posted
Isn't Mathew Gross a patient not a doctor? I could be wrong about this and forgive me if I am wrong about him being a patient only.
I prefer to listen to the two LLMDs and one NP that told me they believed it is sexually transmitted. I feel due to lack of current research it is better to be safe than sorry. I read today that babs can hide in cyst form too not that that has anything to do with this discussion I just found it an interesting fact.
Finally, the issue of transmission of Bb that is not tick-borne must be acknowledged. Regrettably, it is proven that human vertical transmission, i.e. mother to child, exists and is more likely to occur when the mother is infected in the first trimester.
Fortunately, the incidence of transmission is believed to be quite low. Additional risk factors for transmission, which are routinely identified in other models of infection, have not been studied in vertical Bb transmission.
For example, we know nothing about the relative risk or characteristics of intrauterine transmission versus exposure in the birth channel, breast feeding, etc.
However, we recognize that perinatal transmission of Bb can result in a multisytemic illness which can prove fatal, although we do not have evidence for the converse situation, i.e. asymptomatic infection for a prolonged period. Even less well studied is the issue of sexual transmission.
Borrelia species, including Bb, have been found in genital secretions. A close relative of Bb, treponema pallidum, was perhaps, until HIV happened, the most notorious sexually transmitted disease known to man.
Barriers to recognition and diagnosis (see discussions to follow) present major impediments to understanding the epidemiological patterns of Bb. It is of interest that one of our colleagues,
Dr. Bill Harvey in Houston, has begun to study his population of chronic fatigue patients, many of whom have proven to be serologically positive for Bb infection.
In noting various demographic and social characteristics among his patients, he has begun to question whether all Bb infections represent a zoonoses (personal communication).
He considers routine sexual transmission of Bb a distinct possibility, certainly one worthy of a longitudinal study.
Again, such epidemiological information will be virtually impossible to gather without more verifiable means of recognition and diagnosis than are currently available. The implications Dr. Harvey's observation and theory are profound and deserve an assiduous scientific effort.
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METALLlC BLUE
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6628
posted
quote: Isn't Mathew Gross a patient not a doctor? I could be wrong about this and forgive me if I am wrong about him being a patient only.
He's only a patient.
quote: I prefer to listen to the two LLMDs and one NP that told me they believed it is sexually transmitted. I feel due to lack of current research it is better to be safe than sorry. I read today that babs can hide in cyst form too not that that has anything to do with this discussion I just found it an interesting fact.
I agree. I think other co-infections can be transmitted too. I've read Dr. Harvey's prior work as well. I used his article during a write up supporting persistent infection (inspite of "adequate" antibiotic treatment).
Dr. Jones says he's very confident that the disease can be sexually transmitted, but that's based on his clinical experience.
-------------------- I am not a physician, so do your own research to confirm any ideas given and then speak with a health care provider you trust.
posted
with out going into the controversy of it i can tell you our findings.
i tx for "lupus" for over 8yr. now tested + for lyme, rmsf, m. pneum., and clinical dx bart/babs on symptoms . this was 8/08 with SEVERE cns stuff. was "atypical MS" until W.B. was CDC + for me. i only make igm on all
hubby finally agreed to testing. just got back month ago or so: WB +, RMSF, bart, m.pnum. on labs
his mom got tested (she is young, early 50's and very bad health with massive MI 3 yrs ago, bad rib pain with visable lumps/knots, and on and on) her labs: RMSF, M. pneu., CMV, EBV - with high titers over last 2 yrs. . dr thought ordered WB but ELISA was done and -.
We are all very diff in symptoms iwht same inf. mine lots of CNS, hubby only with back pain/insomina with traveling job.thats it. he is pretty much asymptomatic. Then his mom is in bad health, very poor immune system for yrs. and is + iwth Igg responses and mine are all Igm only. Hubby had a mix.....so .......is possible??
-------------------- i am not a Dr. any info is only for education, suggestion or to think/research. please do not mis-intuprest as diagnostic or prescriptive, only trying to help. **
dx in 08:lyme, rmsf, bart, babs, and m.pneumonia. Posts: 422 | From TX | Registered: Oct 2008
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