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Health Promot Int 2022 Jun;37(Supplement_2):ii7-ii20

Department of Public and Occupation Health, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, The Netherlands.

In health promotion research, enthusiasm for patient and public involvement (PPI) is growing. However, a lack of conceptual clarity leads to ambiguities in participatory processes and purposes, and hampers efforts to achieve and evaluate PPI in research. This study provides an overview of its underlying reasons-or rationales-so as to better understand, guide and interpret PPI in research practice. Read More

Pathogens 2022 Jun 13;11(6). Epub 2022 Jun 13.

Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Saliyapura, Anuradhapura 50008, Sri Lanka.

Having an effective surveillance system is imperative to take timely and appropriate actions for disease control and prevention. In Sri Lanka, leishmaniasis was declared as a notifiable disease in 2008. This paper presents a comprehensive compilation of the up-to-date documents on the communicable disease and leishmaniasis surveillance in Sri Lanka in order to describe the importance of the existing leishmaniasis surveillance system and to identify gaps that need to be addressed. Read More

Healthcare (Basel) 2022 Jun 17;10(6). Epub 2022 Jun 17.

Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.

Adverse Childhood Events (ACE), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and infectious encephalopathies are associated with immune-mediated diseases. Data supporting this are reviewed, and an integrated hypothesis is provided. All three can be associated with intrusive symptoms and temporal lobe pathology. Read More

Herzschrittmacherther Elektrophysiol 2022 Jun 23. Epub 2022 Jun 23.

Clinic of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Sophien- und Hufeland-Klinikum Weimar, Weimar, Germany.

A 34-year-old road builder was admitted to the authors' emergency department due to progressive dyspnoea that had been present for 6 days. The patient had a history of excessive smoking (60 cigarettes/day). The medical history was otherwise unremarkable. Read More

Front Neurol 2022 6;13:874211. Epub 2022 Jun 6.

Division of Rheumatology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.

Background: Peptidylarginine deiminase 2 (PAD2) mediates the post-translational conversion of arginine residues in proteins to citrullines and is highly expressed in the central nervous system (CNS). Dysregulated PAD2 activity has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several neurologic diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS). In this study, we sought to define the cellular and regional expression of the gene encoding for PAD2 (i. Read More

Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2022 Jun 21. Epub 2022 Jun 21.

Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada.

Range expansion of the vector tick species, , has been detected in Ontario over the last two decades. This has led to elevated risk of exposure to , the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Previous research using passive surveillance data suggests that populations establish before the establishment of transmission cycles, with a delay of ∼5 years. Read More

Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2022 Jul 9;32:100746. Epub 2022 Jun 9.

Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy.

Many vector-borne pathogens (VBPs), including Ehrlichia canis and Dirofilaria immitis, may infect simultaneously dogs in areas where Leishmania infantum is endemic, especially in the tropics, where highly abundant arthropod vectors thrive. The aim of this study was to compare the frequency of simultaneous VBPs infection in Leishmania-positive and Leishmania-negative dogs. Animals enrolled in this study were divided in two groups (G1 and G2), G1 being comprised of L. Read More

Am J Clin Pathol 2022 Jun 20. Epub 2022 Jun 20.

Quest Diagnostics, North Region, Marlborough, MA, USA.

Objectives: Whole blood real-time polymerase chain reaction (WB-RTPCR) detection of Borrelia burgdorferi is not currently recommended for diagnosing Lyme disease. This study aims to elucidate the utility of WB-RTPCR as a diagnostic aid for early Lyme disease (ELD), defined as either positive PCR or positive immunoglobulin M with negative immunoglobulin G immunoblot.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 33,199 blood specimens evaluated concurrently by WB-RTPCR and antibody-capture serology (ACEIA) methods (group A). Read More

Cureus 2022 May 16;14(5):e25047. Epub 2022 May 16.

Neurology, Aga Khan Health Service, Karachi, PAK.

