Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, which can usually be treated with a course of antibiotics. However, it is thought that a number of cases do not resolve following treatment, leading to a collection of symptoms such as debilitating fatigue, muscle and joint pain, headaches, sleep difficulties, cognitive issues, […]
Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, transmitted through the bite of an infected tick. Although Lyme disease can be treated using antibiotics, research has suggested that 10% to 20% of cases do not resolve following the course of medication, leading to a collection of symptoms such as debilitating fatigue, muscle and joint […]
The US State of Illinois has designated May as Lyme Disease Awareness month throughout the ‘Land of Lincoln’. Again, it is worthwhile considering the narration of facts contained within the legislation which underpins the statute.
A systematic review was published recently comparing post-treatment Lyme disease (PTLDS) with ME/CFS. Lyme disease, as discussed in previous articles, is a tick-borne illness caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, which can usually be treated with a course of antibiotics. However, the authors of the review cite that 10% to 20% of cases do not resolve following treatment, leading […]
Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, transmitted through the bite of an infected tick (image above by Erik Karits from Pixabay). People who develop the characteristic ‘bullseye’ rash and are symptomatic can normally be diagnosed and treated with antibiotics. However, for those who do not notice or do not develop the classic rash, the process […]
Introduction For many decades, ME/CFS has been linked to a number of viral infections, specifically Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) and Human Herpes Viruses (HHV). However, bacterial infections may be another possible source of infection in ME/CFS. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread to humans by infected ticks. It is also known as Lyme borreliosis. Ticks […]
Public Health England (PHE) has formally announced that it will coordinate the development of new UK guidance on the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease. A multi-disciplinary team – involving infectious disease specialists, microbiologists, neurologists, GPs and patient groups – will carry out the work. The proposal was raised informally last October at PHE’s first Lyme […]
The fact that the “umbrella diagnosis” of ME/CFS shares its symptoms with many illnesses will complicate diagnosis and research until a specific biomarker is found. One “overlapping” diagnosis is Lyme disease (caused by Borrelia bacteria transmitted via tick-bites); indeed, there have been suggestions for many years that a subgroup of people with ME/CFS do, in […]
Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes encode groups of HLA proteins, which are found on the surface of almost every cell and are unique to each individual. When a cell becomes infected by a virus or other pathogen, it breaks down proteins from the invader into smaller fragments called peptides. These peptides are then loaded onto […]
An article in Medical Press, which reports on developments in medical research, discussed early-stage findings published in the journal Pathogens indicating that nearly half of patients with chronic fatigue tested positive for Bartonella or Babesia infections. Babesia and Bartonella are often suspected as co-infections with Lyme disease which, as discussed in previous ME Research UK articles, is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, transmitted through the bite of an infected tick. In the research paper, the authors highlight the overlap in […]
