NEWSGROUP FAQ'S - Tranmission Myths 5-2006

Georgia · medicine forum Guru Wannabe Joined: 13 Jun 2005 Posts: 129

Fear, ignorance and Internet rumors have also created an environment
for
expanding the mythology of Lyme's protean properties far beyond
scientific fact
or medical observation. For example, a recent spat of Internet postings
has
suggested that Lyme can be acquired through sexual contact.

"I think that Lyme is also a STD [sexual-transmitted disease]," said
one
newsgroup poster. Another wrote, "I've talked to many couples who claim
they
transmitted to each other through sexual contact. I believe I gave it
to my
wife."

At least one "Lyme specialist" appears to be telling patients that Lyme
is
sexually transmitted and therefore their family members should be
tested. One
person reported to Quackwatch that a family member had been tested and
told
that the test was positive and that a 4-5 month course of antibiotics
was
necessary.

There is no basis for such advice. The infection is acquired from the
bite of
an infected tick. People are "dead end" hosts and do not spread Lyme
infections
to others.

The topic of pregnancy and Lyme is also rife with rumor and unnecessary
fear.
During a quarter of a century of research and surveillance, there have
been no
documented cases of mother-child transmission and no cases of fetal
injury
associated with a Lyme infection. Recent attempts to demonstrate
venereal,
transplacental and contact transmission of Lyme spirochetes in hamsters
have
also failed [25]. In contrast, a case of perinatal transmission of
human
granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) was reported in the New England Journal
of
Medicine [26]. Like B. burgdorferi, HGE is transmitted by the Ixodes
tick, and
simultaneous infections with both have been reported.

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