GUEST BLOG: Is it time for a “Lyme divorce”?
Internationally renowned Lyme disease researcher Dr. Alan MacDonald posted the following remarks in the comments section of the Boston Globe’s recent article about Lyme disease.
All of these disagreements would “go away” if we agree to DIVORCE Lyme from other European type burgdorferi group Borrelia infections.
Lyme in its DIVORCED domains is codified, narrow in its clinical profile, hard to get, easy to treat, managed by the CDC criteria for case definition, and geographically limited in the USA to the areas in the northeastern USA , Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
Borreliosis in its DIVORCED domains is wide in its clinical profiles, easy to get, difficult to treat, not managed by CDC criteria for case definition, and a worldwide public health problem. Dimensions of Garinii borreliosis, Azelii Borreliosis, and related “European” type Borreliosis of the burgdorferi sensu lato group of microbes are as remarkable in complexities as is the USA burgdorferi sensu stricto borreliosis {Usa Lyme Agent b31 strain] is in its simplicities.
European Burgdorferi strains [sensu lato] may produce stroke, death verified by autopsy studies, dilated cardiomyopathy with some European Borrelia carditis cases treated with heart transplantation, malignant lymphomas of the skin, and a host of skin conditions which are never diagnosed in the USA; the premier being Acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans, from which squamous cancers and malignant lymphomas may emerge.
We are a global society. European Borreliosis infections may be difficult to diagnose when patients return to the USA.
Military service personnel in Germany are vulnerable to European Borreliosis, especially when their tour of duty involves maneuvers in the Black Forest region of the German Federal Republic. Travel to resort areas of Mexico, Central America, and Brazil may result in “European type Borreliosis infections” due to endemic areas of Garinii type borreliosis in these geographies. Borrelia infections in Australia and in China are different from USA Lyme.
60% of the metropolitan New York and perhaps a substantial fraction of Greater Boston Metro blood centers are supported by imported blood donations from—the European community. Germany alone had one million government-reimbursed medical treatments for its citizens in 2012.
The DIVORCE of Borrelia Infections from the simpler short list of USA Lyme infections would allow the medical community to tolerate two tracks of diagnosis, and treatment. Render unto Borreliosis that which is Borreliosis, including the newly recognized Miyamotoi form of borreliosis, spread by Lyme ticks–Ixodes scapularis– and render unto Lyme a simpler, and in the words of Dr. Allen Steere, “often self healing” medical condition.
Divorce is well past due for the entities “Lyme” and “other Burgdorferi Group human Borreliosis” conditions–worldwide.
Alimony is neither requested nor required in such a “no contest” parting of the ways.
Click here to read the article from the Boston Globe.
Dr. Alan MacDonald has researched Lyme disease for more than 30 years. He was profiled in the award-winning documentary film UNDER OUR SKIN.
I had a squamous malignant tumor which at the time suspected it was Lyme related but never was confirmed. I have never bee overseas which makes me wonder if I have a number of strains of Bb. I have been successfully treated (have had Lyme and co-infections for 230 yrs) as much as a person like me can be. I am on maintenance now, but have been researching and writing for over 10 years. This is the first time I have found this information. Great to know. Dr. MacDonald, you are one of my most highly respected researchers. Thank you for the years of work.
Um, no one can have Lyme that long……30 years is long enough!
Dr. McDonald is right. The illness is complicated enough and I despise the word Lyme.
Thank you, Dr. MacDonald, for your sane words. My husband and I have suffered from borreliosis and multiple coinfections for over 30 years, and our girls, 14 and 16, have had borreliosis symptoms since birth. All of us were diagnosed 4 years ago. Thanks to the rigid CDC/IDSA constructs, all of our treatment has been out of pocket and we have lost our homes and savings. Still, my husband and daughter have gone from nearly wheelchair bound to highly functional. Being sick is hard enough; supporting sick children is hard enough; having to fight insurance deniers and doctors who — without their own expertise in this complex set of diseases — rely on IDSA to tell us that we are not infected despite positive lab tests — is criminal. We are so grateful to you for your ongoing and thoughtful work in this field.
Thank you Dr. MacDonald. Our LD says the same thing. It’s time to separate what we can and move forward. Borreliosis has taken my husband of 19 years from a strong vital man to one who is absolutely sick and tired of being sick and tired!
This gave my heart a jolt.. With a father in the Canadian military I was raised as a child in the Black forest in Germany…. I have a long-standing case of ACA and have been fighting for Canadian treatment…. My C6 Elisa here, is “off the charts positive” and my Canadian WB negative, according to Canada’s CDC… I get better with antibiotics and relapse w/o them… Lately anti-virals have helped as well….. I have classic neurological Lyme – not pain…..its in my brain…… MD and Specialists still deny/resist my diagnosis. During the Second world war, the Nazis were studying borrelia to use as biological agent …..
If Lyme bacterias are the cause how do we know that it is not Lyme as any cause where numerous research now is pointing directly to ‘internal ionization radiation injuries resulting in translocation breaking in chromosones…What are you researchers doing to completely rule out 100% radiation injuries, I have seen numerous numerous people being tested for Lyme and radiation and numerous pathogens including mycoplasmas, c. pneumonaie…If something is missed that would mean numerous people will go through decades of serious illness and under diagnosed…We had Chernobyl 3 Mile Island plus numerous leaks including thousands of nuclear devises exploding all across the globe…Even a report back in 2006 from Greenpeace found out that military and nuclear industry were dumping barrels of radiation into our oceans…Something to me does not add up in all of this plus enough documentaion where Chernobyl got into the food supply and then on to North American ports…The Science also proves that clouds can actually carry radiation…Last numerous military troops have also stated that over 120 tons of plutonium was dumped on innocent Iraqi citizens…I think radiation must be 100% ruled out in every Lyme disease patient no matter what and if they are positive to radiation Immediate damages in full must be paid plus all treatments free by each state…I can suggest that anyone follow Dr. Helen Caldicott on radiation fallouts…Hoping my comment open up every researchers eyes for radiation has no borders and no-one is immune from this catastrophic man made filthy energy…We need the truth and we need it now…Sincerely Mr Aidan G Walsh…I want my blood tested in full for radiation in fact I am demanding that this be done as soon as possible and let my results be made fully 100% public/media…Southampton, U.K.
Very interesting. Thank you Dr. MacDonald. Please keep up your good work and tell the public what we can do to have doctors be able to treat this horrible disease without the doctors being sanctioned.
Agree absolutely. Many have been saying this for decades. Sincere thanks to Dr. MacDonald! This agenda needs to be pushed. Lyme disease may very well be a form of borreliisis that is easily treated. However, that’s not the form of borreliosis I have…19 years later I’m still fighting.
Sorry, doc. But you can’t divorce Lyme from any geographical region. Why ?
1. We live in a mobile society and where we move (for whatever reason, job, family, etc.) we take our sick little bodies with us and we deserve adequate lyme treatment.
2. Lyme has been reported in every state in the US (except Hawaii) and in all states by veterinarians .
The oldest known lyme victim was Otzi, a prehistoric man dating to 3300BCE. His preserved mummy was found in the Alps and an ensuing autopsy found Borellia. See : National Geogrpahic 2011 article by S. Hall.