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A pilot study has found evidence of Bartonella and Babesia infection in almost half of 50 blood samples from patients suffering chronic fatigue syndrome, also called myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). Bartonella species comprise a group of vector-borne bacteria transmitted primarily via arthropods like fleas, lice and potentially ticks, but also by the animals that harbor the bacteria in their blood. For example, Bartonella henselae is associated with cat scratch disease, which until recently was thought to be a short-lived (or self-limiting) infection. There are at least 45 different known Bartonella species, of which 18 have been found to infect humans. Improved...

Researchers have identified BbLDH as a critical enzyme for B. burgdorferi survival, paving the way for targeted Lyme disease treatments. New inhibitors could halt the bacteria without affecting other organisms, making this a major step forward. =============================================================================== A team of scientists has zeroed in on an enzyme that could revolutionize Lyme disease treatment. By uncovering the crucial role of BbLDH in bacterial survival and infectivity, they’ve opened the door to highly targeted therapeutics. Their findings even hint at broader applications for fighting other tick-borne diseases. A Promising New Target for Lyme Disease Treatment Scientists have identified an enzyme that could...

Deer ticks, like the one photographed, can carry Lyme disease/ (KPixMining/Shutterstock) In a nutshell * The antibiotic piperacillin has shown remarkable effectiveness against Lyme disease-causing bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, at doses 100 times lower than doxycycline, the current standard treatment. * Unlike doxycycline, which affects beneficial gut bacteria, piperacillin targets only the Lyme bacteria without disrupting the microbiome, making it a safer option, especially for children and pregnant women. * The discovery opens the door for piperacillin to be repurposed as a highly effective treatment for Lyme disease, potentially even as a single-dose preventive therapy after a tick bite. Further research...

recorded the highest-ever concentration of ticks carrying a variant of potentially fatal Powassan virus called deer-tick virus (DTV). This rare virus has the potential to cause deadly infections with lasting neurological effects, and officials fear it and other serious tick-borne illnesses may become more common in the future. While many cases of Powassan virus are asymptomatic, those that are symptomatic can be deadly, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)(opens in new tab). Initial symptoms include headache, fever and vomiting, with the most severe cases involving neurological complications such as encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and meningitis....

Ted SieferJune 16, 2014 Deer ticks, also known as blacklegged ticks, are the prime carriers of Lyme disease, which is particularly common in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Large numbers of ticks, the parasites that carry Lyme disease, are expected to emerge in New England in the coming weeks, experts said on Friday. Abundant snow over the winter and a wet spring have created ideal conditions for ticks to come out in the warm weather and try to latch onto hosts, they said. "The next three to four weeks is the peak season of risk," said Sam Telford, an infectious disease...

A domestic ecological mystery IMAGE: Research assistant Rachel Katz drags for ticks in the Ozarks. The drag cloth takes advantage of the ticks' natural host-seeking behavior, called questing. Ticks climb to the top of grass... Click here for more information. Stories of environmental damage and their consequences always seem to take place far away and in another country, usually a tropical one with lush rainforests and poison dart frogs. In fact, similar stories starring familiar animals are unfolding all the time in our own backyards — including gripping tales of diseases jumping from animal hosts to people when ecosystems are...