West Haven, Conn. - Despite its devastating symptoms, Lyme disease can be difficult to diagnose and treat. According to Dr. Eva Sapi, associate of biology and environmental science at the University of New Haven, the deer ticks so notorious for carrying Lyme disease often carry other crippling bacteria. Now, thanks to two grants totaling over $40,000 from the Turn the Corner Foundation, Sapi and several of her graduate students will take research into the causes of Lyme disease still further over the next 15 months.
In 2007, Sapi and her graduate students presented research demonstrating that over 84 percent of the ticks they tested were infected by Mycoplasma pathogens, bacteria which can wreak havoc reminiscent of the Borrelia bacterium responsible for Lyme disease.
With the aid of the Turn the Corner grants, this summer Sapi will study the possibility that Borrelia-the causative agent of Lyme disease-is capable of forming a biofilm secretion that renders it very resistant to antibiotics, which may provide answers to why Lyme disease can be difficult to treat. The second grant will focus on identifying parasites that may be found in ticks, possibly mimicking the symptoms of Lyme disease. Ultimately, the goal for the grants is to facilitate early detection and successful treatment of Lyme disease.
The Turn the Corner Foundation, based in New York City, is dedicated to the support of research, education, awareness and innovative treatments for Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases.
