New Tick-Borne Disease Is Discovered

[MeaganM]

A new tick-borne disease that may be stealthily infecting some Americans has been discovered by Yale researchers working with Russian scientists.

The disease is caused by a spirochete bacterium called Borrelia miyamotoi, which is distantly related to Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochete that causes Lyme disease.

B. miyamotoi has been found — albeit relatively rarely — in the same deer tick species that transmit Lyme, and the Yale researchers estimate that perhaps 3,000 Americans a year pick it up from tick bites, compared with about 25,000 who get Lyme disease.

But there is no diagnostic test for it in this country, so it is not yet known whether it has actually made any Americans sick.

The same short course of antibiotics that normally cures Lyme also seems to cure it.

In Russia, where a team in the Siberian city of Yekaterinburg developed a test that can distinguish miyamotoi from other tick-borne spirochetes, it caused higher fevers than Lyme disease typically does. In about 10 percent of cases, the fevers repeatedly disappear and return after a week or two.

The study by the two teams is to be published soon in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. Since the disease was only recently discovered, it is unknown whether it does serious long-term damage, as untreated Lyme disease can.

The Yale medical school researchers — Durland Fish, an entomologist, and Dr. Peter J. Krause, an epidemiologist — have recently won a grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the symptoms and develop a rapid diagnostic kit.

Dr. Fish found B. miyamotoi in American ticks 10 years ago, but was repeatedly refused a study grant until the Russians proved it caused illness. “It’s been like pulling teeth,” he said. “Go ask the N.I.H. why.”

The discovery will no doubt add to the controversy surrounding Lyme disease. While most Lyme victims are cured by a two-week course of antibiotics, some have symptoms that go on for years and believe they have persistent infections that the antibiotics did not reach.

Most medical authorities, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Infectious Disease Society of America, take the position that “chronic Lyme disease” does not exist and that those victims either have other illnesses or are hypochondriacs. They oppose the solution demanded by some self-proclaimed victims: long-term intravenous antibiotics.

Dr. Krause said it was unlikely that the new spirochete could be responsible for chronic Lyme, because the symptoms do not match: Most of those who think they have chronic Lyme complain of fatigue and joint pain, not repeated fevers.

But he said doctors might consider the new infection, especially in patients who think they have been bitten by ticks, come up negative on Lyme tests and have recurrent episodes of fever.

B. miyamotoi does not appear to cause the “bull’s-eye rash” that helps doctors diagnose Lyme disease, the Russian team found.

“People shouldn’t panic,” Dr. Krause said. “And they also should not jump to the conclusion that we’ve found the cause of chronic Lyme disease. It’s not highly likely, but it’s possible. We just don’t know.”

The miyamotoi spirochete was discovered in Japan in 1995. It was at first believed to be limited to those islands.

In 2001, Dr. Fish found it in about 2 percent of the deer ticks in the Northeast and Upper Midwest and proved that mice could pick it up from tick bites.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/20/health/20tick.html

[posey]

This sounds bad Megan because the spirochete is the sneaky devil that changes form when medicine is entered into the body to kill it. It may go from the spindly looking spirochete to a cyst form and then the medicine doesn't work. It is related to the Syphillis spirochete.

This is a good article you found. I was tested for Mycoplasma and Chlamydia Pneumonia a year ago and my titres were elevated. However, there was no test to determine if I had it presently or in the past so my Dr. left it up to me if I anted to do the protocol for it from Vanderbilt University. I chose to do it simply because of having M. I began with Doxycyclene for a month, then added Metronidasole, and in another mon added Flagyll to these 2. I took these for a year and after no change with M figured if I presently had had the aforementioned, they were taken care of.

I am going to give your article to my Dr.; the one who KNOWS M is real.

Hugs,
posey

[MeaganM]

I have suspected for awhile now that M is some kind of mutated Lyme disease and I thought this article was interesting from many aspects.

First of all, Russia has had many people with this and decided to do the research. We know M is all over the world now and since the U.S. is ignoring it, it would stand to reason that another country would figure it out.

Secondly, the scientist are saying that it is stealthy and doesn't present with the typical bullseye rash that Lyme presents. Thirdly, Lyme has many, many similar symptoms of M and this new bacteria could be the one thing that causes the skin fibers that M patients get and Lyme patients don't. I would not be surprised if this ends up being the cause for M. If it is so stealthy, it could hide from treatment like Posey suggests.

I think these doctors have stumbled upon something bigger than even they know.

