SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/
-- Exposure to Tickborne Relapsing Fever is widespread in
California according to a study
published in the prestigious International Journal of General
Medicine (https://bit.ly/2prCQWv). The report entitled "Relapsing
Fever Borrelia in California: A
Pilot Serological Study" was written by microbiologist Marianne Middelveen from Calgary, Canada, together with pathologist
Jyotsna Shah of IGeneX Laboratories
in Palo Alto, CA, nurse
practitioner Melissa Fesler and
internist Raphael Stricker from
Union Square Medical Associates in San
Francisco, CA.
Tickborne Relapsing Fever is caused by Relapsing Fever Borrelia
(RFB), the same family of corkscrew-shaped bacteria that causes
Lyme disease. Until recently, RFB was thought to be limited
primarily to Europe and the East
Coast of the United States, but
the new study shows that exposure is widespread on the West Coast
as well. This poses unique challenges to clinicians unfamiliar with
the disease distribution because individuals infected with RFB may
present with "Lyme-like" symptoms. In 2016 there were more than
46,000 insurance claims related to Lyme disease in California, although the official number of
cases was much less.
"This paper sheds light on the presence of Lyme disease and
Relapsing Fever Borrelia throughout the state of California," says Middelveen. "Our study of
California patients who were
tested for tickborne disease suggests there may be similar exposure
risks for Lyme disease and RFB (33% vs. 27%), and evidence for dual
exposure to Lyme disease and RFB was found in 11% of patients."
The emergence of multiple Borrelia species creates more problems
for patients and clinicians. "Patients who present with "Lyme-like"
musculoskeletal, neuropsychiatric or cardiovascular symptoms in
California should be screened for
RFB," says Fesler. "A negative Lyme test does not rule out the
possibility of infection with Relapsing Fever Borrelia, and
clinicians should be familiar with disease presentation and
available diagnostic tests."
There are currently no tests for RFB that are approved by the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the
United States. "Detection techniques for Relapsing Fever
Borrelia are limited due to the diversity of this species group and
the difficulty in culturing these bacteria," reports Shah. "Using
novel laboratory techniques, we were able to detect exposure to
Relapsing Fever Borrelia, and we hope that these techniques can be
used to develop accurate FDA-approved tests for the future."
In blood samples drawn from patients in 24 California counties, positive RFB testing was
found in 16 counties, and the researchers found the highest rates
of positive testing in Santa
Clara, Alameda,
Marin and San Francisco counties. "Tickborne Relapsing
Fever is the next wave of Lyme disease," says Stricker. "It's not
just a simple disease anymore."
SOURCE Union Square Medical Associates