Re: Is Lyme sexually transmitted--Nil

[Guest guest]

Apparently it can be. I read recently of a case of this being

demonstrated. See my other post on this subject for some more from me.

n

At 13:05 02/01/03, you wrote:

>Is Lyme sexually transmitted?

>Thanks.

>Nil

>

>

>Nil, the CDC says it is not but some folks on a lyme list personally think

>otherwise due to their significant others getting it and no other likely

>means of them having gotten it.

>

>

>This list is intended for patients to share personal experiences with each

>other, not to give medical advice. If you are interested in any treatment

>discussed here, please consult your doctor.

>

>

[Guest guest]

I'm very interested in the possibility that Lyme is sexually transmitted,

since I was dating someone with Lyme when I first got sick with CFIDS. Are

there any articles where Lyme researchers address this issue? Can anyone

direct me to web links on this topic that go beyond individuals speculating?

Thanks.

Peggy

*********************************

web page: www.angelfire.com/ri/strickenbk

[Guest guest]

Peggy,

>I'm very interested in the possibility that Lyme is sexually transmitted,

>since I was dating someone with Lyme when I first got sick with CFIDS. Are

>there any articles where Lyme researchers address this issue? Can anyone

>direct me to web links on this topic that go beyond individuals speculating?

>Thanks.

There seems to be not much more than individuals speculating -- altho item

2 below would put some science to the possibility. Here are three items

where doctors seem to agree on the likelihood of " Lyme " sexual

transmission. Remember too that there are many other similar infections,

different species of Borrelia and different tick borne organisms

altogether, as well as others not tick borne that have similar

characteristics, and it is perfectly possible for one of these to be more

easily sexually transmitted than B burgdorferi might be.

The last item 4 mentions what seems to be generally accepted, that it is

possible to catch Lyme congenitally.

n

1 ***********

From a personal email from another sufferer

>I had my second Iv today and Dr S was saying that judging from what has

>happened to My family he now believes that lyme disease is sexually

>transmitted...........

--

2 *************

This is an abstract presented by Dr. Bach at the International Scientific

Conference on Lyme Disease, April, 2001.

RECOVERY OF LYME SPIROCHETES BY PCR IN SEMEN SAMPLES OF PREVIOUSLY

DIAGNOSED LYME DISEASE PATIENTS

Dr. Bach, Do.O.,P.C.

OBJECTIVE

Lyme disease, being a spirochete with pathology similar to syphilis, is

often found difficult to treat due to the spirochete invading sanctuary

sites and displaying pleomorphic characteristics such as a cyst (L-form).

Because a significant portion of sexually active couples present to my

office with Lyme disease, with only one partner having a history of tick

exposure, the question of possible secondary (sexual)vector of transmission

for the spirochete warrents inquiriy. Additionally, sexually active couples

seem to have a marked propensity for antibiotic failure raising the

question of sexually active couples re-infecting themselves through

intimate contact.

METHODS:

Lyme spirochetes/DNA have been recovered from stored animal semen. Recovery

of spirochete DNA from nursing mother's breast milk and unbilical cord

blood by PCR (confirmed by culture/microscopy), have been found in samples

provided to my office.

RESULTS:

Suprisingly, initial laboratory testing of semen samples provided by male

Lyme patients (positive by western blot/PCR in blood) and the male sexual

partner of a Lyme infected female patient were positive approximately 40%

of the time. PCR recovery of Lyme DNA nucleotide sequences with microscopic

confirmation of semen samples yielded positive results in 14/32 Lyme

patients (13 male semen samples and 1 vaginal pap). ALL positive

semen/vaginal samples in patients with known sexual partners resulted in

positive Lyme titers/PCR in their sexual partners. 3/4 positive semen

patients had no or unknown sexual partners to be tested. These preliminary

findings warrent futher study. Current a statistical design study to

evaluate the possibility of sexual transition of the spirochete is being

undertaken. Our laboratory studies confirm the existence of Lyme

spirochetes in semen/vaginal secretions. Whether or not further clinical

studies with a larger statistical group will support the hypothesis of

sexual transmission remains to be seen. A retrospective clinical study is

also underway. We are reviewing the medical records, collecting semen

samples of patients who were previously diagnosed with current and

previously treated Lyme disease are bing asked to provide semen,pap and

blood samples for extensive laboratory testing.

