Lyme Disease Discovery—More Bad News - Page 1

A friend of mine shared this on Facebook. Just more reasons to be vigilant against ticks!

 

The examination of autopsied brain tissues from patients who died of serious neurological conditions has revealed that many tick-borne infections, such as Lyme disease, go undiagnosed and untreated. Board-certified pathologist, Alan B. MacDonald, MD, says his research shows “tick infections are not easily detected with routine tests, nor are they easily cured with short courses of antibiotics.”

MacDonald presented his findings Thursday on Capitol Hill, in the Rayburn House Office Building, at a forum to explore the scientific, economic, and policy challenges posed by the epidemic of Lyme disease and associated tick-borne illnesses.

MacDonald found three Borrelia pathogens, including B. burgdorferi the causative agent of Lyme disease, thriving inside parasitic nematode worms, worm eggs or larvae in the brain tissue of nineteen deceased patients. These microscopic worms are endosymbionts, meaning the Borrelia bacteria dwell inside the worms. A tick bite delivers the nematode into the human body. “Both the worms and the Borrelia pathogens can cause devastating brain damage,” said MacDonald. “Current tests, like the ELISA and Western blot, do not adequately detect the presence of Borrelia bacteria.” MacDonald says his discovery also shows “while patients are wrongly declared free of Lyme and other tick-borne infections, in reality, too often they contract serious neurodegenerative diseases which can kill them.”

The Rocky Mountain Multiple Sclerosis Center Tissue Bank provided MacDonald with ten specimens from deceased MS patients; all ten specimens showed evidence of Borrelia infected nematodes. Infected worms were also found in five tissue specimens from patients who succumbed to the highly malignant brain tumor Glioblastoma multiforme, the same cancer which took the life of Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA). Ironically, in 1993, Senator Kennedy chaired a hearing of the Labor and Human Resources committee titled: Lyme disease: A Diagnostic and Treatment Dilemma. Finally, four specimens from patients who died from Lewy Body dementia, the same illness which afflicted comedian Robin Williams, also showed the presence of infected nematodes.

MacDonald’s work breaks new ground while building on previous studies. In 1984, Lyme pioneer Willy Burgdorfer, Ph.D. wrote of finding nematodes in tick guts. In 2014, University of New Haven researcher Eva Sapi, Ph.D., examined the guts of ticks gathered in southern Connecticut and found 22% of the nymphs and 30% of adult Ixodes ticks carried nematodes in their systems.

MacDonald identified the infected nematodes using a technique known as FISH: Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization which involves using molecular beacon DNA probes. FISH identifies pieces of Borrelia’s genetic material which fluoresce under the microscope with a 100% DNA match. Dr. MacDonald, a fellow of the Academy of American Pathologists, conducts his research through the Dr. Paul Duray Research Fellowship Endowment Inc. MacDonald’s presentation can be accessed here:https://vimeo.com/166688480.

Dr. Paul H. Duray Research Fellowship Endowment

http://outbreaknewstoday.com/lyme-discovery-borrelia-bacteria-hides-inside-parasitic-worms-causing-chronic-brain-diseases-13216/

Not surprising.
May years ago, my smooth fox terrier female had a bladder prob, where she was peeing blood.
Lucky for us, we were in California at the time, so the vets where I took her were pretty up to date, thanks to davis.
Anyway, a sterile urine sample showed she had a paracidic infection in her bladder, microscopic 'worms', putting plainly.
The vet told me that in twenty years of practice this was the first time he saw a dog with this. He said it usually is seen in cats. He explained the parasite comes from ingesting earth worms, or dirt from them, like cats licking their paws clean after moving dirt to take a dump.
So this vet is at a loss as to how a dog would get this from earth worms. Well, it came to me immediately....my terrier loved the eat sun dried earth worms that became stranded after a heavy summer rain, and the summer sun drying them out...she would go around munching down the crunchy treats.
So I asked the vet, how are we going to get rid of these 'worms' ( moist likely nemotodes) in my beloved dog's bladder. He said the same thing we use with success n cats with it...* ivermectin*

He treated her, shge didnt have any more blood in her urine, and subsequently, heartworm treatment with ivermectin ( cattle ivomec) instead of heartgard, kept her free of any repeat infections of bladder worms...she continued to eat dried earth worms and grass hoppers, etc, for her lifetime. That's what dogs are supposed to do, after all.


So maybe these guys need to prescribe ivermectin when a person is bitten bite a tick.

I think you are on the right track, for a preventative! Check out this list from the NCBI and the recommended treatments. Once infected though, the infecton can still run its course.

Nematodes, commonly known as “roundworms” because of their round cross section, comprise the second largest phylum in the animal kingdom. Nematodes can live freely but many parasitize humans, most often as accidental hosts. With increasing globalization and exotic travel, parasitic infection of the central nervous system (CNS), once considered a “tropical” infection, is becoming increasingly more prevalent in all parts of the world. In addition, immunosuppression increases susceptibility to opportunistic parasitic infection. Although infected individuals may remain asymptomatic for many years, a higher parasite burden is correlated with greater morbidity and mortality. The epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and recommended diagnostic evaluation and treatment for selected nematode infections are reviewed in this article

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2678030/

Interesting article.
I can self de-worm...ivermectin and prozyquantil right here in my dog meds. Pyrantel pamoate, too.

Ivermectin vs heart guard, is ivermectin better?  I worry about my dogs even though I treat them with preventative and use essential oils to keep bugs away (along with apple cider vinegar, etc.).  I treat my yard with diatomaceous earth regularly and once a month during bug season treat my house carpets with diatomaceous earth.  I remember someone gave me a great link to organic nematodes to help with grubs and other pests in the lawn but have since lost the link. 

The 'active' ingredient in heartgard is ivermectin. I prefer not to have my dogs' consume the fillers in the pill.
I've been using cattle ivomec for my dogs per vet recommendation since it came out in '82
Do not use the 'ivomec plus', it has a liver fluke icide dogs don't need. Ivomec patent has run out, so feed stores, etc have off brands cheaper. Make sure it's 1% solution...by mouth.
Do not use horse paste, it's too strong.
I put it on my dogs' food, every other month.

Preaching to the choir here Bee. My wife is a long term undiagnosed lyme disease sufferer. Heart, joint and brain issues but hey we don't have lyme disease in our state.

Thanks Joanro

You're welcome, mindhunt...no hard feelings.

Never Joanro