Chronic Lyme disease

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Revision as of 01:38, July 8, 2018 by JenB (talk | contribs) (JenB moved page Chronic lyme disease to Chronic Lyme disease: Lyme is capitalized (it's a town in CT))

Chronic Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and transmitted through the bite of a black legged ticks.[1]

Symptoms[edit | edit source]

The signs and symptoms of Lyme disease vary and usually appear in stages.[2]

Early Signs and Symptoms

  • Bull's eye rash (Not always present.)[3]
  • Flu-like symptoms

Later Signs and Symptoms

Less Common Signs and Symptoms

  • Heart problems, such as irregular heartbeat.
  • Eye inflammation
  • Liver inflammation (hepatitis).
  • Severe fatigue

Blood and other laboratory tests[edit | edit source]

United States[edit | edit source]

United Kingdom[edit | edit source]

  • BBC1 Lyme Disease Discussion - Some patients have waited up to 30 years for a correct diagnosis. National Health Service (NHS) services have only correctly identified the disease in a quarter of the patients. The blood tests are unreliable and often come back negative. The development of an accurate blood test is in need of research funding.[5]

False positives[edit | edit source]

Several herpesviruses including varicella zoster virus[6][7], cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus,[8] and HSV-2[9] may cause false positives on Lyme Disease tests.

News media on unapproved tests[edit | edit source]

2014, Federal Loopholes Compromise Lyme Disease Testing

2013, Many tests to diagnose Lyme, but no proof they work

2013, Lyme Culture Test Causes Uproar

2005, Unproved Lyme Disease Tests Prompt Warnings

Treatment and management[edit | edit source]

Co-infections[edit | edit source]

Herpesviruses[edit | edit source]

Lyme may cause reactivation of latent herpesviruses. At the same time, several herpesviruses including varicella zoster virus[6][7], cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus,[8] and HSV-2[9] may cause false positives on Lyme Disease tests.

Related diseases[edit | edit source]

Research[edit | edit source]

Pathobiome paradigm[edit | edit source]

Some future research will focus on a spectrum of pathogens instead of a "one pathogen-one disease" vision.[14]

Lyme Disease vs Chronic Fatigue Syndrome[edit | edit source]

  • 2011, Lyme Disease and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are different diseases. Research is published on cerebrospinal fluid, and distinct differences were found.[15]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. CDC - Lyme Disease
  2. Mayo Clinic - Lyme Disease
  3. Bay Area Lyme Foundation - Does Everyone Get the Telltale Bullseye Rash?
  4. MedicineNet.com Picture of Lyme Disease (Erythema-Migrans)
  5. BBC1 Lyme Disease 27.02.2016 - YouTube
  6. 6.0 6.1 Feder, HM Jr; Gerber, MA; Luger, SW; Ryan, RW (December 1991), "False-positive serologic tests for Lyme disease after varicella infection", N Engl J Med, 325 (26): 1886-7, PMID 1961232
  7. 7.0 7.1 Woelfle, J; Wilske, B; Haverkamp, F; Bialek, R (November 1998), "False-positive serological tests for Lyme disease in facial palsy and varicella zoster meningo-encephalitis", Eur J Pediatr, 157 (1): 953-4, PMID 9835449
  8. 8.0 8.1 Goossens, HA; Nohlmans, MK; van den Bogaard, AE (May 1999), "Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus infections cause false-positive results in IgM two-test protocol for early Lyme borreliosis", Infection, 27 (3): 231, PMID 10378140
  9. 9.0 9.1 Strasfeld, L; Romanzi, L; Seder, RH; Berardi, VP (2005), "False-Positive Serological Test Results for Lyme Disease in a Patient with Acute Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2", Clin Infect Dis, 41 (12): 1826-1827, doi:10.1086/498319, PMID 16288417
  10. Lyme Disease Treatment & Management - Medscape - Approach Considerations
  11. Lyme Disease Treatment & Management - Medscape - Treatment of Early Lyme Disease
  12. Lyme Disease Treatment & Management - Medscape - Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome
  13. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention - Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome
  14. Vayssier-Taussat, M; Kazimirova, M; Hubalek, Z; Hornok, S; Farkas, R; Cosson, JF; Bonnet, S; Vourch, G; Gasqui, P; Mihalca, AD; Plantard, O; Silaghi, C; Cutler, S; Rizzlo, A (November 19, 2015), "Emerging horizons for tick-borne pathogens: from the 'one pathogen-one disease' vision to the pathobiome paradigm", Future Microbiol, 10 (12): 2033-43, doi:10.2217/fmb.15.114, PMID 26610021
  15. Schutzer, SE; Angel, TE; Liu, T; Schepmoes, AA; Clauss, TR; Adkins, JN; Camp, DG; Holland, BK; Bergquist, J; Coyle, PK; Smith, RD; Fallon, BA; Natelson, BH (February 23, 2011), "Distinct Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteomes Differentiate Post-Treatment Lyme Disease from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome", PLoS One, 6 (2): e17287, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0017287, PMID 21383843
  16. Testing for Lyme Disease - Pg. 4 - CMO Update - 2009