CONCLUSION;

With the initially impressive data, we feel the subsequent statistical sudy

on the sexual transmission of the Lyme spirochete will illuminate a much

broader sectrum of public health concerns associated with the disease than

the originally accepted tick borne vector.

--

3 ***********

Personal Story from a Patient Probably Sexually Infected, recopied from

another list on the strength of the introduction.

SUMMARY - married and apparently caught rash-associated disease from new

husband. Very ill, separated, remarried and second husband develops

apparent similar disease.

> I have attached a more detailed version of my story. Please feel free to

> send it to anyone who may be helped by it. I give my permission for it to

> be put in Lyme newsletters also. I want this thing publicised. Yes, also

> forward my last e-mail.

> Rosemary Trudeau. Melbourne, Australia.

Rosemary Trudeau,

e-mail, roseagain@...

12/09/2002.

To Whom It May Concern,

I have recently discovered the cause of a long-standing serious health

problem which has puzzled every doctor I have been to. Below is a brief

summary of my story.

In 1979 at the age of 22, I married my first husband, Egon. Prior to this

time I was completely well and holding down good jobs. In the early weeks

of the marriage Egon had a large " bulls-eye " rash in one armpit. It was

approximately 10cms. across and very unusual. As I worked in Pharmacy at

the time, I was very familiar with diagnosing rashes. But this rash was not

like anything I had ever seen before. I brought home various therapeutic

creams over the next few weeks, but these failed to clear it up. Then I

bought a herbal ointment from a health food store, but this also was

unsuccessful. Egon had stopped using deodorants and perfumed soap thinking

this may be the cause.

After several weeks with no improvement, Egon went to our local G.P., Dr.

Granot who took a swab of the rash and decided it was a " nerve' rash

and that Egon must be under a lot of stress. This did not make any sense as

we were young, newly married and excited about life. Dr. Granot prescribed

some cortisone cream which did clear the rash up.

I came down with a strange flu-like illness in the early weeks of the

marriage and have never recovered. Initially I thought that the pill might

be making me feel so ill, so I went off it. I fell pregnant straight away,

despite other contraception. Through my pregnancy with my daughter

Katheryn, I suffered severe morning sickness and other symptoms. At one

stage the vomiting was so bad, I had a Stemitil injection. When I was 7

months pregnant, I had severe heart palpitations. We got a locum who

decided it was from drinking coffee. I stopped drinking coffee and tea, but

the bouts of heart palpitations continued. Katheryn was born 9 days early

after a difficult 18 hour labor requiring an induction, an epidural and

forceps. She was very low birth weight and would not feed properly. I tried

everything to breastfeed her, but I could not make much milk.

By the time she was a few weeks old, I was so ill I thought I was going to

die. I had excruciating pain in my neck, head and spine and was having

bizarre visual disturbances and could not sleep. I was so exhausted, I

could not make it to my letter box and could not tolerate bright lights,

noise or motion. I had severe muscle pain and weakness. I did not know it

was possible for a young person to feel like this and not recover, as I had

always been very well.

Dr. Granot decided I was suffering from " nervous exhaustion " and prescribed

Serapax. I took them but they made me more exhausted. I went back to him

several times complaining of more and more symptoms. I was sure he would be

able to work out what was wrong. But the more I told him, the more he

became convinced that it was an emotional problem, as I had symptoms

everywhere. In the end, I lost confidence in him and went to an alternative

doctor, Dr. Zenon Gruba.