Background The etiology of facial nerve palsy is diverse and includes herpes zoster virus, Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), otitis media, Lyme disease, sarcoidosis, human immunodeficiency virus, etc. The lower motor neuron type facial nerve palsy is usually caused by an ipsilateral facial nerve lesion; however, it may be caused by a central lesion of the facial nerve nucleus and tract in the pons. Facial diplegia is an extremely rare condition that occurs in approximately 0. Read More

Surv Ophthalmol 2022 Jun 16. Epub 2022 Jun 16.

Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA.

A 23-year-old man presented with new onset horizontal diplopia 5 months after a left orbital floor fracture. Examination revealed bilateral abduction deficits and disc swelling. Urgent MRI and MRI showed no significant abnormalities in the CNS. Read More

J Appl Lab Med 2022 Jun 18. Epub 2022 Jun 18.

Quest Diagnostics, North Region, Marlborough, MA, USA.

Background: In 2019, the CDC updated serology testing guidelines for Lyme disease diagnosis to include alternative modified two-tiered testing that replaces the western blots of standard testing with an additional ELISA. Antibody-capture serological assays have also been used as an aid for Lyme diagnosis. A panel of clinically characterized samples from the CDC was tested to compare modified two-tiered testing to the standard two-tiered algorithm and an antibody capture immunoassay. Read More

Lancet Infect Dis 2022 Jun 14. Epub 2022 Jun 14.

Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Amsterdam UMC location AMC, Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Electronic address:

Background: Cellular tests for Lyme borreliosis might be able to overcome major shortcomings of serological testing, such as its low sensitivity in early stages of infection. Therefore, we aimed to assess the sensitivity and specificity of three cellular tests.

Methods: This was a nationwide, prospective, multiple-gate case-control study done in the Netherlands. Read More

Z Evid Fortbild Qual Gesundhwes 2022 Jun 13. Epub 2022 Jun 13.

LMU München, Klinikum der Universität, Institut und Poliklinik für Arbeits-, Sozial- und Umweltmedizin, München, Deutschland; Deutsche Akademie für Prävention und Gesundheitsförderung im Kindes- und Jugendalter, Bochum, Deutschland; UMIT Private Universität für Gesundheitswissenschaften, Medizinische Informatik und Technik GmbH, Department für Public Health, Versorgungsforschung und Health Technology Assessment, Hall in Tirol, Österreich. Electronic address:

Background: Children are a vulnerable group affected by climate change. Paediatricians are important actors in protecting children from climate change-related health risks and in identifying and treating relevant health effects. The main objectives of this study were to determine how paediatricians assess the relevance of climate change-related health impacts, through which channels paediatricians can be reached most effectively, how often climate change-specific prevention measures are implemented and how they are assessed. Read More

Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022 Jun 3;13(5):101984. Epub 2022 Jun 3.

Department of Clinical Microbiology, Lillebaelt Hospital - University Hospital of Southern Denmark, Denmark; Department of Regional Health Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark.

CXCL13 in cerebrospinal fluid has gradually become an established biomarker for Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB), however the diagnostic performance of CXCL13 may be improved by the addition of IL-6, a non-specific infection biomarker. The aim of this study was to measure the concentrations of CXCL13 and IL-6 in cerebrospinal fluid, in the attempt to evaluate the diagnostic performance of these two biomarkers, in the differentiation between definite and possible LNB, as well as between LNB and other neuroinfections. This study used a cross-sectional design to quantify the levels of CXCL13 and IL-6 in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens from consecutive patients examined for central nervous system (CNS) infections at Lillebaelt Hospital in the Region of Southern Denmark. Read More

ACS Sens 2022 Jun 14. Epub 2022 Jun 14.

