Posts found in:
Tick-Borne

Bartonella henselae, Babesia odocoilei and Babesia divergens-like MO-1 infection in the brain of a child with seizures, mycotoxin exposure and suspected Rasmussen’s encephalitis
Breitschwerdt EB, Maggi RG, Robveille C, Kingston E. Bartonella henselae, Babesia odocoilei and Babesia divergens-like MO-1 infection in the brain of a child with seizures, mycotoxin exposure and suspected Rasmussen’s encephalitis. J Cent Nerv Syst Dis. 2025 Mar 12;17:11795735251322456. doi: 10.1177/11795735251322456. PMID: 40083671; PMCID: PMC11905044.
  • Despite cat and suspected tick exposure, Bartonella henselae and Borrelia burgdorferi serology remained negative.
  • Neurodiagnostic testing partially supported Rasmussen’s encephalitis; brain biopsy showed astrogliosis.
  • Bartonella henselae DNA was detected in brain tissue cultures.
  • Babesia odocoilei and Babesia divergens-like MO-1 were confirmed in blood and brain tissue from 2022–2023.
  • Infections, compounded by mycotoxin exposure, created a complex clinical case.
Concurrent Infection of the Human Brain with Multiple Borrelia Species
Golovchenko M, Opelka J, Vancova M, Sehadova H, Kralikova V, Dobias M, Raska M, Krupka M, Sloupenska K, Rudenko N. Concurrent Infection of the Human Brain with Multiple Borrelia Species. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Nov 29;24(23):16906. doi: 10.3390/ijms242316906. PMID: 38069228; PMCID: PMC10707132.
  • Lyme disease (LD) spirochetes invade tissues, including the brain.
  • Immune evasion tactics: immune suppression, tolerance, antigenic variation, intracellular hiding, biofilms, and persistent forms.
  • Immune-privileged site invasion (e.g., brain) shields spirochetes from immune response and antibiotics.
  • Case study: Spirochetal DNA found in multiple brain regions of a deceased LD patient.
  • Co-infection detected: Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia garinii in distinct, non-overlapping brain areas.
  • Atypical spirochete morphology observed in both human and experimentally infected mouse brain tissue.
Borrelia miyamotoi Serology in a Clinical Population With Persistent Symptoms and Suspected Tick-Borne Illness

Borrelia miyamotoi Serology in a Clinical Population With Persistent Symptoms and Suspected Tick-Borne Illness

Delaney Shannon L., Murray Lilly A., Aasen Claire E., Bennett Clair E., Brown Ellen, Fallon Brian A. Borrelia miyamotoi Serology in a Clinical Population With Persistent Symptoms and Suspected Tick-Borne Illness. Front. Med., 27 October 2020 . DOI=10.3389/fmed.2020.567350

ABSTRACT=Eighty-two patients seeking consultation for long-term sequalae after suspected tick-borne illness were consecutively tested for Borrelia miyamotoi antibodies using a recombinant glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase (GlpQ) enzyme immunoassay. Twenty-one of the 82 patients (26%) tested positive on the GlpQ IgG ELISA. Nearly all of the patients (98%) had no prior B. miyamotoi testing, indicating that clinicians rarely test for this emerging tick-borne pathogen. Compared to patients who solely tested positive for Lyme disease antibodies, patients with B. miyamotoi antibodies presented with significantly more sleepiness and pain. A prospective study is needed to ascertain the relationship between the presence of B. miyamotoi antibodies and persistent symptoms.

The Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction associated with doxycycline in a patient with Lyme arthritis
Nykytyuk S, Boyarchuk O, Klymnyuk S, Levenets S. The Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction associated with doxycycline in a patient with Lyme arthritis. Reumatologia. 2020;58(5):335-338. doi: 10.5114/reum.2020.99143. Epub 2020 Oct 3. PMID: 33227092; PMCID: PMC7667941.
  • A 13-year-old boy developed Lyme arthritis and experienced a severe Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction on day 7 of doxycycline treatment.
  • Symptoms included low-grade fever, severe joint and muscle pain, and increased inflammatory markers.
  • Unlike the typical mild, short-lived reaction seen in adults, this case was prolonged and intense.
  • Raising awareness among healthcare professionals can help differentiate this reaction from allergies or other conditions, improving patient care.