Dr. Gruba believed what I was saying and tried to help me. He got me onto a

good diet, which did help, but was not enough to overcome the illness. He

gave me B12 injections and helped me get some practical support from my

family and church. By the time Katheryn was 1 year old, I was a lot better,

but still far from well. I had become sensitive to chemicals and foods

which previously had never bothered me. Then I fell pregnant with . I

took better care of myself and had a better pregnancy. was born 1

day early and was very low birth weight. Again, he would not feed properly.

I breast and bottle-fed for 9weeks but the bottle won.

Through the years both children complained of many similar symptoms.

developed a learning disorder and was forgetting how to spell words he had

previously known. When Katheryn was about 9 she had a high fever, headaches

and could not walk at all. The local G.P. became alarmed and sent us to

Emergency at ston Hospital. When they could not work out why she was

so ill they sent us to The Royal Children's Hospital. Despite seeing a

several doctors and a Neurologist, no cause was ever found. The walking

problem lasted about 2 weeks.

By the time Katheryn got to Secondary College she was 3 years behind in her

growth. This was determined by various specialsts and confirmed with bone

scans and x-rays. She suffered from joint pains in her knees and feet. At

the age of 14 she complained of foot problems. We took her to a specialist

who said he had not seen this condition in anyone under the age of 80!

There was never any explanation offered as to the cause.

suffered from bouts of chronic diarhoea, behaviour problems,

depression, bed-wetting, breathing problems, rashes, headaches, blurred

vision, muscle pain mainly in the neck, severe knee joint pain, swollen

wrist joints, swollen glands, sore throats and sensitivity to glare. We

took him to various specialists and he was hospitalised to see if he had

some sort of parasite. The stool tests for Giardia Lamblia and Entamoeba

Histolitica were negative. Dr. Bannister, the Peadiatrician, could

see there was something wrong, but admitted he did not know what it was. I

also had stool cultures done for the above. These came back negative. I

asked Dr. Bannister if it was possible that we all had some sort of

bacteria which had not been diagnosed yet. He agreed that it was certainly

possible

Over the years I have been hospitalized on many occasions, but no cause for

my illness has ever been established until recently. I am only 45 years old

and use a walking frame and sometimes a wheelchair. I have been told I have

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, M.E. possible M.S, depression,

anxiety, low blood sugar etc., etc., etc. I have been to over 20 G.P's,

many specialists, alternative healers etc. All have misdiagnosed me and

sent me home with no treatment or the wrong treatment.

Sadly, the 16 year marriage ended in 1993 because of the pressures of years

of illness with no explanation as to the cause, and no hope of a cure. We

had spent thousands of dollars on medical bills and I just kept getting

worse. Egon grew resentful of me always being so ill, and I was not well

enough to cope with his anger.

In 2000 I joined a rheumatic support group on the internet. I had known for

some time that tetracycline anti-biotics and Flagyl made some of my

symptoms go away. One of the American ladies, Kathy Meyer, recognized my

symptoms and suggested I had Lyme disease. I had known for some time that I

certainly had all the symptoms, but as far as I know I have never been

bitten by a tick. At the onset of my illness, I had never travelled to any

known tick areas. I have still never been to Queensland or overseas.

My local G.P., Dr. McCracken, agreed that I certainly have all the

symptoms of late-stage Lyme, but she said there is no Lyme in .

Kathy sent me an article stating that, contrary to popular belief, Lyme can

be sexually transmitted. I looked up Lyme disease on the internet and saw

photos of the Erythema Chronicum Migrans rash which is a certain indication

of Lyme disease. Kathy told me that ticks like to crawl into dark, moist

places like armpits. As I viewed the photos of the rashes which looked

identical to the one Egon had in the early months of our marriage, I

remembered that he had indeed camped all along the coast of northern N.S.W.

and Queensland approximately 4 years prior to our marriage. These are known

tick areas where Lyme is endemic. I believe he was bitten by a tick and has

been a carrier of the spirochetal infection all these years. During the

marriage Egon had a chronic cough and many behavioral disturbances. He told

me he had that rash long before our marriage and I now know that ECM rashes

can recur long after the initial tick bite.

