Lyme Disease Trials in Maine

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Peakbagr

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Interesting the Maine was selected. NW Connecticut and NYS counties bordering it likely dwarf the cases reported in Maine. Last year I read a vaccine was being tested that reacted to the saliva in a tick's bite, not just for Lyme.
 

B the Hiker

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Interesting the Maine was selected. NW Connecticut and NYS counties bordering it likely dwarf the cases reported in Maine. Last year I read a vaccine was being tested that reacted to the saliva in a tick's bite, not just for Lyme.

Note that the article says "next round." The first round is ongoing in Connecticut. I am the very first human being to have been injected with the Pfizer Lyme disease vaccine! I was supposed to be Patient #4, but they moved the start of the study up a week, and I was able to schedule earlier than the other three.

Pretty much my only claim to fame, and frankly, it isn't much of one. But I am confident I had the actual vaccine and not the placebo, since I had reactions to the shots, and I have to say, I do feel more comfortable going into the woods now.
 

peakbagger

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hikerbrian

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Sign me up! I'm a total tick magnet; had lyme three times in two years; pop doxycycline like candy; and have always wondered why wee can't just take the same vaccine as our dogs.

here's an interesting article for historical perspective: https://www.newyorker.com/science/a...t0ejzIgncBOgqJeYdD61IC--6yE03VGhoCXPcQAvD_BwE

I thought that was a very good article. Regarding stuff we give our dogs, I'm reminded of something a researcher friend of mine told me years ago: dogs process some things differently than people. If you don't believe that to be true, take a drink from the toilet and then munch on whatever steaming pile you come across on the side of the trail and see how that goes for you. ;-) It's also considerably easier to run a clinical trial in dogs than in humans.

A vaccine would be really awesome, especially if it's just a single dose plus booster regimen. But I'm not overly fond of having to take any medication chronically, so count me out of the dog chews.

We treat our yard for ticks and mosquitos. Everything in life is a trade off. But that's one of the better quality-of-life improvements we've invested in.
 

Scubahhh

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The problem is that ticks carry all sorts of nasty diseases that the shot will not prevent

The New Yorker article mentions replicating tick saliva and makes it sound like "tick protein cocktails" might work against all tick-saliva-borne infections...

That'd be wicked cool.
 
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