BTW, I watched the video Under Our Skin last night and what these people are experiencing fits me perfectly except for the fibers that I get. I have severe Neurological symptoms and cannot walk most days. I have severe pain in my calf muscles and sometimes wish I could just get them amputated. I get Bells Palsy. My son has recently started getting facial neuropathy similar to tardive dyskanitia (sp.?). He also has the muscle issues. If it weren't for the weird skin symptoms, I could check off every Lyme symptom and it would match perfectly.

[tcmgpt13]

I agree Meagan. I believe lyme is the background infection we may all have and I also feel that's why Dr. Harvey and others kept testing patients for it when they first started investigating M symptoms. Harvey and his wife both had really severe cases of lyme so he had to be aware of the major similarities between it and M. It's probably too early to say this particular new form of lyme is the one we have, especially since other bacterial infections and viral infections and even fungal infections are found as co-infections of the one commonly tested for. Any of these infections or even accompanying parasite infections have the potential to produce fibers, especially in those genetically disposed to tissue disorders such as scleroderma. Some with M have reported some of these symptoms:

wwwmedicinenet.com/scleroderma/article.htm

Small fiber neuropathies also could be an issue for us. Look at the list here--there have been some here who have been diagnosed with some of these disorders:

wwwtherapath.com/Overview.php

Hopefully that new test for lyme I posted on another thread proves more definitive as far as providing reliable results for lyme's presence in the body instead of the hit or miss tests we have now. In addition another type of lyme infection is being spread by the lone star tick.

wwwcdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/stari/

There's just so much to learn. The commonality of lyme has to be taught to doctors who refuse to recognize the seriousness of spirochete infections. Until we have better tests available to prove that those with M do have a lyme infection (most likely chronic), more recognition of that possibility, as well as better treatments we are kinda up the creek without a paddle.

[sammy]

also One thing that Dr Harvey said and prescribed was long term amoxcillian use kinda of same thing Dr savely has prescribed for patients. sammy

[WorriedExpectantMaMa]

I'm new to the site & forum. I'm trying get a foot hold on this disease & an understanding. I too thought it was some form of lyme disease. I am pregnant and worried to death. I've been suffering for months because I had no idea of what this disease or affliction was, there for was hopeless as to what would work. Will this affect my baby? Will this kill us? Is there a cure?

[MeaganM]

Hi Worried. I can really understand your fear and I'm so sorry that you are going through this right now. It breaks my heart to see all the new sufferers on this site everyday but to be pregnant and facing this is just horrific. There is no known cure for this disease yet because no one really even knows what it is. Doctors and the CDC have yet to admit that there is a problem. There are a lot of theories and there have been many treatment suggestions that help with the symptoms. Everyone is different though so it's kind of a hit or miss.

Because no one knows what this is, it's hard to say if it's transferred to the fetus. My son does have it but I don't know if he got it from me or was exposed to the same thing I was exposed to. Although my son has it, he seems to be doing well as long as I feed him right and keep his immune system strong. I believe in my heart and soul that by the time he is in his teens, this disease will be exposed and there will be a treatment so remember this when you think of your unborn child. That would make your child younger than my son's age now. There is hope.

If I had to do it over again though, there would be a few things that I would have done different when my son was born. One thing would have been to make all his baby food myself with all organic meats, fruits, veggies, and especially organic hormone free milk. I would have tried to eat this stuff myself when I was pregnant too. Even though I'm not sure this is caused by GMO foods, just the slightest chance would have made me do this. Even if I couldn't afford it, I would have given up my comfort things to do this for him. Recently, I have given up cigarettes, diet coke, and alcohol so that I can give him organic foods now and I search for the cheapest because it can be expensive.

Most importantly, take care of yourself while you are pregnant and try not to stress. It's not good for you or the baby. This disease has become so widespread that more and more doctors are researching it. It's spreading so fast that I truly believe that answers and treatments are just around the corner. This forum is a great place to find natural, safe treatments for the symptoms and it's excellent for support. There are wonderful people on here who understand exactly what it's like to live with this horrible affliction.

[tcmgpt13]

I would like to say that none us here yet know as a fact that all Morgellons patients have lyme. So far it has been the infection most of the people with M symptoms have tested positive for, but given the fact that lyme tests are not always reliable we still do not know M always has lyme as part of the picture. Lyme may or may not be the common denominator. The jury is still out on that. Remember no one here is a doctor and what is posted here about various theories is guesswork on everyone's part. So try not to stress or lose sleep over our various theories. BTW Carla, our mod, had a child after contracting M symptoms. As far as I know her child is fine some years later, but I know she has changed her family's diet to include more nutritious foods over time which improved the health of them all.

