Please see the letter below addressed to Dr. Allen Steere. The 1988 reference below was brought to my attention by a chronic Lyme patient from Massachusetts (Mike M.) and it appears to be one of the most incriminating pieces of evidence that Lyme disease has been deliberately mishandled.
A copy of this email was sent to Peter L. Slavin, MD, President, Massachusetts General Hospital
https://www.massgeneral.org/about/peter-slavin (pslavin@partners.org)
The image posted to this update was found on the Mass General website:
https://secure3.photobooks.com/massgen/photos_hires/22116.jpg
Lyme Bumper Stickers (Public Service Announcement)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/123659578861
WAKE UP AMERICA!
-------- Original Message ----------
From: CARL TUTTLE <runagain@comcast.net>
To: asteere@partners.org, tickbornedisease@hhs.gov
Cc: (98 Undisclosed recipients)
Date: April 21, 2020 at 4:42 PM
Subject: Fatal Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome in a Patient With Lyme Disease
(Published) May 13, 1988
Fatal Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome in a Patient With Lyme Disease
Michael Kirsch, MD; Frederick L. Ruben, MD; Allen C. Steere, MD; et al
JAMA. 1988;259(18):2737-2739. doi:10.1001/jama.1988.03720180063034
Abstract
A dry cough, fever, generalized maculopapular rash, and myositis developed in a 67-year-old woman; she also had markedly abnormal liver function test results. Serologic tests proved that she had an infection of recent onset with Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent that causes Lyme disease. During a two-month course of illness, her condition remained refractory to treatment with antibiotics, salicylates, and steroids. Ultimately, fatal adult respiratory distress syndrome developed; this was believed to be secondary to Lyme disease.
April 21, 2020
Massachusetts General Hospital
55 Fruit Street, CNY 149/8301
Boston, Massachusetts 02114
Attn: Allen Steere, MD, Director of Translational Research in Rheumatology
Dr. Steere,
Do you recall this 1988 JAMA article since you were listed as a coauthor?
Let me refresh your memory with a few quotes and comments found in this paper:
1. Despite appropriate antimicrobial treatment, progressive respiratory failure developed, and she died.
2. ….both the IgM and IgG antibody titers in response to the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi were markedly elevated.
3. She completed her tetracycline course without improvement in her condition.
4. Because of the lack of response to tetracycline, she was given a ten-day course of intravenous penicillin G potassium, 5 million U every six hours.
5. The patient was given a second course of intravenous penicillin G potassium, 5 million U every six hours, and enteric coated aspirin, 650 mg orally every four hours.
6. While her rash and edema improved, her liver and muscle enzyme abnormalities worsened.
7. Immunoblotting demonstrated IgG antibodies against at least 14 polypeptides of burgdorferi, including the 31-kilodalton outer-membrane component.
8. Nafcillin and tobramycin therapy was started empirically.
9. On the following day, during bronchoalveolar lavage, the patient became tachypneic and cyanotic and underwent intubation.
10. She became progressively more hypoxemic and hypotensive, and she died six days later.
Pathologic Findings:
-Lymph nodes showed a transformed lymphocytic response, and, when Dieterle silver stain was used, spirochetes compatible with burgdorferi infection were demonstrated.
Comment:
-This disorder is now recognized to be a multisystemic disease that triggers a complex immuneresponse to a spirochetal infection.
-In addition, lymph node sections examined after the patient's death demonstrated spirochetes morphologically compatible with burgdorferi. We are confident that the serologic and histologic evidence described supports the diagnosis of Lyme disease.
-Most important was her progressive and fatal respiratory failure.
-Since it is recognized that ARDS follows a wide variety of predisposing conditions, we believe that Lyme disease triggered this fatal complication.
-This patient received a course of tetracycline followed by two courses of high-doseintravenous penicillin, without improvement.
-Lyme disease has become a prevalent and serious infection. In addition to chronic arthritis, this disease has been shown to be the cause of fatal myocarditis, panophthalmitis leading to blindness, fetal death, and central nervous system syndromes suggestive of demyelination.
-With an incubation period that ranged from three to 32 days and no documented tick bite, we are uncertain whether our patient contracted the disease in Maryland or in western Pennsylvania. We urge physicians throughout the United States to consider the multisystemic features of Lyme disease and to recognize its lethal potential.
____________________________
Have those quotes refreshed your memory Dr. Steere?
It would appear that extensive antibiotic treatment was ineffective and much longer in duration then the current IDSA treatment guideline; a guideline that I understand you co-authored.
It is curious that in 1988 you recognized Lyme’s “lethal potential” including ‘fetal death” and “central nervous system syndromes suggestive of demyelination,” so how did Lyme over the past 32 years turn into a simple nuisance disease; hard to catch and easily treated? [1]
Those of use who have taken an interest in the history of Lyme find that the narrative suddenly changed right around the time of the Dearborn conference (1994) where serology testing criteria was manipulated for vaccine development, (removal of bands 31 and 34-kilodalton which identifies the outer-membrane of the spirochete) you became principle investigator for the first Lyme disease vaccine and a campaign to discredit the sick and disabled Lyme patient population began. It would appear that a chronic relapsing seronegative disease did not fit the vaccine model.
Have we been dealing with an antibiotic resistant/tolerant superbug purposely concealed to promote vaccine development? When LYMErix was taken off the market, the established deception/dogma had to continue.
How many lives have been ruined for the sake of a vaccine? Patient testimony all across America (and the globe) is describing a disease that is destroying lives, ending careers while leaving its victim in financial ruin. There are Lyme support groups in every state with nineteen in Pennsylvania alone. Support groups to help navigate a broken healthcare system misguided by a handful of academics all named as defendants in the Lisa Torrey vs IDSA racketeering lawsuit.
We are dealing with a life-altering/life-threatening infection with faulty/misleading antibody tests, inadequate treatment, no medical training and absolutely no disease control whatsoever; a public health disaster.
The rush to create a vaccine led to its mismanagement; LYMErix and Connaught's/Wormser’s vaccine (which never made it to market) was supposed to be a “cure all” for an incurable disease and these actions have left us with this catastrophe.
Carl Tuttle
Lyme Endemic Hudson, NH
Reference
1. Lyme Disease Is Hard to Catch And Easy to Halt, Study Finds
New York Times By GINA KOLATA Published: June 13, 2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/13/us/lyme-disease-is-hard-to-catch-and-easy-to-halt-study-finds.html