In the Lyme Light: Beyond The Tick Bite (Part One)

On this week’s episode, we start our discussion about Lyme disease, an infection that is riddled with misconceptions and misinformation. First, we open the conversation with a primer on ticks as disease vectors, including an overview of different tick species and the array of different tick-borne pathogens that exist. We then discuss Lyme disease specifically, a bacterial infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi that is transmitted by specific species of ticks. We spend some time focusing on how the best offense is defense – and discuss best practices for avoiding tick bites, including tick checks, repellents, and pesticides that are effective. We elaborate on the infection process if you are bit by an infected tick, including which ticks are actually able to spread infection and how it occurs, as well as how infection is diagnosed and treated. At the end of the episode, we start our discussion on the different pathology of disease, as a primer for part 2, which will elaborate on illness itself and dispel many of the myths associated with Lyme disease.

PLEASE NOTE: The discussion and information provided in this podcast are for general educational, scientific, and informational purposes only and are not intended as, and should not be treated as, medical or other professional advice for any particular individual or individuals.  Every person and medical issue is different, and diagnosis and treatment requires consideration of specific facts often unique to the individual.  As such, the information contained in this podcast should not be used as a substitute for consultation with and/or treatment by a doctor or other medical professional.  If you are experiencing any medical issue or have any medical concern, you should consult with a doctor or other medical professional. 

Further, due to the inherent limitations of a podcast such as this as well as ongoing scientific developments, we do not guarantee the completeness or accuracy of the information or analysis provided in this podcast, although, of course we always endeavor to provide comprehensive information and analysis. In no event may Unbiased Science or any of the participants in this podcast be held liable to the listener or anyone else for any decision allegedly made or action allegedly taken or not taken allegedly in reliance on the discussion or information in this podcast or for any damages allegedly resulting from such reliance.

RESOURCES

• CDC: Tick ID

• Regions Where Ticks Live

• Overview of Tickborne Diseases

• NIH Manuscript on Lyme Disease

• CDC Info on Lyme Disease

• How Ticks Spread Disease

• Transmission Kinetics of Tickborne Pathogens

• Borrelia burgdorferi Requires Glycerol for Maximum Fitness During The Tick Phase of the Enzootic Cycle

• Preventing Tick Bites

• Tickborne Diseases: Lyme

• Lyme Disease Diagnostics

• Lyme Disease Diagnosis and Testing

• Treatment for Erythema Migrans

• Serious Bacterial Infections Acquired During Treatment of Patients Given a Diagnosis of Chronic Lyme Disease 

• Lyme Disease Vaccine

• The History of the Lyme Disease Vaccine

• The Facts You Should Know About Lyme Disease

• Lyme Science: Scientific Consensus

• Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome

• False & Misleading Information About Lyme Disease

• Ten Facts You Should Know About Lyme Disease

• Differences in Genotype, Clinical Features, and Inflammatory Potential of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto Strains from Europe and the United States

• Disease Severity in a Murine Model of Lyme Borreliosis is Associated with the Genotype of the Infecting Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Stricto Strain

• Impact of Genotypic Variation of Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Stricto on Kinetics of Dissemination and Severity of Disease in C3H/HeJ Mice

• Borrelia burgdorferi Genotype Predicts the Capacity for Hematogenous Dissemination during Early Lyme Disease

• Induction of Type I and Type III Interferons by Borrelia burgdorferi Correlates with Pathogenesis and Requires Linear Plasmid 36

• Fitness Variation of Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Stricto Strains in Mice

• Induction of Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase by Borrelia burgdorferi in Human Immune Cells Correlates with Pathogenic Potential

• Borrelia burgdorferi Induces a Type I Interferon Response During Early Stages of Disseminated Infection in Mice

• Interactions Between Borrelia burgdorferi and Ticks

• Video of Tick Questing

Ixodes scapularis life cycle

Enzootic Cycle of Borrelia burgdorfer

Anatomy of black-legged tick, including midgut and salivary glands.

Types of ticks, with scale