scholarly journals Lyme Neuroborreliosis: Mechanisms of B. burgdorferi Infection of the Nervous System

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 789
Author(s):  
Lenzie Ford ◽  
Danielle M. Tufts

Lyme borreliosis is the most prevalent tick-borne disease in the United States, infecting ~476,000 people annually. Borrelia spp. spirochetal bacteria are the causative agents of Lyme disease in humans and are transmitted by Ixodes spp ticks. Clinical manifestations vary depending on which Borrelia genospecies infects the patient and may be a consequence of distinct organotropism between species. In the US, B. burgdorferi sensu stricto is the most commonly reported genospecies and infection can manifest as mild to severe symptoms. Different genotypes of B. burgdorferi sensu stricto may be responsible for causing varying degrees of clinical manifestations. While the majority of Lyme borreliae-infected patients fully recover with antibiotic treatment, approximately 15% of infected individuals experience long-term neurological and psychological symptoms that are unresponsive to antibiotics. Currently, long-term antibiotic treatment remains the only FDA-approved option for those suffering from these chronic effects. Here, we discuss the current knowledge pertaining to B. burgdorferi sensu stricto infection in the central nervous system (CNS), termed Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB), within North America and specifically the United States. We explore the molecular mechanisms of spirochete entry into the brain and the role B. burgdorferi sensu stricto genotypes play in CNS infectivity. Understanding infectivity can provide therapeutic targets for LNB treatment and offer public health understanding of the B. burgdorferi sensu stricto genotypes that cause long-lasting symptoms.

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1977 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 483-484
Author(s):  
D. Stewart Rowe

I agree with Dr. Rako that long-term anitibiotic treatment of recurrent suppurative otitis media appears promising and deserves further study. Such study seems necessary to me for several reasons. Only two controlled studies of long-term antibiotic treatment have been reported. The results of the study1 of Alaskan Eskimo children cannot be assumed to be valid for most childhood populations in the United States. Confirmation of the Rochester group's encouraging results2 of sulfonamide treatment will be necessary.


2000 ◽  
Vol 21 (9) ◽  
pp. 611-616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip W. Smith ◽  
Shobita Rajagopalan ◽  
Thomas T. Yoshikawa

AbstractThe geriatric population represents the largest reservoir ofMycobacterium tuberculosisinfection in developed nations, including the United States. Tuberculosis (TB) case rates in the United States are highest for this age group compared with other age categories. The subtle clinical manifestations of TB in the elderly often can pose potential diagnostic dilemmas and therapeutic challenges, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality in this age group; this treatable infection unfortunately often is detected only at autopsy. Compared with their community-dwelling counterparts, the institutionalized elderly are at a greater risk both for reactivation of latent TB and for the acquisition of new TB infection. Prevention and control of TB in facilities providing long-term care to the elderly thus cannot be overemphasized.


1996 ◽  
Vol 105 (5) ◽  
pp. 336-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Philip Amoils ◽  
Maisie L. Shindo

Rhinoscleroma is a rare, chronic granulomatous disease of infective causation. It usually begins in the nose and may progress to involve the larynx and trachea and cause dysphonia, stridor, and airway obstruction. Early rhinoscleroma is usually successfully treated with oral tetracycline, yet laryngotracheal disease may require operative intervention. The disease is rare in the United States, but with an increase in immigration from endemic areas, otolaryngologists should be familiar with the management of this rare disease. Current literature contains only a few reports describing the manifestations of this disease, mostly in the form of case studies. This study is a retrospective review of our institutional experience with the management of 22 patients with rhinoscleroma, 13 of whom had laryngotracheal involvement. The focus of this report is on the clinical manifestations of laryngotracheal scleroma. All of the patients were treated with long-term antibiotics. Nine patients underwent endoscopy with or without dilation and laser excision. Three patients required emergency tracheostomy, all of whom were ultimately decannulated without any sequelae. A rational approach to management of this unusual disease is provided.


