Lyme News

BBC article on Lyme Disease research

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 09:46:31 -0400

This article is interesting. It’s the first time I’ve seen this mentioned:

That’s why a team of researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is testing a new approach.

They’re in the middle of a clinical trial that allows uninfected ticks to feed on humans who have been treated for Lyme disease. Researchers will then test the ticks for the bacteria that causes the disease.

The process is called xenodiagnosis.

Acorns And Mice Driving Unusual Lyme Disease Risks

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:53:05 -0400

Acorns And Mice Driving Unusual Lyme Disease Risks:

[…] a heavy crop of acorns in 2010 […] fueled a 2011 population bloom in white-footed mice […] That surge intersected with the two-year lifecycle of the ticks that transmit Lyme disease, for which mice are the key host, and this summer could produce a bumper crop of infected tick nymphs

Fungus kills Lyme disease-carrying ticks

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 13:24:32 -0400

Fungus kills Lyme disease-carrying ticks :

The station tested it on residential properties in northwestern Connecticut and found up to 74 percent fewer ticks after treatment

…

It will be commercially available in 2014, said Kirby Stafford, the station’s vice director and chief entomologist.

Viral Genetics Submits Pre-IND Document for Lyme Disease Drug Candidate to FDA

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:36:00 -0500

Viral Genetics Submits Pre-IND Document for Lyme Disease Drug Candidate to FDA:

From the press release:

“To our knowledge, this is the first novel drug candidate that has been proposed for study in the treatment of chronic Lyme Disease post-infection in quite some time.”

"The way in which a society deals with marginalized populations is the signature and indelible stamp..."

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 14:30:05 -0500

“The way in which a society deals with marginalized populations is the signature and indelible stamp of that society’s character. And the the US healthcare system gets an F in this work here. Victims of Lyme disease are victimized twice by this illness. First by the unending suffering attached to the illness and second by a healthcare system that ignores them, and sometimes doesn’t just ignore them. It mocks them and ridicules them.”

- Dr. Joseph Jemsek, Infectious Disease Specialist, HIV/AIDS and Lyme disease doctor (via sistersofmercy)

Lyme bacteria found in 5300 year old mummy

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 14:30:05 -0500

Lyme bacteria found in 5300 year old mummy

£2.5m Aid Granted to Study the Lyme Disease

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:46:03 -0500

£2.5m Aid Granted to Study the Lyme Disease

Natural tick control tested

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:30:06 -0500

Natural tick control tested:

Lignin-encapsulated (LE) nootkatone, a component of essential oil in grapefruit peels and other sources, has been found to be a good repellent against ticks that transmit Lyme disease.

A Step Closer to Tests for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Lyme Disease

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:30:05 -0500

A Step Closer to Tests for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Lyme Disease:

The researchers identified 738 proteins found in the CFS patients, but not healthy people or the treated Lyme patients. And they identified 692 proteins in the treated Lyme patients that weren’t in either CFS patients or healthy controls.

Viral Genetics Inc. Issues 2011 Year in Review and 2012 Outlook - MarketWatch

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:24:05 -0500

Viral Genetics Inc. Issues 2011 Year in Review and 2012 Outlook - MarketWatch:

Update on the Viral Genetics, Inc. (VRAL) Lyme drug program linked to previously. Reminder: IND means “Investigational new drug”, so Pre-IND is even earlier in the process.

We have recently entered into an agreement with a physician associated with one of the leading medical centers in the country to act as the “clinical lead” for this drug program. This doctor will complete the clinical portions of the pre-IND including an outline of the clinical trial protocol, as well as possibly serve as primary investigator for the planned clinical trial of our Lyme disease compound.

Boulder Diagnostics licenses novel Lyme disease diagnostic technology from Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, The Netherlands

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:52:06 -0500

Boulder Diagnostics licenses novel Lyme disease diagnostic technology from Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, The Netherlands:

Many of the news stories we share have long term implications. This is progress with near term impact in terms of a diagnostics company partnering with a university to bring a test to market.

The new powerful Lyme disease diagnostic test is particularly suited to detect a chronic Lyme infection from a patient blood sample.

New map pinpoints areas of highest human risk for lyme disease in eastern United States

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:53:05 -0500

New map pinpoints areas of highest human risk for lyme disease in eastern United States:

“We can’t completely rule out the existence of Lyme disease in the South,” she added, “but it appears highly unlikely.”

Here’s the link to the map.

Western Fence Lizards, Ticks, and Lyme

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:46:29 -0500

Western Fence Lizards, Ticks, and Lyme:

This is an interesting article. Previously known was that Western fence lizards carry a protein that kills B. burgdorferi bacteria (including from ticks that feed on them). In this study, the researchers removed the lizards from a test plot of land and found the tick population dropped 95% compared to a control group.

“When you have an animal like Western fence lizards that ‘support’ such a huge population of ticks, you can’t assume that those juvenile ticks will go to another host if the lizard population drops,” said Robert Lane, a UC Berkeley entomologist who discovered the microbe-killing protein in lizard blood

Scientists Push for Lyme Disease Trials

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:22:06 -0500

Scientists Push for Lyme Disease Trials:

The remarks were made at a workshop organized by the IOM in Washington DC on 11 and 12 October.

“Our session wasn’t supposed to talk about treating chronic Lyme,” says Sam Donta, an infectious disease specialist at Falmouth Hospital in Massachusetts who spoke at the workshop. “But when we had our pre-session conference call and they said this is supposed to be about diagnosis and management, I said how can you talk about management without talking about treatment?”

Representative Wolf (R-VA) pushes for Lyme

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:53:05 -0500

Our local congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA) recently sent out a news bulletin to concerned constituents about pushing for Lyme research at the CDC.

As part of his ongoing effort to address the devastating impact of Lyme disease, Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) today announced that the annual spending bill that funds the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) calls for greater focus on the issue.

- via Fairfax News

Lyme disease risk from dogs 'higher than thought'

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:33:05 -0500

This is in the UK, it’s potentially higher in the US.

The expected prevalence of infected ticks on dogs is 0.5% or 481 infected ticks per 100,000 dogs.

- via BBC News Article

Warmer winters bring tick-infested springs

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:15:27 -0500

pamdodd:

Warmer winters bring tick-infested springs | StarTribune.com (Minneapolis) http://ow.ly/8EcDQ

Send us your stories!

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:32:05 -0500

Send us your stories!:

We want to know what news stories you think are important, or what products have worked well (or poorly) for you. Send us your stories and reviews by visiting our submission page.

Pilot Studies on Lyme Disease

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:15:05 -0500

pamdodd:

Pilot Studies on Lyme Disease, STARI & Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis Funded by NRFTD) http://ow.ly/8r04m

Viral Genetics Has Made Great Progress in 2011

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:24:05 -0500

This feels like a press release from a company but some of the things they are discussing are interesting. Mentioned on the page is that they have pre-IND (Investigational New Drug) for Lyme.

Lyme Disease Program: The Company is in the process of completing its pre-IND for the Lyme Disease drug program. A clinical investigator is now being recruited who will assist in completing the clinical design aspects of the pre-IND.

http://www.zacks.com/stock/news/66740/Viral+Genetics+Has+Made+Great+Progress+in+2011++