Chronic infections can persist for various reasons. A weakened host immune system may provide a suitable environment for bacteria to thrive long-term. Likewise, re-infections could take place due to shared habitats between host and vector. The ability for tick-borne pathogens, like Bartonella and Borrelia, to form biofilms is another possibility that clinicians and researchers are […]
What are lymph nodes? How do they respond to a Bartonella species infection?
Lymph nodes have been called the “upper management” of the immune system by journalist Matt Richtel. Some of the more impressive aspects of the immune system, such as the ability to recognize pathogens that may have been encountered years earlier, occur in the lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are scattered throughout the body. Some are as […]
Don’t Let Bartonella Come Between the Human-Animal Bond
A common misconception regarding Bartonella henselae infection, sometimes known as cat scratch disease (CSD), is that cats are the “bad guy” in the situation. Cats and other animals have been a part of human life for millennia and have documented positive effects on mental and physical wellness. Cats are natural reservoirs for Bartonella henselae, and […]
Vector-Borne Disease and Skin: Your First Layer of Defense
Skin is the largest human organ. It is also the first place that flea and tick-borne pathogens encounter the human immune system. While some skin symptoms are signature markers for specific pathogens or families of pathogens, others provide hard-to-interpret clues that can be linked to a wide variety of diseases. Lyme borreliosis and bartonellosis are […]
Breaking down the Bartonella spp. ePCR Triple Blood Draw: How does it work?
Galaxy customers often ask our team, “Why do results for a Bartonella ePCR test take 3 weeks?” By the time a customer has decided to get a Bartonella ePCR triple draw test they may have had symptoms for some time, seen many doctors, and made difficult decisions about where to spend their healthcare dollars. We […]
Ticks are out for the summer: How can bites be prevented?
People who have experienced symptoms related to tick-borne disease generally say they wouldn’t wish these illnesses on anyone. Despite the educational information tick-borne disease patients repeatedly provide in the media and to their friends, many people do not act to prevent tick bites when participating in activities that may put them at risk. The Tick-Borne […]