines, within a reasonable risk framework. Importantly, given Empower’s new drive for data sharing, the Bill’s proposed database of medical innovation provides a real opportunity to share innovative treatment information more widely and much faster. Empower has long advocated appropriate access, for some patients, to certain medicines earlier in the clinical trials process. The new Access to Medical Treatments (Innovation) Bill provides a real opportunity to make that ambition a reality. Peers were supportive of the bill and it passed its third stage without debate or dissenting voices. You can watch the passing of the Access...Risk Factors for Bartonella species Infection in Blood Donors from Southeast Brazil
Pedro Paulo Vissotto de Paiva Diniz , Paulo Eduardo Neves Ferreira Velho , Luiza Helena Urso Pitassi , Marina Rovani Drummond , Bruno Grosselli Lania , Maria Lourdes Barjas-Castro , Stanley Sowy , Edward B. Breitschwerdt , Diana Gerardi Scorpio Published: March 21, 2016 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004509 http://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=info:doi/10.1371/journal.pntd.0004509 Abstract Bacteria from the genus Bartonella are emerging blood-borne bacteria, capable of causing long-lasting infection in marine and terrestrial mammals, including humans. Bartonella are generally well adapted to their main host, causing persistent infection without clinical manifestation. However, these organisms may cause severe disease in natural or accidental hosts. In humans, Bartonella species have been detected from sick patients presented with diverse disease manifestations, including cat scratch disease, trench fever, bacillary angiomatosis, endocarditis, polyarthritis, or granulomatous inflammatory disease. However, with the advances in diagnostic methods, subclinical bloodstream infection in humans has been reported, with the potential for transmission through blood transfusion been recently investigated by our group. The objective of this study was to determine the risk factors associated with Bartonella species infection in asymptomatic blood donors presented at a major blood bank in Southeastern Brazil. Five hundred blood donors were randomly enrolled and tested for Bartonella species infection by specialized blood cultured coupled with high-sensitive PCR assays. Epidemiological questionnaires were designed to cover major potential risk factors, such as age, gender, ethnicity, contact with companion animals, livestock, or wild animals, bites from insects or animal, economical status, among other factors. Based on multivariate logistic regression, bloodstream infection with B. henselae or B. clarridgeiae was associated with cat contact (adjusted OR: 3.4, 95% CI: 1.1–9.6) or history of tick bite (adjusted...CO-INFECTION OF TICKS: THE RULE RATHER THAN THE EXCEPTION
Claire Valiente Moro ,Elise Vaumourin ,Lorraine Michelet ,Florence Hélène Tran ,Elodie Devillers , Jean-François Cosson ,Patrick Gasqui ,Van Tran Van ,Patrick Mavingui ,Gwenaël Vourc’h ,Muriel Vayssier-Taussat Published: March 17, 2016 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004539 http://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pntd.0004539 Abstract Introduction Ticks are the most common arthropod vectors of both human and animal diseases in Europe, and the Ixodes ricinus tick species is able to transmit a large number of bacteria, viruses and parasites. Ticks may also be co-infected with several pathogens, with a subsequent high likelihood of co-transmission to humans or animals. However few data exist regarding co-infection prevalences, and these studies only focus on certain well-known pathogens. In addition to pathogens, ticks also carry symbionts that may play important roles in tick biology, and could interfere with pathogen maintenance and transmission. In this study we evaluated the prevalence of 38 pathogens and four symbionts and their co-infection levels as well as possible interactions between pathogens, or between pathogens and symbionts. Methodology/principal findings A total of 267 Ixodes ricinus female specimens were collected in the French Ardennes and analyzed by high-throughput real-time PCR for the presence of 37 pathogens (bacteria and parasites), by rRT-PCR to detect the presence of Tick-Borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) and by nested PCR to detect four symbionts. Possible multipartite interactions between pathogens, or between pathogens and symbionts were statistically evaluated. Among the infected ticks, 45% were co-infected, and carried up to five different pathogens. When adding symbiont prevalences, all ticks were infected by at least one microorganism, and up to eight microorganisms were identified in the same tick. When considering possible interactions between pathogens, the results suggested a strong association...CANINE BABESIOSIS IN THE UK
Dog owners warned of fatal tick-borne disease canine babesiosis which is likely to spread around UK By Lucy Clarke-Billings Professor Richard Wall, from the University of Bristol, said: “The recent Babesia cases in Essex are of huge significance. “The fact that we now appear to have established populations of the tick Dermacentor reticulatus acting as vectors of the introduced pathogen Babesia canis is a new and important development and a major concern for animal health.” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/12194796/Dog-owners-warned-of-fatal-tick-borne-disease-canine-babesiosis-which-is-likely-to-spread-around-UK.html Dog owners warned about new tick disease By Claire Marshall BBC Environment Correspondent Prof Richard Wall is professor of zoology at the University of Bristol. He is helping to conduct the largest ever veterinary study of ticks and tick-borne diseases, called the Big Tick Project. “People who work on ticks and tick-borne diseases are concerned about this outbreak. It could be the tip of the iceberg. If it spreads quickly throughout the UK then it is going to be a very significant problem, but we don’t have enough info at this stage to make a prediction about how quickly this will happen. “It’s highly unlikely that the problem will now disappear, we have the vectors, we have the pathogens established in the UK.”...
