Persistent Lyme symptoms may be caused by immune responses to bacterial cell wall fragments that remain in the body after treatment. Northwestern researchers found that unique peptidoglycan from Borrelia burgdorferi lingers in tissues, sparking inflammation similar to long COVID.

Researchers uncover why the body may keep reacting to a hidden threat even long after the bacteria are gone.

As many as 20 percent of patients treated for Lyme disease continue to experience lasting symptoms. Researchers believe this may be due to lingering antigens from the Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium, similar to how residual viral particles are thought to contribute to long 2022 study found that 14 percent of patients diagnosed and treated early with antibiotics still developed Post-Treatment Lyme Disease (PTLD). These patients often report ongoing problems such as fatigue, cognitive difficulties, joint pain, and arthritis. Despite its prevalence, the medical community continues to debate the causes of PTLD and how best to treat it.

Now, researchers at DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adr2955

The research was supported by the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (R21AI159800, R01AI173256, R01AI178711), the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation, the Department of Defense (TB220039), the Global Lyme Alliance and the Bay Area Lyme Foundation.

www.globalmotohub.com