Dr. Scott Commings. Beyone Meat: What alpha-gal syndrome teaches us about the immune response to tick bites.
Dr. @scott_commins says they first began to notice patients complaining of delayed reactions to beef in mid-2000's.
Commings says Initially the only test they had for Alpha-gal was a two step skin test.
Alpha-gal by the numbers. From 2013 to 2018 positive test results went from a few dozen patients to over 30,000. #ticks#alphagalsyndrome#allergies
Management of alpha-gal syndrome includes avoiding mammalian meats, and products that are derived from these products.
Commings says rhere are two types of alpha-gal syndrome & clinical presentations. #AGS
.@scott_commins says, in general Alpha-gal syndrome is managed through avoidance. #AGS
Initially they didn't understand the role ticks had in creating Alpha-gal syndrome. By performing blood tests after known tick bites they now know #AGS is triggered by tick bites.
This is not comprehensive data but it does show a large spread of Alpha-gal syndrome. In the US it appears to come from the Lone star tick (and possibly the I. scapularis & I pacificus). In Japan & other parts of the world other ticks are involved.
Commins currently using Rhapsody to detect surface markers to determine how ticks actually cause alpha-gal allergy and other illnesses
In summary, this is how tick bites lead alpha-gal syndrome @scott_commins
Apologies Dr. @scott_commins autocorrect kept adding a “g” to your last name.
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Next is Dr. @aucott_john on Lyme disease and infection associated chronic illness. Lessons from COVID Long Haulers and ME/CFS.
Infection associated illness is not new. #LymeDiseaseAwarenessMonth
Dr @aucott_john quickly noticed the symptoms of #LongCOVID were very similar to #LongLyme. Can occur in patients with mild illnesss. Something similar in how these diseases are affecting humans (P.S. Long-haul does not occur post-flu.) #LymeDiseaseAwarenessMonth
Patients with chronic illnesses are often disbelieved. It is difficult as there are no diagnostic tests to prove "Long haul" is real.
Jeff says they were able to present the @liv_lyme@TicktrackerAPP to the The National Association and County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during Vector Week. #LymeDiseaseAwarenessMonth
Since it's launch in 2018 @TicktrackerAPP has had over 8,000 submissions. Submissions peak in May-June. American dog tick was number one tick identified. #LymeDiseaseAwarenessMonth
Dr. Rajadas, a pharmacologist by training, finding doxycycline is not clearing infection in the lab. However, mitomycin & azlocillin are working well. Prefers fewest number of molecules as treatment option (1 or 2 at most). #LymeDiseaseAwarenessMonth
Rajadas finding TLR2 interaction in both Borrelia and SARS-Cov-2 surface proteins, also elevation of quinolinic acid. #LymeDiseaseAwarenessMonth
Next is Dr. Saravanan Thangamani @Thangamani_Lab Emergence of ticks and tick-borne diseases in NY.
Deer tick
Lone star tick
Dog tick
Asian longhorned tick
Dr. @Thangamani_Lab reviewing the many pathogens carried by Deer tick, Lone star tick, Dog tick, Gulf coast tick, and the invasive Asian longhorned tick. #LymeDiseaseAwarenessMonth
Dr. Monica Embers | Persistent Lyme Disease: Supportive Evidence and Potential Solutions. #LymeDiseaseAwarenessMonth
Embers "there are three potential causes of post-treatment #LymeDisease
Inflammatory response
Continuous infection
Autoimmune
The standard treatment for #LymeDisease utilizes a bacteriostatic antibiotic which slows the growth of the bacteria and relies on the immune system to clear the infection.