EC Microbiology

Specific tick species carry specific pathogens (See table 1). This fact alone makes it imperative that the tick species associated with a tick bite in a victim must be first carefully removed, identified, and then sent off to a DNA lab where specific pathogens carried within that tick be identified!! It is often the case that ticks are removed from a victim of tick bite and subsequently thrown away!!. Little regard is paid to the tick species or pathogen carriage known to be commonly associated within this tick species. The response that I have given to physicians treating patients who are victims of tick bite, as well, as their patients is that flying blind is not the better option!!. It is of the utmost importance to know what the victim was potentially exposed to, as concern specific tick borne infections. This important information directs the doctor to order specific clinical lab tests needed to confirm or rule out pathogen presence in a tick bite victim, and thus provide the patient with a proper course of treatment. A knowledge of tick pathogen carriage does not mean that every pathogen carried by a tick entered into the anatomy of the tick bite victim. One must always remember that a tick bite holds the potential for a multipathogenic event, tick borne pathogens can be bacterial, parasitic or viral. In the case of bacterial pathogens (Borrelia species, Bartonella species, Mycoplasma species etc.) a treatment regimen of antibiotics is required. When dealing with parasitic tick borne pathogens like Babesia species, an anti-parasitic agent is called for. When dealing with such viral agents as Powassan virus, and Bourbon virus there currently isn’t any available specific vaccine treatment [1] It is time to put things in proper perspective, we are dealing with a broad array of tick borne diseases. Lyme disease in North America is a specific disease caused chiefly by the pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi [1,2]. In Europe, Lyme disease can be caused by Borrelia garinii, Borrelia afzelii, Borrelia burgdorferi [1,2]. Lyme disease is not a synonym for all tick borne infections!

1. Horowitz RI. “How can I get better: an action plan for treatment resistant lyme and chronic disease”. St. Martin’s Griffin. New York (2017): 51-64.
2. Ollar RA. “The European and Asian Tick Borne Borrelia neuropathogens Borrelia garinii, and Borrelia afzelii are now being found in deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis), and produce positive serological reactions for same in tick bite victims in North America”. EC Neurology 1 (2020): 01-02.