Yearly Archives: 2016

This Malaria-Like Parasite Is Spreading in North America

While we lived together, a good friend of mine who hails from West Africa taught me to think beyond geopolitical borders. Among countless stories, she sometimes mentioned exotic illnesses that were common in other parts of the world. One is malaria -- that infamous mosquito-transmitted parasite that causes severe flulike symptoms most notably characterized by [...]

Different Response by CDC to Spread of Zika Virus VS. Lyme Disease-carrying Ticks

Although Lyme disease and the Zika virus are transmitted by different types of vectors, both illnesses can cause severe, long-term health damage and are of enormous concern to the general public. The response by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to each threat, however, has been decidedly different. The CDC has responded to [...]

Woman battling Lyme disease works with lawmakers to raise awareness

It starts with a red rash, but can later affect joints, the nervous system, and even the heart. It’s called Lyme disease, and for a woman in Cromwell, it has taken over her life. Rebecca Tibball has lived with chronic Lyme disease for the past year and now she is making it her mission to [...]

UI chemists uncover how key agent allows diseases to reproduce

Humans have been successful at treating a host of diseases. Yet some continue to elude medicine’s best attempts. Tuberculosis killed 15 percent of the 9.6 million people who contracted it worldwide in 2014. Typhus has flared periodically throughout history, with deadly consequences. Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a tick-borne threat in North and South America. [...]

Yolanda Foster’s Health Advocate Says Hearing People Doubt Her Illness Is “Heart-Wrenching”

Yolanda Foster hasn't been shy about her struggles with Lyme disease on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. This season alone, we've seen her undergo a vitamin C IV treatment, have her white gold crowns removed from her teeth, and get rid of her silicone breast implants. Though Yolanda undergoing so many medical treatments is one [...]

‘Unacceptable’ & ‘Frustrating’: Avril Lavigne Vents About Doctors Blowing Off Lyme Disease In 8-Month Search For Diagnosis

Avril Lavigne, slowly on the upswing in her Lyme disease battle, says she found many doctors’ passive dismissal of the illness as “unacceptable” and “frustrating.” The “Sk8er Boi” singer, speaking with Good Morning America Thursday in a phone interview, explained how a year ago, she “went from doctor-to-doctor for about eight months” until she could [...]

Bitten: A Patient With Tickborne Disease Struggles To Find The Right Provider

For a patient with Lyme disease–like symptoms, the biggest challenge is finding a specialist who understands her condition. "Back home after three days, I peeled off my clothes for a long-overdue shower. Reflected in the bathroom mirror was a rash the shape of a bull’s-eye, blooming bright red on my left hip. A crimson omen [...]

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