Finally Research Explains Why Some Recover from Lyme with Treatment and Others Suffer from Chronic Lyme

Practically everything about Lyme disease is confusing. From the fact that it can look like so many different diseases to the level of treatment it requires for each individual. As one of the fastest growing infectious diseases in the country, with 329,000 new cases a yearaccording to the CDC, the inability to diagnose and treat Lyme accurately has as many as a million Americans suffering from long-term complications according to the Bay Area Lyme Foundation.

As one of the leading nonprofit funders of Lyme disease research in the US, the Bay Area Lyme Foundation has been researching the effects individual immune systems have on how people fight Lyme and they’ve released new data.

The Chronic Lyme Study

Researchers took 32 patients, each exhibiting early-stage Lyme symptoms for the first time. They were treated with doxycycline, the oral antibiotic, for 21 days. Blood samples were also taken before treatment, 1 month after, and 6 months after. The research found that the patients who fully recovered after the 21-day antibiotic cycle had a higher level of B blood cells called plasmablasts. Those that did not recover within the 21 day period not only had significantly fewer B cells, they also had a lower antibody response due to a reduced clonal expansion of their B cells.

How Is This Information Useful?

The basic takeaway is that anyone with a weak immune system is more likely to require post-treatment or long-term care. Secondary is that knowing the patients B levels at the start of treatment will help predict the chance of treatment failure. Wendy Adams, Bay Area Lyme Foundation research grant director says, “The insights from this study not only show that both a competent immune response and antibiotics are necessary to rid the infection, but also point us toward research avenues that could lead to new therapeutics.”

Protect Yourself From From Getting Lyme

The battle against Lyme is huge and it’s uphill, but steps are steps and we will take them. Any information that can help make treatment more efficient is great information to have. However, at Mosquito Squad of Franklin & Framingham, we can’t emphasize enough that protection still needs to be the main focus. There are too many unknowns in the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease. Protection from tick bites comes first. We want to be your go-to for tick control. The people in your home very possibly range in immune efficiency and that’s something you can’t always control. Eliminating the ticks that carry Lyme from your yard is something that you can control. Call us today and we will tell you how.