LymeSci by Lonnie Marcum | Lymedisease.org

Lonnie Marcum

is a Physical Therapist, with a dual degree in health administration and physical therapy. She has a passion for helping people heal from illness and injury by treating the whole body. She became active in the Lyme community after her daughter was diagnosed with tick-borne diseases in 2013. She now devotes much time to learning about Lyme and related conditions, and sharing that knowledge via social media. In addition, she has served as a member of the HHS Tick-Borne Disease Working Group: Tick Biology, Ecology, Control Subcommittee. Her blog, LymeSci, seeks to help patients understand the science of tick-borne diseases and new developments in research.

LYME SCI: Feds adopt “national strategy” for vector-borne diseases

SEP

2020

The Kay Hagan Tick Act, passed in 2019, called for the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a national strategy to address issues related to vector-borne diseases. The idea was for HHS to co-ordinate with other federal agencies and departments, including... Read More »

LYME SCI: Intersection of Lyme and COVID, plus honoring Neil Spector

SEP

2020

I just ‘attended’ the 2020 International Lyme and Associated Disease Society (ILADS) 21st Annual Scientific Conference entitled: “One Health Lyme: The Intersection of Lyme and COVID.” As most everything else in 2020, ILADS was extremely different this year with the entire... Read More »

LYME SCI: What smells like citrus and protects you from ticks?

SEP

2020

As many of us have discovered during the COVID pandemic shutdown, living like a hermit is no fun. Yet, as we venture outdoors for a little diversion and exercise, it’s important to protect ourselves from ticks. However, there are a lot of repellents I will not use because of our... Read More »

LYME SCI: Remembering the gifts of Dr. Neil Spector

JUL

2020

Dr. Neil Spector, an internationally acclaimed cancer researcher, wanted to change the world. While seeking a cure for cancer, however, he became seriously involved with a different illness, which ended up steering his life and work in a new direction. It turns out that Spector... Read More »

LYME SCI: How many “negative” Lyme tests are due to B. miyamotoi?

JUL

2020

Do you have all the symptoms of Lyme disease but test negative? Besides the fact the standard test for Lyme misses half the cases, there may be another reason—Borrelia miyamotoi. A new study out of San Francisco State University (SFSU) has found more Borrelia miyamotoi than... Read More »

LYME SCI: Bureaucratic (and other) differences between Lyme and COVID

JUN

2020

We are 40 years into Lyme disease and only six months into the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many others in the Lyme community, I take note of the similarities and differences in the two diseases. Four bureaucratic differences really stand out: (1) In a matter of weeks, the federal... Read More »

LYME SCI: Finding the silver lining during times of crisis

APR

2020

Like many of you, I’m entering a new phase in the COVID-19 pandemic. When the president’s task force announced the “15 Days to Slow the Spread,” I thought, “Okay, I can make use of two weeks at home. Maybe I’ll finally get around to cleaning out my closet.” In week two, once the... Read More »

LYME SCI: Helping your child avoid coronavirus AND Lyme disease

APR

2020

As if the coronavirus pandemic isn’t bad enough, we’re heading into peak tick season. With schools closed and kids running around their backyards, I wonder if folks are taking appropriate precautions. Year after year, children have the highest number of tick bites. As most... Read More »

LYME SCI: Continuing questions about COVID-19 testing

APR

2020

Testing for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has been problematic to say the least. We keep hearing about new and different tests, but as of this writing, they’re not generally available. So, where do we stand now? Current COVID-19 tests are very specific.... Read More »