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Rare Disease Found In Ticks In New York State
New York State has of the worst problems during the summer.
We have a massive tick problem around here. There is a super scary warning from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding ticks and a newly discovered disease that is potentially lethal. Here is what is doing to people in .
We have seen more and more ticks in our backyard and if you get them off of you soon enough, typically you should be find. But it is the unknown of not knowing what kind of diseases a tick MAY have, especially in New York State.
What is the new tick disease called?Babesiosisis is a new lethal disease that ticks transmit. It is found in mice, vole, and other outdoor animals.
Did I get infected by a tick with Babesiosisis? What are the symptoms?It takes 24 hours for the tease to be transferred.
Babesiosis is infection of red blood cells by a parasite called Babesia. People who get sick with babesiosis may have fever, chills, muscle pain, and fatigue. Most infections are acquired in the northeastern United States (U.S.) and are due to a kind of Babesia called Babesia microti", according to the CDC website.
How many cases are there in New York State of tick-borne illnesses and Lyme Disease?We went to Provenpestcontrol.Com and found out that New York State is actually the second-worst state in America when it comes to ticks and Lyme Disease. Here are the total amount of cases per state in 2023:
Most amounts of the cases happen closest to New York City, which might seem ironic that there are a lot of tick infections there despite there not being as many wooded areas as one would think.
Here is a list of trails around the Buffalo area that both hard-core hikers and easy-going novices can both enjoy.
Gallery Credit: alltrails.Com/Canva
Existing Drugs Studied In Patients With Rare Immune Diseases
The first study within the DRIMID (Drug Rediscovery for Rare Immune Mediated Inflammatory Diseases) consortium has started. This study will investigate the efficacy and safety of the drug filgotinib (approved for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis) in three rare immune diseases (Behçet's disease, idiopathic inflammatory myositis, IgG4-related disease). DRIMID aims to investigate whether this drug—despite the absence of formal drug approval—can also be used to treat these rare immune diseases.
New drugs are usually developed (and therefore faster accessible) for conditions involving large patient groups. However, for rare diseases, drug development is more difficult. With the establishment of the DRIMID partnership, major steps have now been taken to make new drugs available to such patient groups.
The project is a collaboration between ARCH foundation, ReumaNederland, drug company AlfaSigma and a number of Dutch hospitals with the aim of (re)developing drugs for rare disorders.
Rare immune diseasesRare immune-mediated inflammatory diseases usually have an unknown cause, and are often associated with the formation of autoantibodies (the immune system attacks its own body). Examples of such diseases include granulomatosis with polyangiitis, inflammatory myositis, vasculitis of the great vessels, IgG4-related disease, Behçet's disease, Sjögren's disease and systemic sclerosis.
A major problem in clinical practice is that many patients do not respond adequately to common anti-inflammatory drugs over time. Thus, there is an unmet medical need for adequate treatment options for this group.
The studyThe aim of the study is to investigate if filgotinib is efficacious when used by patients with rare immune diseases and whether the drug is well tolerated. Now that the first study within the DRIMID framework has been approved by the medical ethics review committee, patients are being sought with one of the following rare immune diseases:
It is important that participants have active symptoms of the disease at the start of the study. In addition, it is important that they have first tried regular treatment methods, such as prednisone and at least one other anti-inflammatory agent. If the disease did not or insufficiently respond to these drugs, or if the patient was hypersensitive to these drugs, the patient may be eligible for this new study.
The study will follow up patients for 26 weeks. At several points during the study, the effect of the drug on symptoms will be measured by a physician via physical examination, blood tests and questionnaires. If the drug appears to be working well for the patient at the end of the study, the patient will be allowed to continue taking it. Participation in the study is free of charge.
Participating hospitalsThe study, coordinated by rheumatologist Prof. Jaap van Laar MD Ph.D. (Department of Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology, UMC Utrecht), will start in six Dutch hospitals. Patients can be approached by their physician to participate, but they can also inquire about eligibility themselves.
They can do so by sending an e-mail to reumatologie-research@umcutrecht.Nl. The research nurse at UMC Utrecht will then contact the hospital most suitable for the patient. The study will be conducted at the following locations:
Provided by University Medical Center Utrecht
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Simplified Diagnosis Of Rare Eye Diseases
Uveitis is a rare inflammatory eye disease. Posterior and panuveitis in particular are associated with a poor prognosis and a protracted course of the disease. Diagnosis and monitoring can be challenging for healthcare professionals. Fundus autofluorescence (FAF) is a fast and non-invasive imaging technique that supports this. Researchers from the University Hospital Bonn and the University of Bonn, together with experts from Berlin, Münster and Mannheim, have drafted a review on how FAF can facilitate the diagnosis and monitoring of posterior uveitis and panuveitis. The results have now been published in the journal Biomolecules.
Uveitis is a rare inflammatory disease of the choroid of the eye, which lies between the retina and the sclera. "Depending on the inflamed anatomical structure, this disease can be divided into the subtypes anterior, intermediate, posterior and panuveitis. The exact diagnosis of posterior uveitis and panuveitis can be challenging, as there are many different and sometimes extremely rare subtypes," explains Dr. Maximilian Wintergerst from the Eye Clinic at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), who also conducts research at the University of Bonn. In the review, the researchers from Bonn, Berlin, Münster, and Mannheim now show how imaging using fundus autofluorescence (FAF) supports the diagnosis and monitoring of some posterior uveitis forms.
FAF provides indications of active inflammation
Fundus autofluorescence is a non-invasive method for imaging the fundus of the eye. "Using light of a precisely defined wavelength, so-called fluorophores in the tissue of the eye are stimulated to glow. The distribution of these fluorophores, the intensity of the light signal, and certain resulting light patterns can provide information about the underlying form of uveitis," explains Wintergerst. In unclear cases, this can help to make the correct diagnosis. "In addition, the autofluorescence signal can also provide us with information on the current state of inflammation in certain forms of uveitis. For example, brightly illuminated areas in the retina are sometimes associated with active inflammation, while darker areas can indicate inactive inflammation," adds Dr. Matthias Mauschitz, Head of the Uveitis Clinic at the UKB.
The wavelength used influences the result
"Depending on the wavelength used, the autofluorescence signal from the retina and choroid can differ significantly. Depending on the excitation wavelength, lesions can be imaged at different depths and therefore in different areas," explains Mauschitz. In addition to their review, the researchers included a case series in which they compared the autofluorescence of different wavelengths. Overall, they found that the combination of different wavelengths can provide additional information about the underlying form of uveitis.
Combination of different wavelengths provides additional information
With their work, the research team would like to draw attention to autofluorescence imaging, which is very helpful in some forms of uveitis, and highlight new approaches for future research, such as the combination of autofluorescence imaging of different wavelengths. "Fundus autofluorescence plays an important role in the diagnosis and monitoring of posterior uveitis and panuveitis. In some specific subtypes of uveitis, it can also provide important indications of a flare-up of inflammatory activity," summarizes Wintergerst.
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