I've been challenged several times to come up with "proof" that the following statements are correct:

"Lyme disease is most often spread by ticks, but can also be transmitted by fleas, mosquito's, and mites. Evidence has suggested that these insects don't actually need to bite you for you to become infected".

The best I've been able to do is cite one case study from the U.S. where a biting fly was deemed responsible for a bull's eye rash and other symptoms of Lyme disease. The other published articles only proved that mosquitoes and other insects are themselves infected with Lyme disease. As far as I know, there are no "proven" cases of transmission other than by ticks.

I must say that I'm surprised no one has taken the time to prove transmission of Lyme disease from mosquitoes to even other mammals (aside from humans), although one hamster did develop antibodies to Bb.

Any references that support what now seems to be commonly-accepted by those with open minds would be very much appreciated.

I'm with you there. I know my EHS which is now under control; my MCS is caused by Chronic Lyme Disease and several tick-borne diseases. where did I get it? don't know. How long have I had it? don't know. Just know that I'm trying many methods of treatment to attack first the Babesia and Bartonella bacterial tick borne infections first before Lyme can ever be treated. I as well as many suffer from the Central Nervous System being attack by these diseases as well as having sub-cortical seizures which now are increasing as we attack the disease very slowly. Yes, If a mosquito bites an infected animal, then bites you. You are infected. Only 30% will ever see a bull's eye rash. 300,000 people will come down with Lyme disease this year. This is an epidemic that is crosing our nation with Medical doctors and specialists hiding behind charts and diagnosing you as having many other diseases including saying its all in your head and you and a somatic disorder.

Been there done that and suffered yet many of my Lyme sufferer contacts have had it worse than I have. I can tolerate medications/supplements that they can not and vise versa. What else can I say?

I just say you have deer around? you have Lyme disease. I don't care what state you are in. It's all over. Find a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor that is right for you( I've been through 3 of them ) and get treated; research for yourself, don't get blind-sighted by conventional doctors.

Hi Kris,

I was diagnosed by a mainstream Infectious Diseases specialist and treated for 6 months with a "cocktail" of 3 antibiotics -- and this has given me back some of the health I lost. That doctor is no longer treating Lyme disease patients (as of early this year), so I'm forced to travel from Canada to the U.S. to follow up about a possible co-infection. I'm also facing orthopedic surgery for damage to one joint that is now irreversible due to a complete loss of cartilage.

What I'm mostly looking for is a "respectable" scientific study that I can quote from when faced with questions from people on other websites who say that mosquitoes and other insects have never been proven to transmit Lyme disease to humans.

You probably have far more access to LLMDs in your country if you've seen 3 LLMDs already. There may be one doctor left in Canada who is willing to treat Lyme disease, but it won't be long before he faces the same persecution as others before him. The rest of us either find a way to travel to the U.S. for treatment (and in some cases a diagnosis), accept our fate or try natural remedies. Not a lot of choice up here, that's for sure.

RitaA/Kris - Were wither of you diagnosed with Lyme based on the results of blood tests or symptoms/history alone? If blood tests, which ones detected it?

The doctors I have been to so far have been more than happy to write of my symptoms as CFS, but I am continuing to investigate other possibilities, including Lyme. Although I have not seen the "bullseye" rash, my symptoms seem to have overlap with some Lyme symptoms including fatigue, joint pain, and cognitive problems. I have spent a lot of time in the woods, and symptoms started 2 years ago with a fever/illness in the summertime while vacationing in the woods.

RitaA - I don't have a study confirming the non-tick transmission of Lyme in humans to hand and don't know of any off the top of my head. Have you tried searching using Google Scholar? I find that to be by far the easiest way to find relevant research papers - scholar.google.com

Have any of you had immunological testing? It seems the complement proteins C3a and C4a produced by the innate immune system are increasingly being used as a marker of Lyme outside of conventional medicine. This has been pioneered by Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker MD - www.endfatigue.com/health_articles_f-n/L...r_newer_testing.html

The picture is complicated however by C4a also being elevated in CFS patients after exercise (www.redlabs.be/red-labs/our-tests/immune-function-assays.php). So I'm not sure how useful it would be in distinguishing Lyme from CFS Stache. Thought I'd mention it anyway!

Hi Maff,

I have spent literally weeks trying to find any scientific evidence of confirmed transmission of Lyme disease by anything other than a tick -- using every means (including Google Scholar) that I'm familiar with. Others have tried as well and failed -- making me think that non-tick transmission is yet another myth that keeps getting repeated so often that we just accept it as fact in the Lyme disease community.

There's a difference between a theory or speculation and scientific confirmation. I realize the science is often behind, so anecdotal accounts are important. On the other hand, a person could be bitten by something other than a tick and never notice the nymphal tick that may have caused the infection.

My treatment of Lyme disease using a cocktail of 3 antibiotics has been largely successful. There's a good chance that I still need to be treated for Babesiosis and the testing for that is apparently not reliable either.

Thankfully I have no signs of CFS although I have suffered bouts of extreme fatigue, so I don't need to worry about any false positives at this point. The entire field of immunological testing is growing thanks to proteomics and other advances. I really do hope that new technologies will help everyone who is currently struggling with illnesses that are so poorly understood. It's such a waste of human potential when people are left to cope the best they can without any real answers.