Sensitivity and speed of detection are contradicting demands that profoundly impact the electrical sensing of molecular biomarkers. Although single-molecule sensitivity can now be achieved with single-nanotube field-effect transistors, these tiny sensors, with a diameter less than 1 nm, may take hours to days to capture the molecular target at trace concentrations. Here, we show that this sensitivity-speed challenge can be addressed using covalently functionalized double-wall CNTs that form many individualized, parallel pathways between two electrodes. Read More

BMJ Glob Health 2022 06;7(6)

The Institute for Tropical Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China

Introduction: () infection, the most frequent tick-transmitted disease, is distributed worldwide. This study aimed to describe the global seroprevalence and sociodemographic characteristics of in human populations.

Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and other sources for relevant studies of all study designs through 30 December 2021 with the following keywords: '' AND 'infection rate'; and observational studies were included if the results of human antibody seroprevalence surveys were reported, the laboratory serological detection method reported and be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Read More

PLoS One 2022 13;17(6):e0269768. Epub 2022 Jun 13.

Landscape Ecology Lab, Department of Biology, Gordon College, Wenham, Massachusetts, United States of America.

Habitat fragmentation and heterogeneity transform otherwise contiguous tracks of forest into smaller patches in the northeastern U.S. and likely impact abundances, movement patterns, and disease transmission pathways for small-mammal communities at multiple scales. Read More

Front Immunol 2022 27;13:886733. Epub 2022 May 27.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States.

Pathogens that traffic in the blood of their hosts must employ mechanisms to evade the host innate immune system, including the complement cascade. The Lyme disease spirochete, , has evolved numerous outer membrane lipoproteins that interact directly with host proteins. Compared to Lyme disease-associated spirochetes, relatively little is known about how an emerging tick-borne spirochetal pathogen, , utilizes surface lipoproteins to interact with a human host. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2022 Jun 10;15(6). Epub 2022 Jun 10.

DepartDepartment of Diagnostic and Generalist Medicine, Dokkyo Medical University, Shimotsuga-gun, Japan

A man in his 70s presented with a 4-day history of bilateral frontal headache and heaviness of the face. He was unable to close either of his eyes, to wrinkle his forehead bilaterally and to raise either corner of his mouth. The patient was admitted with a diagnosis of bilateral facial palsy. Read More

Can J Infect Dis Med Microbiol 2022 31;2022:5300887. Epub 2022 May 31.

Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA.

Recently, tick-borne illnesses have been trending upward and are an increasing source of risk to people's health in the United States. This is due to range expansion in tick habitats as a result of climate change. Thus, it is imperative to find a practical and cost-efficient way of managing tick populations. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022 May 27;19(11). Epub 2022 May 27.

Laboratory of Reliability and Quality Control in Laboratory Hematology (HemQcR), Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece.

Climate change has influenced the transmission of a wide range of vector-borne diseases in Europe, which is a pressing public health challenge for the coming decades. Numerous theories have been developed in order to explain how tick-borne diseases are associated with climate change. These theories include higher proliferation rates, extended transmission season, changes in ecological balances, and climate-related migration of vectors, reservoir hosts, or human populations. Read More

Life Sci 2022 Jun 6:120689. Epub 2022 Jun 6.

UPR CHROME, University of Nimes, Rue du Dr G. Salan, 30021 Nimes CEDEX1, France. Electronic address:

Aims: Brain disease, in its many forms, has recently demonstrated a great socio-economic impact and represents one of the hardest challenges of present research. Although each pathology of this highly heterogenous group is characterized by individual features, there is an increasing number of common toxicological mechanisms that have been evidenced. This review aims to summarize the state-of-art knowledge concerning the role of environmental bacteria in brain diseases focusing on different mechanisms of action that could be interacting in an additive or synergistic way. Read More

Parasite Epidemiol Control 2022 Aug 31;18:e00254. Epub 2022 May 31.

University of Galway, Applied Ecology Unit, Earth and Life Sciences, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, University of Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland.

Lyme borreliosis is a vector-borne disease of concern in Europe. While neuroborreliosis data are reportable at EU level, it can nevertheless be difficult to make comparisons of disease risk between neighbouring countries. This study used proportion meta-analyses to compare environmental markers of disease risk between woodland sites in two countries in North-Western Europe (Ireland, Scotland). Read More

Cureus 2022 May 4;14(5):e24729. Epub 2022 May 4.

