View clinical trials related to Lyme Disease.
Filter by:The purpose of the study is to establish whether prolonged antibiotic treatment of patients diagnosed with proven or presumed PLD (as endorsed by the international ILADS guidelines) leads to better patient outcome than short-term treatment as endorsed by the Dutch CBO guidelines.
Background: Lyme disease is an infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a bacteria that is transmitted to humans by ticks. It can cause many different symptoms including rash, fever, headache, meningitis (infection of the central nervous system), and arthritis. While most patients improve after taking antibiotics, some patients continue to have symptoms. It is currently unknown why some patients continue to have symptoms. One possibility is that the antibiotics have not successfully gotten rid of all of the bacteria. Current tests for Lyme disease cannot tell whether the bacteria have been successfully eliminated from the body. Xenodiagnosis is a way to look for Borrelia bacteria using the animal that usually hosts them, Ixodes scapularis (also known as the deer tick). This method takes advantage of the evolution of the bacteria and the insect that transmits the infection, which can make the insect particularly good at finding the agent. In studies of animals, xenodiagnosis may be more sensitive than current tests for detecting the presence of the Lyme disease bacteria. Researchers are interested in using xenodiagnosis to determine whether uninfected ticks that feed on humans who have been infected with Lyme disease bacteria can detect the continued presence of live bacteria. Objectives: - To determine whether xenodiagnosis can be used to successfully investigate the presence of Lyme disease bacteria. Eligibility: 1. Individuals at least 18 years of age who are in one of the following categories: 2. Have had the erythema migrans rash (a symptom of Lyme infection) and received antibiotic therapy less than 4 months ago (but have not had antibiotics in the previous month). 3. Have the erythema migrans rash and received less than 2 days of antibiotic therapy. 4. Have been diagnosed with early or late Lyme disease, have received antibiotic therapy, but still have high levels of antibodies against the bacteria at least 6 months after therapy, and have not received antibiotics in the past 3 months. 5. Have been diagnosed with early or late Lyme disease, have received antibiotic therapy, and have new complaints of fatigue or other symptoms that are persistent for at least 6 months after completion of antibiotic therapy, and have not received antibiotics in the past 3 months. 6. Have been diagnosed with Lyme arthritis and have not yet received antibiotic therapy. 7. Healthy volunteers who have not had Lyme disease will also be included in this study. Design: - Participants will have an initial visit for a physical examination, medical history, and blood sample. - For the first study visit, researchers will place a strip of filter paper or a small plastic container with 20 to 30 disease-free ticks on the participant s skin. If possible, the ticks will be placed at the site of a Lyme disease rash or another suspicious area, or on the nondominant forearm. Participants will be asked to keep the ticks in place, and will keep a diary card at home to record any symptoms or problems. - The ticks will be collected 4 to 6 days after placement. At that visit, participants will have a skin biopsy taken of the area tested, a blood sample will be collected, and participants will receive a new diary card to keep until the next clinic visit. - After 1 month, participants will provide a final blood sample, and will receive a follow-up phone call 2 months afterward.
Our overall purpose of this study is evaluate whether a short in-class Lyme Disease education program based on social learning theory and the Health Belief Model can impact a child's knowledge, attitude, and preventive behavior. 1. Deliver an educational program in schools to promote personal protective practices, encourage early disease detection and modify residential habitats to reduce tick density. 3. Evaluate the program's efficacy by comparing the acceptability and practice of precautionary behavior, tick density in residential areas and rates of Lyme disease between groups using primary and surveillance data sources Evaluate the contribution of knowledge, attitudes, and parental involvement to children's adoption of prevention strategies. Hypothesis The community intervention will reduce the incidence of Lyme disease among children and families living in endemic areas by increasing the practice of precautionary behavior and reducing tick density in residential areas. Specifically, we hypothesize that: 1. The educational intervention will reduce the incidence of Lyme disease among children and families living in an endemic area. 2. The educational intervention will improve the childrens' self-confidence (behavioral self-efficacy), intention to perform, and actual practice of Lyme disease prevention behaviors.
This study will analyze cells from erythema migrans lesions, the "bull's eye" rash of Lyme disease. Little is known about what happens in the skin when it is infected with Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. This study will examine and compare laboratory findings in skin biopsies from people with Lyme disease and from healthy normal volunteers to try to better understand the infection. Healthy volunteers and people with untreated erythema migrans rash who are 18 years of age or older may be eligible for this study. All participants undergo a clinical examination, blood tests, between two to four skin biopsies (removal of a small piece of tissue for laboratory examination), and complete two health questionnaires. The biopsies are taken from the erythema migrans lesion in patients with Lyme disease and from skin on the legs, forearms, buttocks, or side from healthy volunteers. To collect the tissue, the skin at the biopsy site is numbed with injection of a local anesthetic and a sharp instrument is then used to remove a round plug of skin about the size of a pencil eraser. The wound may be closed with one or two sutures, or allowed to heal without sutures. The sutures are removed after a week to 10 days. Patients with Lyme disease receive treatment for their condition. In addition, at the time the sutures are removed and at 4 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months after their first visit they fill out a questionnaire and have additional blood tests.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether patients with persistent memory problems after Lyme disease benefit from an additional longer course of IV antibiotic therapy; to use modern brain imaging technology to determine whether the problem in the central nervous system is primarily one of poor blood flow or one of impaired nerve cell functioning; and to try to identify biological markers prior to treatment that will identify patients who are more or less likely to respond to the study treatment.
Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the United States. It is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. It may exist in a chronic form and be the result of: 1) active infection by B. burgdorferi; 2) damage caused by the original infectious process; or 3) the presence of co-infection with another organism transmitted by Ixodes ticks. The purpose of this study is to determine the safety and effectiveness, for seropositive patients, of intensive antibiotic treatment in eliminating symptoms of Chronic Lyme Disease (CLD).
Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the United States. It is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. It may exist in a chronic form and be the result of: 1) persistent infection by B. burgdorferi; 2) damage caused by the original infectious process; or 3) the presence of coinfection with another organism transmitted by Ixodes ticks. The purpose of this study is to determine the safety and effectiveness, in seronegative patients, of intensive antibiotic treatment in eliminating symptoms of Chronic Lyme Disease (CLD).
The purpose of this study is to see how well antibiotics work in reducing chronic fatigue symptoms, such as tiredness, in patients that were treated for Lyme Disease. Fatigue is a common symptom of Lyme Disease. When fatigue does not improve after treatment, patients are considered to have Post Lyme Syndrome (PLS). The chronic fatigue seen in these patients appears to be related to the initial infection which causes Lyme Disease. It is believed, but not proven, that treatment with antibiotics may be effective in relieving chronic fatigue in PLS patients.
This is a large study of an educational program on Lyme disease prevention for passengers on ferry boats going to Nantucket Island during the period from Memorial Day until Labor Day. Some boats provide passengers with the experimental program and the other boats provide a "control" program that the researchers can compare to the experimental program. The experimental program uses live performances by entertainers to teach people about Lyme disease prevention, and also uses additional printed materials. People on the control boats receive education on injury prevention and road safety while bicycling, rollerblading, and using mopeds. The main result we will look for is Lyme disease identified by a followup survey and confirmed by reviewing medical records. We will also ask some people to take part in a smaller study of behavior change. In this study, we will ask people to complete forms on self-efficacy (a person's belief in his or her ability to reach a certain goal), their plans to take preventive steps, and actual prevention behaviors. We also ask participants who report doctor visits or illness to provide confirmation of their use of health services.