Lyme Disease: How The Lymphatic System, Humoral Immunity, Collagen, and Decorin Binding are Interconnected.

I started researching Tick-Borne Diseases in 2012 after my daughter came down with a mysterious illness and went a year before we received a diagnosis Ehrlichia Chaffeensis, Lyme and Co-infections  (her story here). I read on average 1-5 peer reviewed studies and/or Journal articles per week. Why? Because my daughter did not get better after 4 weeks on Doxycyline; the Medical Field is largely ignoring the 10-20% of patients with lingering symptoms following standard treatment for Lyme; and because I, like so many others, have fallen into the Search Engine Rabbit Hole while looking for a cure.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - Myalgic Encephalomyelitis - Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease - Chronic Fatigue Immune DeficiencySyndrome

Fatigue is one of the most common reasons people seek consultation with health care providers. 

Recently the Institute of Medicine released a report suggesting that Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)  and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) be reclassified as Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease (SEID).  This has raised many questions and concerns about the new classification being too broad, as pointed out here. There is no known single etiology for ME/CFS, but current research coming out of the Stanford ME/CFS Initiative is pointing towards immune system disruption. Because of this I actually prefer the term Chronic Fatigue Immune Deficiency Syndrome (CFIDS). Honestly, at this point, I don't really care what they call it, as long as it is recognized by the Medical/Scientific Community and we start looking for a cure.

North American Tick-borne Diseases: Including Lyme Disease andCo-Infections

Ticks are capable of transmitting many illnesses to humans.

As Lyme disease is spreading so are other tick-borne infections. I created this page to help identify the different species of North American ticks by region and catalog the major tick borne diseases they carry. While my maps focus on the continental U.S. it is a known fact that migrating birds who carry ticks do not stop on borders. Many of the species listed thrive in parts of Mexico and Canada as well. The reality is tick-borne illnesses are not limited to the East Coast or deer ticks.

Note: One tick is capable of transmitting more than one infection.