The Infectious Dose of Pathogens and Transmission Risk
The likelihood that a pathogen will overwhelm the immune system and cause a person to become ill has to do with the dose of the exposure. Scientists have explored the dose of exposure in a variety of infectious diseases such as Lyme borreliosis and – most recently – COVID-19. Scientists are learning more about how […]
What does the Novel Coronavirus Mean for Tick-borne Disease Exposure?
As states continue to enforce shelter-in-place and social distancing orders, news reports suggest that people and their pets are spending more time engaging in outdoor activities. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, people should be aware that experts are warning the mild winter may mean larger populations of disease-carrying ticks across the United […]
What happens when reliable testing is not available? Lessons from Tick-borne Disease
In the United States as testing problems mounted for the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19), tick-borne disease patients recognized something they have experienced. Physicians rely on clinical symptoms as well as diagnostic testing to make treatment decisions. The more accurate a test is for a specific disease then the more certain a […]
Why does so much money go toward counting mice?
Individuals eager to see funding for better treatments for tick-borne disease can be frustrated to see research dollars going toward studies counting mice. Why do public health research funds go to studying wild mice? Mice and other mammals are a crucial part of disease transmission that involves fleas and ticks. A common misconception is that […]
Bartonella vs. Borrelia: Key Differences You Should Know
Bartonella and Lyme Borrelia are easily confused because they are both vector-borne bacteria with similar sounding names and frequently have complex, interrelated roles in chronic illnesses. Patients often believe Bartonella and Borrelia are the same before speaking to us, or they may mistake something they read online about one for the other. In this post, […]