Revealed – New Species Of Bacteria Is Being Held Responsible For Lyme Disease
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have engaged in collaborative research with the team at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as officials of health from North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin for discovering a new species of bacteria that is supposedly responsible for causing Lyme disease.
The latest bacterium species is named Borrelia mayonii provisionally. Before this finding, the main species that was thought to be responsible for causing Lyme disease in the North American continent was Borrelia burgdorferi. In the latest paper that was published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, the scientists at Mayo Clinic had tested samples from patients in USA between the years 2003 and 2014. The data for evidence of Lyme disease was then used as part of a method called polymerase chain reaction or PCR. Between the years 2012 and 2014, these researchers took note of all the non-typical results from about 6 of the 9,000 samples collected from residents of the places named above.
#1 What The Samples Led To?
Bobbi Pritt, Director, Clinical Parasitology Laboratory at the Mayo Clinic says, "Using a laboratory-developed test with a method called ‘melting temperature analysis,' we detected six specimens that produced a PCR result that was clearly different from B. Burgdorferi." Mayo Medical Laboratories had actually tested 100,000 plus samples from patients across the 50 states in the last decade. The PCR assay was employed for the tests but the revelation of cause of Lyme disease to have been pointed at B. Mayonii was only very recent.
Based on the research findings, these researchers have now come to think that this organism might have lifted its head out recently across upper Midwestern USA. It might just be possible that the species was present earlier but was prevalent at such low levels that detection had not been possible. As far as B. Burgdorferi is concerned, the researchers firmly believe that that B. mayonii is passed on to human beings via the bite of some infected black-legged ticks. These ticks are also called deer tick.
#2 The Most Common Symptoms Of Lyme Disease
Rash
Headache
Neck pain
Fever
Arthritis in the later part
#3 The Treatment Course Outlined
When it comes to the possible treatments, patients who were studied in the research got recovered by the administration of antibiotics that are generally used for the treatment of Lyme disease. CDC says that the health care providing institutions looking after patients who have been infected with B. Mayonii should keep the antibiotic routine as specified by the Infectious Diseases Society of America, in mind. Dr.Pitt wraps up saying that though at this point of time there is actually no evidence that B. Mayonii is out there outside of the Upper Midwest, but the public should be taking precautions against tick-bites. This is needed as the Lyme disease and even the other tick-borne diseases are kind of well- established in the North-eastern region. The study seems to have actually benefited the medical niche and the experts trying to find a way to cure Lyme disease.
