"The DIVORCE of Borrelia Infections from the simpler short list of USA Lyme infections would allow the medical community to tolerate two tracks of diagnosis, and treatment. Render unto Borreliosis that which is Borreliosis, including the newly recognized Miyamotoi form of borreliosis, spread by Lyme ticks–Ixodes scapularis– and render unto Lyme a simpler, and in the words of Dr. Allen Steere, “often self healing” medical condition."
GUEST BLOG: Is it time for a “Lyme divorce”?
7th June 2013
Internationally renowned Lyme disease researcher Dr. Alan MacDonald posted the following remarks in the comments section of the Boston Globe's recent article about Lyme disease.
All of these disagreements would “go away” if we agree to DIVORCE Lyme from other European type burgdorferi group Borrelia infections.
Lyme in its DIVORCED domains is codified, narrow in its clinical profile, hard to get, easy to treat, managed by the CDC criteria for case definition, and geographically limited in the USA to the areas in the northeastern USA , Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
Borreliosis in its DIVORCED domains is wide in its clinical profiles, easy to get, difficult to treat, not managed by CDC criteria for case definition, and a worldwide public health problem. Dimensions of Garinii borreliosis, Azelii Borreliosis, and related “European” type Borreliosis of the burgdorferi sensu lato group of microbes are as remarkable in complexities as is the USA burgdorferi sensu stricto borreliosis {Usa Lyme Agent b31 strain] is in its simplicities.
European Burgdorferi strains [sensu lato] may produce stroke, death verified by autopsy studies, dilated cardiomyopathy with some European Borrelia carditis cases treated with heart transplantation, malignant lymphomas of the skin, and a host of skin conditions which are never diagnosed in the USA; the premier being Acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans, from which squamous cancers and malignant lymphomas may emerge.
We are a global society. European Borreliosis infections may be difficult to diagnose when patients return to the USA.
Military service personnel in Germany are vulnerable to European Borreliosis, especially when their tour of duty involves maneuvers in the Black Forest region of the German Federal Republic. Travel to resort areas of Mexico, Central America, and Brazil may result in “European type Borreliosis infections” due to endemic areas of Garinii type borreliosis in these geographies. Borrelia infections in Australia and in China are different from USA Lyme.
60% of the metropolitan New York and perhaps a substantial fraction of Greater Boston Metro blood centers are supported by imported blood donations from—the European community. Germany alone had one million government-reimbursed medical treatments for its citizens in 2012.
The DIVORCE of Borrelia Infections from the simpler short list of USA Lyme infections would allow the medical community to tolerate two tracks of diagnosis, and treatment. Render unto Borreliosis that which is Borreliosis, including the newly recognized Miyamotoi form of borreliosis, spread by Lyme ticks–Ixodes scapularis– and render unto Lyme a simpler, and in the words of Dr. Allen Steere, “often self healing” medical condition.
Divorce is well past due for the entities “Lyme” and “other Burgdorferi Group human Borreliosis” conditions–worldwide.
Alimony is neither requested nor required in such a “no contest” parting of the ways.
Dr. Alan MacDonald has researched Lyme disease for more than 30 years. He was profiled in the award-winning documentary film UNDER OUR SKIN.