I re-married in 1998 and unfortunately, my new husband, Vic, has developed

a lot of my symptoms. From what I understand, the Borrelia spirochete is

almost identical to Syphilis.

Egon has re-married last year and may well have infected several other

people along the way. I have informed him of what I believe has happened to

us. Sadly, he has been unwilling to acknowledge the truth of what has

happened, and is now denying that he ever had the rash. I do not think he

has had any tests or informed his new wife of his possible infectious

disease. As in the case of Syphilis, one can be a carrier, without

manifesting many of the symptoms. And as is also the case with Syphilis,

the brain and emotions are affected. So, what I thought was emotional abuse

in the marriage, may well have been neuroborreliosis, which is

well-documented in medical journals.

In February this year, Vic and I travelled to Sydney to see Dr. Bernie

Hudson who is the head of the Infectious Diseases Department at Royal North

Shore Hospital, with the encouragement of our G.P. Dr. Hudson agreed that

Lyme disease could certainly cause all of my symptoms and that Lyme is in

Australia.

Lyme is currently the second fastest growing infectious disease in America

next to AIDS. There have not been adequate studies to prove whether Lyme

can be sexually transmitted. However, I believe many people are infected

this way and are being misdiagnosed as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,

fibromyalgia, M.S., ALS, etc. The spirochete has also been found in

mosquitoes, fleas and gnats.

As you probably know, if Lyme is treated early, it is pretty much curable

with a course of Doxycycline. Over the years any treatment I had would have

been negated as I would have kept being infected from Egon. Because I have

been misdiagnosed for so long, this illness has cost me my career, family,

finances, friendships, capabilities and almost my sanity. I am now on a

Disability pension and Vic is on a Carer's pension. We were married with me

in a wheelchair. There have been times where I have been so disabled that I

have required district nurses to come and shower me as I could not even sit

up in the shower without help.

To further complicate the situation, there are no accurate tests for Lyme.

As far as I know there are only 3 places in Australia doing the tests. From

what I understand, Westmead Hospital test for the American strains of the

bacteria, and Royal North Shore Hospital test for the species which have

been found in Australia and Europe. Both Hospitals use the Western Blot and

the tests. These tests look for an antibody response in the blood.

This does often show up in the early weeks of infection, but then the

spirochete leaves the bloodstream and goes into the brain and Central

Nervous System. Vic and I have tested negative in these tests which is

common in Late-stage Lyme. Recently I sent blood to Australian Biologics in

Sydney for a PCR test which looks for the DNA of the bacteria. My test came

back highly positive. As we are on pensions, and this is a private

pathology lab, we have not had Vic or my children tested as yet.

At the onset of my illness, I was working full-time in a busy suburban Box

Hill Pharmacy. I was studying at night and spending a lot of time driving.

I was not into bushwalking, camping or gardening. I have always lived in

Melbourne and had not travelled much.

In America some doctors claim that 90% of their CFS patients have been

found to have Lyme. I am publicizing what has happened to me in the hope of

getting this illness acknowledged in Australia and getting better tests and

treatment. My doctor has reported this to the Communicable Diseases section

of the n Health Department and I am currently assisting them with

their investigations.

Sincerely,

Rosemary Trudeau.

4 ***************

From: Clinical Manifestations of Lyme Disease in the United States

authors: Trock, et al

Source: Connecticut Medicine June 1989 Volume 53, No. 6

" ...........In a prospective study of

abortuses in an area endemic for Lyme disease, four cases of fetal

borreliosis were described with B. burgdorferi isolated from fetal

liver. This observation suggests that B. burgdorferi may be an etiologic

agent in fetal demise of uncertain cause. The risk to infants of

asymptomatic women with

positive serologies for Lyme disease has been explored through analysis of

cord blood for anti-B. burgdorferi antibodies....The development of these

infants warrants further observation, especially since in another

spirochetal infection, congenital syphilis, abnormalities are not always

evident at birth................. "