A single tick bite can have debilitating consequences. Lyme disease is the most common disease carried by ticks in the United States, and the number of those afflicted is growing steadily. If left untreated, the diseases carried by ticks-known as tick-borne diseases-can cause severe pain, fatigue, neurological problems, and other serious health problems. The Institute of Medicine held a workshop October 11-12, 2010, to examine the state of the science in Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases.

A Companion to the Anthropology of Environmental Health presents a collection of readings that utilize a medical anthropological approach to explore the interface of humans and the environment in the shaping of health and illness around the world. Features the latest ethnographic research from around the world related to the multiple impacts of the environment on health and of societies on their environments Includes contributions from international medical anthropologists, conservationists, environmental experts, public health professionals, health clinicians, and other social scientists Analyzes the conditions of cultural and social transformation that accompany environmental and ecological impacts in all areas of the world Offers critical perspectives on theoretical and methodological advancements in the anthropology of environmental health, along with future directions in the field

Following completion of his medical training and a one-year stint as attending physician on Howard Champion's Surgical Critical Care Service and MedStar Unit at Washington Hospital Center in the District of Columbia, Kenneth Liegner, M.D. returned to Westchester County, home of his Alma Mater, New York Medical College, to start a private practice. Unwittingly, he had 'plunked himself down' in the heart of a burgeoning epidemic of Lyme disease. His patients confronted him with puzzling syndromes that defied 'tidy' formulations of the illness and thrust him in to a Maelstrom of medical controversy. Lyme disease, a new poorly understood disease, emerged hand in hand with the rise 'managed care'. Physicians caring for persons with Lyme disease, loyal to the Hippocratic Oath and serving what they saw as patients' best medical interests, found themselves on a collision course with a new Corporate Medical Ethic dedicated to maximizing profit. One practitioner's work over 25 years is presented here along with correspondence with many principals in the field. Documentational in nature and not written as a narrative, the materials, nonetheless, convey the intensity of the struggle to characterize the nature of Lyme disease and the desperate fight for proper diagnosis and treatment upon the outcome of which patients' very lives depended. The volume includes protocols useful as reference materials for patients and practitioners alike, as well as photographic images of many persons important in the history of Lyme disease. Foreword by Pam Weintraub, Senior Editor of aeon digital magazine and author of award-winning book Cure Unknown: Inside the Lyme Epidemic. Preface by Paul W. Ewald, Professor of Evolutionary Biology at the University of Louisville and author of Plague Time.

The groundbreaking, award-winning investigation into Lyme disease—the science, history, medical politics, and patient experience—now with a brand new chapter. When Pamela Weintraub, a science journalist, learned that her oldest son tested positive for Lyme disease, she thought she had found an answer to the symptoms that had been plaguing her family for years—but her nightmare had just begun. Almost everything about Lyme disease turned out to be deeply controversial, from the microbe causing the infection, to the length and type of treatment and the kind of practitioner needed. On one side of the fight, the scientists who first studied Lyme describe a disease transmitted by a deer tick that is hard to catch but easy to cure no matter how advanced the case. On the other side, rebel doctors insist that Lyme and a soup of "co-infections" cause a complicated spectrum of illness often dramatically different – and far more difficult to treat – than the original researchers claim. Instead of just swollen knees and a rash, patients can experience exhaustion, disabling pain, and a "Lyme fog" that leaves them dazed and confused. As patients struggle for answers, once-treatable infections become chronic. In this nuanced picture of the intense controversy and crippling uncertainty surrounding Lyme disease, Pamela Weintraub sheds light on one of the angriest medical disputes raging today. The most comprehensive book ever written about the past, present and future of Lyme disease, Cure Unknown exposes the ticking clock of a raging epidemic and the vulnerability we all share.

Did you go into medicine because you wanted to help people, but you’re feeling burnt out? Are you tired of treating every ill with a pill? Are you a patient, who just wants to tell your story, have somebody put it all together, and ultimately, help you get well? If you answered yes to these questions, Dr. Herbst’s book, Functional Medicine in Primary Care, is the answer for you!! For ALL- As you follow her journey through her illness and recovery, the reason Dr. Herbst is passionate about incorporating Functional Medicine into primary care, will be obvious. The clinical pearls she offers are relevant to chronic illness treatment and prevention. You will learn measures, easily put into action for many potential diseases... (cognitive decline, diabetes, hypertension, and many more.) The reader will also find supporting medical literature- giving you confidence to implement functional medicine- for the best health outcome possible!! For clinicians- Dr. Herbst gives information, tips and techniques on how to hear (and analyze) the patient’s story, in a short amount of time. For patients- To be heard, Dr Herbst provides recommendations to optimize your office visit. Not to mention, the chapters are full of quick and easy lifestyle applications. Dr Aunna Herbst’s Functional Medicine in Primary Care book shares pertinent information about genetics, biochemistry and pathophysiology. Learn many life changing tips on how to diagnose and treat common ailments seen in primary care office visits-including how to optimize thyroid function, achieve diabetes reversal, identify key nutrient deficiencies and genetic polymorphisms for which modifiable lifestyle changes can decrease disease risk, and much, much more! It is a life changing read for patients and healthcare providers alike, who want to truly help patients and for patients who want help restoring their health!!

