Bartonella and Lyme Borrelia are easily confused because they are both vector-borne bacteria with similar sounding names and frequently have complex, interrelated roles in chronic illnesses. Patients often believe Bartonella and Borrelia are the same before speaking to us, or they may mistake something they read online about one for the other. In this post, we are going to describe some unique characteristics that distinguish these bacteria from each other.
The Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction (JHR), or “herxing”, was first described by physicians in the late 1800s. Patients who experience this phenomenon report an increase in non-specific symptoms shortly following initiation of antibiotic treatment. These symptoms include chills, fever, headache, and/or intensification of skin rashes. Despite being described more than a century ago, it is still difficult… Continue reading “Herxing”: Why does it occur?
Patients with Bartonella species infection (bartonellosis) complain of a variety of nonspecific vision problems that can affect every function of
People with vector-borne infections often report a variety of symptoms that originate in the central nervous system. How can all of these different pathogens have so many symptoms that overlap? As Galaxy Diagnostics president and CEO Amanda Elam wrote in her 10-year reflection, “our bodies are complex biological systems with only a few ways to… Continue reading Bartonella and the Brain
Skin is the largest human organ. It is also the first place that flea and tick-borne pathogens encounter the human immune system. While some skin symptoms are signature markers for specific pathogens or families of pathogens, others provide hard-to-interpret clues that can be linked to a wide variety of diseases. Lyme borreliosis and bartonellosis are… Continue reading Vector-Borne Disease and Skin: Your First Layer of Defense
Both bartonellosis and Lyme disease are associated with dangerous heart conditions that can be fatal in some cases. According to the CDC, 11 cases of fatal Lyme carditis have been reported between 1985 and 2019, however, researchers suspect there are more undetected cases. The heart has three critical aspects that can be affected by disease:… Continue reading How Vector-Borne Diseases Impact Heart Health