I believe some people have become very sick with M, but that is because there are so many co-infections and other diseases that can also develop when one has M. Some with M have also tested for various infectious diseases such as herpes, MRSA, candida, etc, but again not all have. Remember too that some who thought they had M symptoms turned out to have something else when they were finally diagnosed, such as the person who turned out to have cutaneous lupus and became well on plaquenil. It's best to be tested for some of the more common suspected co-infections infections or common autoimmune diseases by finding either a lyme literate doctor from ILADS or finding an open minded infectious disease doctor. Doctors who practice alternative medicine might be another way to go, but it is important to discuss symptoms and not M with doctors. Otherwise, if you mention Morgellons, parasites or bugs, they will say you are DOP. Discuss every symptom but not M or bugs. Skin symptoms are fine to mention as long as you do not say you see parasites.

Eating a good diet is very important to those with M and also for those who are pregnant. And when you think about it that's good advice for anyone, well or sick. There's many suggestions about eating organic whole foods to improve M symptoms. Still try not to worry or stress. That is very bad for anyone who has M symptoms. After the baby arrives there are many suggestions (natural) for treating some M symptoms discussed on the forum. Just look under the Morgellons treatment section of the forum to find them.

quote=WorriedExpectantMaMa;84296]I'm new to the site forum. I'm trying get a foot hold on this disease an understanding. I too thought it was some form of lyme disease. I am pregnant and worried to death. I've been suffering for months because I had no idea of what this disease or affliction was, there for was hopeless as to what would work. Will this affect my baby? Will this kill us? Is there a cure?[/quote]

[posey]

I would agree with the Lyme thing except that I got disseminated Lyme disease after I noticed all the disfiguring changes going on with my face. The face changes went on for about 3 years before I had Lyme.

However, when I had Lyme I never had the bullseye rash, I would break out in red blotches all across my chest whenever I took a shower. The 2nd time it happened I had my husband take pictures (I was glad my head was left out) to show the Dr. Can you believe it took him 2 weeks before he even thought of testing for Lyme. By that time my liver had been affected.

I think that it needs to be determined when a person had Lyme and when M began. I know it began before Lyme because no one ages overnight and I would get thick calloused skin patches on my face, and had eyelids which could be pulled out 3 inches from my eyes due to the film and crap on them. They were so bad that they hung over the outer sides and an aesthetician wanted me to go to an opthamologist to have my peripheral vision tested for driving. I never went because I wasn't going to have them carve this off and leave a nice scar on my eyelids without even determining what the reason for it was.

Another thing that really is an issue with me. It was the same with Fibromyalgia. Anytime they can not explain a disease, the first thing they do is check to see if you have ever been depressed in your life time. But they do not run these surverys for diseases they can explain such as Cancer and the like. I'll bet as many ppl with Cancer have had just as many issue with Behavioral Health issues as those with M or Fibromyalgia. It used to be if they could not explain a disease it would be blamed on smoking. Now days, they use depression, anxiety, etc. and it just isn't true.

I would love to know how many ppl with explained diseases have had issues at one point in their life with behavioral issues. I'd bet a very high number would be exposed. Many times in unexplained diseases it is the Dr. himself and the medical community who themselves cause depression on the patient. In Fibro, it is demeaning to say the least to be known as a drug seeker or hypochondriac.

When Obama had his revision on healthcare it was not on healthcare. It was accessibility to healthcare. What we need is a revision on healthcare as much as accessibility to it.

posey

TCM, I just noticed what you said about Lyme and you are 100% right. No one knows for sure, which is kind of what I was explaining in my situation.

[posey]

In my thoughts I have often wondered if Fibromyalgia and possibly Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are both a part of M. Maybe beginning stages or something in some people. But then not everyone has FMS and CFS.

Then again with M not everyone has the lesions. I never got the lesions. I hope I never do. I think until we have research which we can truly consider credible and not bogus, many of our question and thoughts are going to remain unanswered. That is why there can't be a statement of a cure. First, reliable research that we can trust would have to determine the pathogen/s and come up with a test to test for it. It will take years of research to know if the pathogen/s can be killed in the body or if they lie dormant like many other pathogens do such as Herpes. Chicken Pox is a Herpes virus and many times it reactivates years later in elderly people as Shingles. Herples Simplex 1 and 2 can remain dormant than for whatever reason they are triggered to reactivate and cause sores again on the lips, eyes, or genital region.

One of the biggest issues I think we face is who can we trust to get the needed valid research done. Suppose this is something that accidentally got loose. No one is going to fund any research for something they want hidden.

These are all just thoughts of mine, but thoughts I think need considering. Plus we all know how long research takes, even when it is valid. Research to determine pathogen/s and then research on drugs. I figure by that time I will be gone from this world.