Infectious Disease, Keesler Medical Center, Biloxi, USA.

A 39-year-old male without significant past medical history presented with three weeks of worsening fatigue, migratory arthralgia, rash, and unilateral facial weakness after spending three months in Vermont. Serology showed positive Lyme titers 1:64 for both IgM and IgG. EKG on presentation showed a P-R interval of 384 ms, and the patient was admitted for concern of Lyme carditis. Read More

BMC Pediatr 2022 Jun 9;22(1):332. Epub 2022 Jun 9.

Center for Clinical Research Dalarna - Uppsala University, Nissers Väg 3, S-791 82, Falun, Sweden.

Background: Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) is a tick-borne infection caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex with various neurological manifestations. The recommended treatment for LNB in Swedish children has been intravenous ceftriaxone 50-100 mg/kg × 1 (< 8 years of age) or oral doxycycline 4 mg/kg × 1 (≥ 8 years of age) for 10-14 days. Studies on adult LNB patients have shown equal efficacy for ceftriaxone and doxycycline, but no such studies have been conducted on pediatric LNB patients. Read More

Parasit Vectors 2022 Jun 7;15(1):195. Epub 2022 Jun 7.

Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, University of Leipzig, An den Tierkliniken 1, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.

Background: Ixodid ticks are important vectors for zoonotic pathogens, with Ixodes ricinus being the most important in Europe. Rodents are hosts of immature life stages of I. ricinus ticks and are considered main reservoirs for tick-borne pathogens, e. Read More

Parasit Vectors 2022 Jun 6;15(1):189. Epub 2022 Jun 6.

Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Background: Canine vector-borne disease (CVBD) has been an area of increasing interest in Europe over the last few decades, and there have been changes in the prevalence and distribution of many of these diseases. Monitoring CVBD infections in Europe is often done by individual countries, but aggregated data for the European countries are helpful to understand the distribution of CVBDs.

Methods: We used an extensive retrospective database of results from point-of-care rapid enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests on dogs across Europe to identify distribution and seropositivity in animals tested for selected CVBDs (Anaplasma spp. Read More

Trends Cardiovasc Med 2022 Jun 3. Epub 2022 Jun 3.

Department of Medicine, Kingston Health Science Centre, Queen's University, Kingston General Hospital K7L 2V7, Kingston, ON, Canada. Electronic address:

Lyme carditis is a well-established manifestation of early disseminated Lyme infection, yet the relationship between late disseminated Lyme disease and the development of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) remains unclear. The present systematic review aims to summarize existing literature on the association between late disseminated Lyme disease and DCM. A systematic review was conducted in PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, and MEDLINE databases, after which a total of 11 observational studies (n = 771) were ultimately included for final data extraction. Read More

Front Microbiol 2022 19;13:888494. Epub 2022 May 19.

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.

The Lyme disease spirochete , encodes an elaborate antigenic variation system that promotes the ongoing variation of a major surface lipoprotein, VlsE. Changes in VlsE are continual and always one step ahead of the host acquired immune system, which requires 1-2 weeks to generate specific antibodies. By the time this happens, new VlsE variants have arisen that escape immunosurveillance, providing an avenue for persistent infection. Read More

J Med Entomol 2022 Jun 5. Epub 2022 Jun 5.

Tick-borne Disease Program, Monmouth County Mosquito Control Division, 1901 Wayside Road, Tinton Falls, NJ 07724, USA.

Tick-borne diseases are a growing public health problem in the United States, and the US northeast has reported consistently high case rates for decades. Monmouth County, New Jersey, was one of the earliest jurisdictions to report Lyme disease cases in 1979 and reports several hundred cases per year nearly 40 yr later. In the time since, however, tick-borne health risks have expanded far beyond Lyme disease to include a variety of other bacterial pathogens and viruses, and additional vectors, necessitating a continually evolving approach to tick surveillance. Read More