Can Lyme disease trigger seizures?

Seizures may be attributable to numerous infections together with bacterial meningitis, malaria, herpes simplex virus (HSV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), tuberculosis, toxoplasmosis, and neurocysticercosis, in line with the authors of a newly revealed examine. Moreover, “Lyme disease is one other infectious explanation for seizures attributable to the spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi.” [1]

 

Of their article “Lyme neuroborreliosis: A case report,” Sayad and colleagues show that Lyme disease can, in truth, trigger seizures.  “Right here, we current a case of neuroborreliosis with seizures as the primary manifestation in a 55-year-old man.”¹

The affected person was admitted to the emergency division with a sudden onset of tonic–clonic seizures. (Such a seizure, additionally known as a grand mal seizure, includes a lack of consciousness and violent muscle contractions.) The affected person’s situation quickly deteriorated and he was intubated.

His preliminary signs started 1 week previous to his hospitalization and included a light headache, low-grade fever, malaise, anorexia, and vomiting.

4 days earlier than hospitalization, he had his first seizure and was prescribed an anti-convulsive treatment and antibiotic.

Routine laboratory checks have been regular, aside from a optimistic Wright and 2-mercaptoethanol check. Consequently, the person was examined for Lyme disease.

“Our affected person was suspected of neuroborreliosis as a consequence of aseptic meningitis with lymphocyte dominance. Therefore, we requested serum anti-Borrelia antibodies (IgM and IgG) checks, each optimistic in excessive titers,” the authors wrote.

“The outcomes of the serologic checks indicated the presence of each IgG and IgM antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi,” the authors wrote.

The affected person was handled efficiently with IV ceftriaxone for Lyme disease and had a whole decision of his seizures.

Authors’ Conclude:

• “Lyme neuroborreliosis may be tough to diagnose except it presents with typical signs and clinicians actively think about this prognosis.”
• “It causes a variety of neurological and psychiatric problems.”
• “There is no such thing as a gold normal check that may be relied upon for prognosis.”
• “This sickness may be efficiently handled if remedy begins early with antibiotics.”