2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric M. George

Perhaps no disease of pregnancy has been more thoroughly studied than pre-eclampsia (PE), and yet despite all of our efforts we are only beginning to understand the molecular mechanisms which underpin the disease. Many people are surprised by the frequency of PE in the population, as it is believed to occur in approximately one pregnancy out of 20 in the United States, with similar rates throughout the developed world. In severe cases the disorder can progress to eclampsia, which is characterized by maternal seizures and can lead to death. PE can only be treated by ending the pregnancy, often by inducing labour prior to term, making PE a leading cause of premature birth and all of the associated health complications which accompany it. All in all, PE is one of the leading causes of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. It is now also becoming apparent that PE disposes both the mother and the baby to increased risk of cardiovascular disease throughout life, meaning that we still don't fully understand the long-term implications of the disease.


Author(s):  
Melissa A. Pierce

In countries other than the United States, the study and practice of speech-language pathology is little known or nonexistent. Recognition of professionals in the field is minimal. Speech-language pathologists in countries where speech-language pathology is a widely recognized and respected profession often seek to share their expertise in places where little support is available for individuals with communication disorders. The Peace Corps offers a unique, long-term volunteer opportunity to people with a variety of backgrounds, including speech-language pathologists. Though Peace Corps programs do not specifically focus on speech-language pathology, many are easily adapted to the profession because they support populations of people with disabilities. This article describes how the needs of local children with communication disorders are readily addressed by a Special Education Peace Corps volunteer.


Author(s):  
Federico Varese

Organized crime is spreading like a global virus as mobs take advantage of open borders to establish local franchises at will. That at least is the fear, inspired by stories of Russian mobsters in New York, Chinese triads in London, and Italian mafias throughout the West. As this book explains, the truth is more complicated. The author has spent years researching mafia groups in Italy, Russia, the United States, and China, and argues that mafiosi often find themselves abroad against their will, rather than through a strategic plan to colonize new territories. Once there, they do not always succeed in establishing themselves. The book spells out the conditions that lead to their long-term success, namely sudden market expansion that is neither exploited by local rivals nor blocked by authorities. Ultimately the inability of the state to govern economic transformations gives mafias their opportunity. In a series of matched comparisons, the book charts the attempts of the Calabrese 'Ndrangheta to move to the north of Italy, and shows how the Sicilian mafia expanded to early twentieth-century New York, but failed around the same time to find a niche in Argentina. The book explains why the Russian mafia failed to penetrate Rome but succeeded in Hungary. A pioneering chapter on China examines the challenges that triads from Taiwan and Hong Kong find in branching out to the mainland. This book is both a compelling read and a sober assessment of the risks posed by globalization and immigration for the spread of mafias.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Matthews ◽  
Madhu Pandey

Propeller planes and small engine aircraft around the United States, legally utilize leaded aviation gasoline. The purpose of this experiment was to collect suspended particulate matter from a university campus, directly below an airport’s arriving flight path’s descent line, and to analyze lead content suspended in the air. Two collection sets of three separate samples were collected on six separate days, one set in July of 2018 and the second set in January 2019.


1994 ◽  
Vol 33 (4I) ◽  
pp. 327-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard G. Lipsey

I am honoured to be invited to give this lecture before so distinguished an audience of development economists. For the last 21/2 years I have been director of a project financed by the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and composed of a group of scholars from Canada, the United States, and Israel.I Our brief is to study the determinants of long term economic growth. Although our primary focus is on advanced industrial countries such as my own, some of us have come to the conclusion that there is more common ground between developed and developing countries than we might have first thought. I am, however, no expert on development economics so I must let you decide how much of what I say is applicable to economies such as your own. Today, I will discuss some of the grand themes that have arisen in my studies with our group. In the short time available, I can only allude to how these themes are rooted in our more detailed studies. In doing this, I must hasten to add that I speak for myself alone; our group has no corporate view other than the sum of our individual, and very individualistic, views.


2003 ◽  
Vol 20 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 46-82
Author(s):  
Fathi Malkawi

This paper addresses some of the Muslim community’s concerns regarding its children’s education and reflects upon how education has shaped the position of other communities in American history. It argues that the future of Muslim education will be influenced directly by the present realities and future trends within American education in general, and, more importantly, by the well-calculated and informed short-term and long-term decisions and future plans taken by the Muslim community. The paper identifies some areas in which a wellestablished knowledge base is critical to making decisions, and calls for serious research to be undertaken to furnish this base.


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