<p>A tick-borne disease so new it only has a scientific name has been identified in United States patients for the first time, including at least one person from Nantucket. Borrelia miyamotoi is a relative of Lyme disease with similar symptoms including fever, headache, muscle ache, and fatigue.</p> <p>Unlike Lyme disease, B. miyamotoi presents recurring fevers in patients and does not trigger a bulls-eye rash. Nor does it cause a positive test with traditional Lyme disease testing, said Dr. Sam R. Telford 3rd, a professor of infectious diseases at Tufts University.</p>
A tick-borne disease so new it only has a scientific name has been identified in United States patients for the first time, including at least one person from Nantucket. Borrelia miyamotoi is a relative of Lyme disease with similar symptoms including fever, headache, muscle ache, and fatigue.
Unlike Lyme disease, B. miyamotoi presents recurring fevers in patients and does not trigger a bulls-eye rash. Nor does it cause a positive test with traditional Lyme disease testing, said Dr. Sam R. Telford 3rd, a professor of infectious diseases at Tufts University.
“This has been a bone of contention with a subset of patients who say ‘I had Lyme disease, but I’ve never tested positive,’” said Dr. Telford. “Now there’s a legitimate scenario for that to happen.”
Dr. Telford said Imugen Inc., a clinical laboratory based in Norwood, could have an antibody test for B. miyamotoi available by summer, just in time for what he refers to as “tick season.”
A recent study from the Yale Schools of Public Health and Medicine in the New England Journal of Medicine reported evidence of B. miyamotoi in 18 case study patients tested in southern New England and New York. The patients’ blood samples dated back to 1990.
“Though the disease is heralded as new,” said Dr. Gerry Yukevich, “it has probably been around for at least several decades, and presumably the affliction has existed here on the Vineyard for an equal period of time. . . . I suspect the illness has been around and we have been treating it as Lyme Disease or babesiosis. But it’s hard for me to comment on an illness I’m not sure I’ve ever seen.”
In 2011 Dr. Telford detected B. miyamotoi in one to three per cent of deer ticks analyzed in southeastern Massachusetts, including on the Cape and Islands. But at the time it had not been proven that the disease could be transferred to humans.
“It’s not new, it’s been under our nose all along,” he said. The bacterium was first discovered in 1995, but only in 2011 did Yale scientists find evidence of human infection caused by the bacterium in Russian case study patients.
“Now it’s finally been associated with human disease,” Mr. Telford said.
B. miyamotoi can be prevented and treated in the same manner as Lyme disease with a short course of doxycycline and amoxicillin.
“It doesn’t change the approach to the patient significantly,” said Dr. Yukevich. “The same principles will apply. Acute Lyme disease is often a clinical diagnosis, rather than a laboratory diagnosis.”
Doctors typically diagnose Lyme disease based on symptoms rather than blood tests, he explained.
All agree the discovery of the human infection for B. miyamotoi presses for better prevention of tick bites and more thorough analysis of tick-borne diseases endemic on the Cape and Islands.
Tisbury board of health member Michael Loberg, along with Edgartown board of health agent Matt Poole, head a public health initiative focused on preventing incidences, educating the public and collecting more accurate data for tick-borne diseases on the Vineyard.
“It’s not like we need another reason to do something about deer ticks,” Mr. Telford added. “Lyme disease is sufficient enough.”
Comments
WONDERFUL !!! we can now add
Janet Norton EdgartownWONDERFUL !!! we can now add this disease to the other woes of summer -- traffic, bicycles , too many people and cars!! Someone give us a break !!
Seems like all your other
Chris Alley Vineyard HavenSeems like all your other "woes" and "diseases" are just stuff that pisses you off while driving.
Whatever the other merits of
Christopher Gangemi New YorkWhatever the other merits of this article, the following sentence shows a rather startling lack of knowledge.
"B. miyamotoi can be prevented and treated in the same manner as Lyme disease with a short course of doxycycline and amoxicillin."
While summer "woes" cause
Jan Nickerson sometimes on sometimes off the IslandWhile summer "woes" cause traffic and confusion, delays and others problems for year round Islanders, please remember, some of us have our ancestors buried on the island, consider it to be homeland, and have deep a respect and love and feel the roots of the Island as least as much as those who have moved to the Island. It is sad that another tick type disease has been identified, but surely it is good news that those who tested neg for Lyme, can be tested for this, and it can be determined exactly what has depleted their energy,and caused them acute and often long term pain and suffering. So glad to have some news on this, even though it is not good news.
Why is there always that one
Nunyah EdgWhy is there always that one person looking for a fight? This is for comments on the article ( yes, I am the pot calling the kettle black in this case). It's good to know this could be an answer for many people that felt hopeless testing negative for Lyme that had the symptoms.
Very interesting article but
Rick Lambos EdgartownVery interesting article but it will only amplify the calls to the ER for tick information. I believe the OVER/UNDER for the first "tick sighting call" to the ER will be March 22nd. Not a bite, just that they saw a tick! Then followed by the never ending May, June, July, & August barrage of the "We're visiting from (fill in the blank)and our son may have been bit by a tick, blah, blah, blah.....and we would like to speak to a doctor. If we let every call be fielded by a physician, no acutely ill patients would ever get treated.
I often wondered if they are so phobic about ticks & Lyme Disease, why do they come here? It is universally known that the Vineyard is a high density environment for the vector & the tick-borne diseases. But still they come and still they call & call & call. I guess that's one of life's vicious little circles. (Rick is a retired ER RN that worked 37 years at the hospital and professes to have never seen a tick, except those brought into the ER by patients in jars) since he moved to the Vineyard in 1974.)
There is a petition pending
robert mcnamara New JerseyThere is a petition pending before the White House to Reform the Infectious Disease Society of America Treatment Guidelines for Lyme Disease. The problem is we dont have enough signatures yet. Here is the link-
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/reform-infectious-disease-soc…
Please sign this as so many people are needlessly suffering due to undertreatment. I have been on antibiotics for nearly nine months. Only now am I starting to feel like myself again. Did you know the standard treatment on the island is 21 days of doxycycline ? Thats woefully inadequate and the reason I am still being treated. Lyme needs to be treated more aggressivly and thats what this petition hopes to accomplish. Please sign up to sign the petition as there are only a few days left. Thanks
We need a catchy name for
Mary Keller NantucketWe need a catchy name for this new disease..what'll it be?
@Mary, how about Lemyn
Ken S Edgartown/SE Florida@Mary, how about Lemyn disease?
I'm going to ignore the
Lake Tashmoo SickI'm going to ignore the "catchy name" comment/question. If you had Lyme, you would not ask a question like this. Lyme got me years ago and I have been suffering ever since. I fight it every day. Sometimes, It's as if my whole body is under attack. If you have Lyme and it isn't detected, a "course of antibiotics" won't matter. It will get in your nervous system and try to kill you. I never had any symptoms. Most people do not have a bulls eyes rash. The disease mimics so many other auto immune diseases that it is often not diagnosed. I asked my doctor on the Cape for Lyme test in 2004 only to find out later when I was dying at Falmouth Hospital from late stage Lyme that it was never done. I see people playing in he grass and cringe. This disease is horrid.
Thank You Lake, for try to
Kelly St. ClaireThank You Lake, for trying to give some insight to the ignorant. Sadly most people never truly understand how horrid and debilitating this disease can be.
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