In the Lyme Light: Beyond The Tick Bite (Part Two)

On this week’s episode, we are continuing our discussion on Lyme disease. After a brief refresher of some key points from last week’s episode, we focus on the physical manifestations of Lyme disease, including signs and symptoms. We then discuss the diagnostic method, with an emphasis on some of the unreliable labs that use unproven tests to overreport Lyme diagnoses. We also cover the approved (and effective!) treatments for Lyme disease and why there is no longer an available vaccine. We switch gears to focus on the substantial controversy surrounding Lyme disease, especially with regards to unproven and disproven treatments, chronic Lyme disease, and some of the bad players in the world of Lyme, including clinicians and organizations that appear legitimate. We spend some time discussing the misnomer that is chronic Lyme disease, and why long-term and unproven treatments can be quite dangerous for people. We emphasize red flags to watch out for when trying to verify information you find online regarding Lyme disease and hope to equip you with a better understanding of this infection that is surrounded by misinformation.

PLEASE NOTE: The discussion and information provided in this podcast are for general educational, scientific, and informational purposes only and are not intended as, and should not be treated as, medical or other professional advice for any particular individual or individuals.  Every person and medical issue is different, and diagnosis and treatment requires consideration of specific facts often unique to the individual.  As such, the information contained in this podcast should not be used as a substitute for consultation with and/or treatment by a doctor or other medical professional.  If you are experiencing any medical issue or have any medical concern, you should consult with a doctor or other medical professional. 

Further, due to the inherent limitations of a podcast such as this as well as ongoing scientific developments, we do not guarantee the completeness or accuracy of the information or analysis provided in this podcast, although, of course we always endeavor to provide comprehensive information and analysis. In no event may Unbiased Science or any of the participants in this podcast be held liable to the listener or anyone else for any decision allegedly made or action allegedly taken or not taken allegedly in reliance on the discussion or information in this podcast or for any damages allegedly resulting from such reliance.

RESOURCES

• Transmission of Lyme Disease

• Tick Bite: What to Do

• Lyme Arthritis

• The Burgeoning Molecular Genetics of the Lyme Disease Spirochaete

• Lyme Disease: Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment

• NIH Author Manuscript: Lyme Disease

• Signs and Symptoms of Untreated Lyme Disease

• CDC: Full Coverage on Lyme

• Lyme Disease Diagnostics Research

• Lyme Disease Diagnosis and Testing

• Updated CDC Recommendation for Serologic Diagnosis of Lyme Disease

• Quackwatch: Laboratories Doing Nonstandard Laboratory Testing

• NYT: Unproved Lyme Disease Tests Prompt Warnings

• False & Misleading Information About Lyme Disease

• Lyme Disease: Diagnostic Issues And Controversies

• Diagnostic Testing for Lyme Disease: Beware of False Positives

• Notice to Readers Recommendations for Test Performance and Interpretation from the Second National Conference on Serologic Diagnosis of Lyme Disease

• Comparison of Different Strains of Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato Used as Antigens in Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays

• Treatment for Erythema Migrans

• Antibiotic Treatment Duration and Long-Term Outcomes of Patients with Early Lyme Disease from a Lyme Disease–Hyperendemic Area 

• Neurologic Lyme Disease

• Evidence for Strain-Specific Immunity in Patients Treated for Early Lyme Disease

• Lyme Disease Vaccine

• The History of the Lyme Disease Vaccine

• The Lyme Vaccine: A Cautionary Tale

• Chronic Lyme Disease

• Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome

• Confronting the Misnomer of ‘Chronic’ Lyme Disease

• Chronic Lyme disease: In Defense of the Scientific Enterprise

• Contributions of Societal and Geographical Environments to “Chronic Lyme Disease”: The Psychopathogenesis and Aporology of a New “Medically Unexplained Symptoms” Syndrome

• Incidence and Patterns of Extended-Course Antibiotic Therapy in Patients Evaluated for Lyme Disease

• Antibiotic Treatment for Chronic Lyme Disease—Say No to the DRESS

• Unorthodox Alternative Therapies Marketed to Treat Lyme Disease

• A Critical Appraisal of “Chronic Lyme Disease”

• Lyme Disease Antibiotic Treatment Research

• Internet-Based Self-Diagnosis of Lyme Disease Caused Death in a Young Woman With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

• Randomized Trial of Longer-Term Therapy for Symptoms Attributed to Lyme Disease

• Two Controlled Trials of Antibiotic Treatment in Patients with Persistent Symptoms and a History of Lyme Disease

• Serious Bacterial Infections Acquired During Treatment of Patients Given a Diagnosis of Chronic Lyme Disease — United States

• AMMI Canada Position Statement on the Diagnosis and Treatment of People with Persistent Symptoms That Have Been Attributed to Lyme Disease

• AMMI Canada: The Facts About Lyme Disease: What You Need To Know

• Adverse Events Associated With Antibiotics and Intravenous Therapies for Post–Lyme Disease Syndrome in a Commercially Insured Sample

• The Clinical Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention of Lyme Disease, Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis, and Babesiosis: Clinical Practice Guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America

• IDSA Letter to House of Representatives

• Antiscience and Ethical Concerns Associated with Advocacy of Lyme Disease

• False and Misleading Information About Lyme Disease

• Joseph Jemsek, M.D. Charged with Unprofessional Conduct

• Liberation Way Doctor Pleads Guilty to Healthcare Fraud

• More Victims of Lyme Quackery: Updated January 26, 2021

• Forbes: Lyme Inc.

• Maybe It’s Lyme: What Happens When Illness Becomes an Identity?

• International Society for Environmentally Acquired Illness (Promote Unfounded “Co-Illnesses” Like Lyme With Toxic Mold/Candida/Etc

• Questionable Organizations: An Overview

• Red Flags of Chronic Lyme Quackery

• Coinfections Explained: Multiple Fake Diagnoses Common Among Chronic Lyme Quackery Victims

• Health Information on the Web

• Ten Facts You Should Know About Lyme Disease

• Lyme Science: Scientific Consensus

• AMJMED: False and Misleading Information About Lyme Disease

• Differences in Genotype, Clinical Features, and Inflammatory Potential of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto Strains from Europe and the United States

• Disease Severity in a Murine Model of Lyme Borreliosis is Associated with the Genotype of the Infecting Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Stricto Strain

• Impact of Genotypic Variation of Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Stricto on Kinetics of Dissemination and Severity of Disease in C3H/HeJ Mice

• Borrelia burgdorferi Genotype Predicts the Capacity for Hematogenous Dissemination during Early Lyme Disease

• Induction of Type I and Type III Interferons by Borrelia burgdorferi Correlates with Pathogenesis and Requires Linear Plasmid 36

• Fitness Variation of Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Stricto Strains in Mice

• Article Induction of Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase by Borrelia burgdorferi in Human Immune Cells Correlates with Pathogenic Potential

• Borrelia burgdorferi Induces a Type I Interferon Response During Early Stages of Disseminated Infection in Mice

• Interactions Between Borrelia burgdorferi and Ticks

Infection with Borrelia burgdorferi Occurs Through the Bite of an Infected Tick