Lyme & Tick-Borne Disease News Roundup
As a leading provider of diagnostic testing for tick-borne diseases, IGeneX is dedicated to keeping the Lyme and tick-borne disease community informed about the latest developments in tick-borne disease research, testing, treatment, and more.
In this tick-borne and Lyme disease news roundup, read about a New York state senator’s efforts to secure funding for tick-borne disease research, the release of the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group’s 2020 report to Congress, and a study that found Lyme-causing pathogens in birds.
Lyme Disease News Roundup: March 2021
1. New York State Senator Sue Serino calls for $1.5 million for Lyme research, education, and prevention
This month, the New York state legislature is deciding on its budget for the fiscal year 2021-2022. When it became evident that the budget included no money for research on Lyme and tick-borne diseases, State Senator Sue Serino assembled a bipartisan coalition to address this issue, citing the fact that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has increased their estimate of Lyme cases diagnosed in the U.S. every year from around 300,000 to 476,000.
In a virtual press conference, Senator Serino and the coalition of lawmakers, researchers, and advocates from across New York advocated for $1.5 million in funding for research, education, and prevention of Lyme and tick-borne diseases, which – though they affect people across all 50 states – are a major danger in New York and other parts of New England.
2. Tick-Borne Disease Working Group’s 2020 Report to Congress highlights emerging tick-borne disease risks
Echoing the concerns cited by Senator Sue Serino above, the national Tick-Borne Disease Working Group provided a robust 2020 report to Congress (PDF) spanning a wide range of issues related to Lyme and other tick-borne diseases in the U.S. Among the issues highlighted are:
- The severe under-recognition and under-reporting of tick-borne diseases in the U.S. The Working Group cites a number of interrelated factors contributing to this underreporting, including lack of clinician education and awareness, lack of quality diagnostic tools, and inadequate surveillance and reporting systems that can overtax clinicians.
- The risks of contracting tick-borne diseases are increasing in the U.S. The report attributes this increased risk to a combination of expanding tick geography and extended tick seasons as well as pandemic conditions pushing people to spend more time outdoors for recreation, thus coming into increased contact with ticks.
- The need for better clinician awareness and training. As IGeneX has covered before, the most important factor in recovering from Lyme is accurate and timely diagnosis. A delayed or missed diagnosis can make treatment much more difficult. If doctors are not aware of the varying clinical manifestations of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, they cannot make accurate diagnoses, which harms patients.
- The need for novel and supplemental treatment for Lyme disease. Crucially, the report spotlights the fact that untreated or undertreated Lyme can have lasting, serious health effects. The Working Group advocates for more research into “long haul” or chronic Lyme disease, as well as better and/or alternative treatments (beyond antibiotics).
3. Host competence for Lyme Borreliae found in birds
Scientists have long known that migratory birds affect the spread of tick-borne disease pathogens. Ticks attached to migrating birds travel with the flock, bringing along pathogens that spread Lyme disease, Spotted Fever, Babesiosis, Bartonellosis, Ehrlichiosis, and Anaplasmosis.
However, a new study shows that half of sampled birds representing 183 different species showed evidence of competence for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, which causes Lyme disease. In other words, in addition to being efficient feeders and transporters of ticks, many birds are also competent hosts of Lyme-causing pathogens themselves. This suggests that birds may play an even greater role than previously recognized in the spread of tick-borne diseases.
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