There
has been an long, ongoing debate in Australia regarding the presence
and origin of a "Lyme-like illness" making patients sick. I have had
patients fly around the world to see me because they were unable to find
local health practitioners who would test and treat them for
borreliosis and associated tick-borne disorders. Several of the patients
that I saw not only tested positive for Lyme with positive antibodies
and borrelia specific bands on a Western blot, but also tested
positive for co-infections including Babesiosis, Bartonellosis and
rickettsial infections. Once they were treated, their health improved. I
testified before the Australian Senate this past year to explain my
findings and review the scientific literature on testing and treatment.
This article was just published in Parasites and Vectors, which helps
to expand the debate and our understanding of "Lyme-like illness" in
Australia. Researchers just identified several new borrelia species in
Australian ticks: "For over 25 years there has been an ongoing debate on
the presence of Lyme disease agents [Borrelia burgdorferi (s.l.)] in
Australia, fueled by findings of Borrelia spp. of unknown pathogenicity
within Australian ticks [8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 48]. The current study
demonstrates two more distinct Borrelia species of unknown pathogenic
potential, found in 12% (3/25) of tick samples and tentatively named
Borrelia sp. Tick2 and Borrelia sp. Tick3/Tick14. Recently, an
Australian endemic “Candidatus B. tachyglossi” was identified in a
closely related tick species, B. concolor [9]. Australian ticks are not
free from Borrelia spp., yet the impacts of their presence on human and
animal health remains unknown".
In the past 3 decades, we have identified over 16 new borrelia species worldwide, which is approximately one species every 2 years. Several years ago we identified new relapsing fever borrelia in the US (4% of patients in southern New England were found to have exposed to B. miyamotoi), as well as B. Mayonii in the midwest, B. Bisetti on the pacific coast, and in the past year, researchers also identified B. Lanei in California.
Unfortunately, not all borrelia species can be found with the standard two-tiered laboratory testing (like Borrelia miyamotoi, which is rapidly spreading). Using the HMQ followed by a broad tick-borne testing panel like the ones described in "How Can I Get Better?" (pages 29 onwards) can help. I usually look for borrelia specific bands (23, 31, 34, 39, 83/93) on a Western blot (like the one from IgeneX which uses more than one strain of borrelia) to confirm exposure, especially if the ELISA and C6 ELISA is negative. As we continue to learn about Lyme and associated diseases in order to help our patients, we must keep an open mind as science keeps expanding our boundaries and understanding...
https://parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/…/s13071-017-…
In the past 3 decades, we have identified over 16 new borrelia species worldwide, which is approximately one species every 2 years. Several years ago we identified new relapsing fever borrelia in the US (4% of patients in southern New England were found to have exposed to B. miyamotoi), as well as B. Mayonii in the midwest, B. Bisetti on the pacific coast, and in the past year, researchers also identified B. Lanei in California.
Unfortunately, not all borrelia species can be found with the standard two-tiered laboratory testing (like Borrelia miyamotoi, which is rapidly spreading). Using the HMQ followed by a broad tick-borne testing panel like the ones described in "How Can I Get Better?" (pages 29 onwards) can help. I usually look for borrelia specific bands (23, 31, 34, 39, 83/93) on a Western blot (like the one from IgeneX which uses more than one strain of borrelia) to confirm exposure, especially if the ELISA and C6 ELISA is negative. As we continue to learn about Lyme and associated diseases in order to help our patients, we must keep an open mind as science keeps expanding our boundaries and understanding...
https://parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/…/s13071-017-…