Pathogens transmitted among humans, animals, or plants by insects and arthropod vectors have been responsible for significant morbidity and mortality throughout recorded history. Such vector-borne diseases â€" including malaria, dengue, yellow fever, and plague â€" together accounted for more human disease and death in the 17th through early 20th centuries than all other causes combined. Over the past three decades, previously controlled vector-borne diseases have resurged or reemerged in new geographic locations, and several newly identified pathogens and vectors have triggered disease outbreaks in plants and animals, including humans. Domestic and international capabilities to detect, identify, and effectively respond to vector-borne diseases are limited. Few vaccines have been developed against vector-borne pathogens. At the same time, drug resistance has developed in vector-borne pathogens while their vectors are increasingly resistant to insecticide controls. Furthermore, the ranks of scientists trained to conduct research in key fields including medical entomology, vector ecology, and tropical medicine have dwindled, threatening prospects for addressing vector-borne diseases now and in the future. In June 2007, as these circumstances became alarmingly apparent, the Forum on Microbial Threats hosted a workshop to explore the dynamic relationships among host, pathogen(s), vector(s), and ecosystems that characterize vector-borne diseases. Revisiting this topic in September 2014, the Forum organized a workshop to examine trends and patterns in the incidence and prevalence of vector-borne diseases in an increasingly interconnected and ecologically disturbed world, as well as recent developments to meet these dynamic threats. Participants examined the emergence and global movement of vector-borne diseases, research priorities for understanding their biology and ecology, and global preparedness for and progress toward their prevention, control, and mitigation. This report summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

This fully updated edition of Infectious Disease Surveillance is for frontline public health practitioners, epidemiologists, and clinical microbiologists who are engaged in communicable disease control. It is also a foundational text for trainees in public health, applied epidemiology, postgraduate medicine and nursing programs. The second edition portrays both the conceptual framework and practical aspects of infectious disease surveillance. It is a comprehensive resource designed to improve the tracking of infectious diseases and to serve as a starting point in the development of new surveillance systems. Infectious Disease Surveillance includes over 45 chapters from over 100 contributors, and topics organized into six sections based on major themes. Section One highlights the critical role surveillance plays in public health and it provides an overview of the current International Health Regulations (2005) in addition to successes and challenges in infectious disease eradication. Section Two describes surveillance systems based on logical program areas such as foodborne illnesses, vector-borne diseases, sexually transmitted diseases, viral hepatitis healthcare and transplantation associated infections. Attention is devoted to programs for monitoring unexplained deaths, agents of bioterrorism, mass gatherings, and disease associated with international travel. Sections Three and Four explore the uses of the Internet and wireless technologies to advance infectious disease surveillance in various settings with emphasis on best practices based on deployed systems. They also address molecular laboratory methods, and statistical and geospatial analysis, and evaluation of systems for early epidemic detection. Sections Five and Six discuss legal and ethical considerations, communication strategies and applied epidemiology-training programs. The rest of the chapters offer public-private partnerships, as well lessons from the 2009-2010 H1N1 influenza pandemic and future directions for infectious disease surveillance.

"Superbly written and researched." --Booklist "Builds a strong case." --Kirkus Lyme disease is spreading rapidly around the globe as ticks move into places they could not survive before. Mary Beth Pfeiffer argues it is the first epidemic to emerge in the era of climate change, infecting millions around the globe. She tells the heart-rending stories of its victims, families whose lives have been destroyed by a single, often unseen, tick bite. Pfeiffer also warns of the emergence of other tick-borne illnesses that make Lyme more difficult to treat and pose their own grave risks. Lyme is an impeccably researched account of an enigmatic disease, making a powerful case for action to fight ticks, heal patients, and recognize humanity's role in a modern scourge.

A guide to the natural treatment of three coinfections of Lyme disease • Reviews the latest scientific research on Babesia, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma • Reveals how these three conditions often go undiagnosed, complicate the treatment of Lyme disease, and cause symptoms from headache to seizures • Outlines effective natural treatments with herbs and supplements for specific symptoms and to combat overreactions of the immune system and the inflammation response Harvard researchers estimate there are nearly 250,000 new Lyme disease infections each year--only 10 percent of which will be accurately diagnosed. One of the largest factors in misdiagnosis of Lyme is the presence of other tick-borne infections, which mask or aggravate the symptoms of Lyme disease as well as complicate treatment. Three newly emergent Lyme coinfections are Babesia, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma. Tens of thousands of people are known to be asymptomatically infected and at least ten percent will become symptomatic this year--with symptoms ranging from chronic headache and arthritis to seizures. Distilling the latest scientific research on Babesia, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, and Lyme disease, Stephen Buhner examines the complex synergy between these infections and reveals how they can go undiagnosed or resurface after antibiotic treatment. He explains how these organisms create cytokine cascades in the body--essentially sending the immune system into an overblown, uncontrolled inflammatory response in much the same way rheumatoid arthritis or cancer can. Providing an in-depth guide for those suffering from Babesia, Ehrlichia, or Anaplasma infection as well as for clinicians who work with those infected by these organisms, Buhner details effective natural holistic methods centered on herbs and supplements, such as Ashwaganda and Chinese Skullcap, and reveals how to treat specific symptoms, interrupt the cytokine cascades, reduce inflammation, and bring the immune system back into balance. He explains how these natural methods not only complement conventional Lyme disease treatments involving antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals but also provide relief when other forms of treatment have failed.