It looks like the CDC gave the American Medical Association 5million tax payer dollars (grant number NU50CK000597) to come up with this IDSA biased “Toolkit to Improve Care for Patients with Prolonged Symptoms and Concerns about Lyme Disease” while posting a recorded interview with Dr. Paul Auwaerter (past IDSA president).
Here are my questions to Auwaerter:
---------- Original Message ----------
From: CARL TUTTLE <runagain@comcast.net>
To: "pauwaert@jhmi.edu" <pauwaert@jhmi.edu>, "pgauwaerter@gmail.com" <pgauwaerter@gmail.com>
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Date: 09/02/2024 12:03 PM EDT
Subject: Improving Care for Patients with Prolonged Symptoms and Concerns about Lyme Disease: A Clinician Toolkit
American Medical Association
Improving Care for Patients with Prolonged Symptoms and Concerns about Lyme Disease: A Clinician Toolkit
https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/improving-care-patients-prolonged-symptoms-and-concerns-about-lyme
Paul G. Auwaerter, MD
Clinical Director, Division of Infectious Diseases
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Dear Dr. Auwaerter,
I have some concerns and a question regarding your recorded interview embedded in this “AMA Toolkit.” There seems to be a great deal of facts/references missing as identified below:
Understanding Lyme Disease with Dr. Paul Auwaerter (33:57min interview)
Antibiotics: @ 4:03min
“Antibiotics seem to eradicate the bacteria.” -Dr. Paul Auwaerter
1. In 1995 the following peer reviewed publication identified treatment-resistant neuroborreliosis:
European Neurology
Seronegative Chronic Relapsing Neuroborreliosis
https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/117104
2. A recently published autopsy study for a young Lyme patient who committed suicide identifies chronic Lyme disease in the patient’s brain which was responsible for his neurological symptoms.
Concurrent Infection of the Human Brain with Multiple Borrelia Species
Published in MDPI Nov. 29, 2023
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/23/16906
3. In addition, there are 700 peer reviewed publications identifying persistent infection and more evidence of seronegative disease.
Testing: @ 11:40
Culture
“The bacteria are not very common in the blood and they’re hard to culture. So unlike most bacteria, you can’t just send something to the lab and hope to grow the organism.” -Dr. Paul Auwaerter
1. In 1991 the Lyme disease organism, Borrelia burgdorferi, was grown from the cerebrospinal fluid of Lyme patient Vicki Logan at the Centers for Disease Control in Fort Collins, Colorado despite prior treatment with intravenous antibiotics. The patient died when the insurer refused additional IV antibiotics. (Because the CDC/IDSA claim it is not needed) I have attached a copy of Logan’s positive culture report for your review:
Logan CDC Fort Collins Positive CSF Culture Report (Personal Dropbox storage area)
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/agca4ynn9ok2ykgw6484q/Logan-CDC-Fort-Collins-Positive-CSF-Culture-Report.JPG?rlkey=krhiecm1xdmqs6ubhvjxuzzeo&dl=0
Logan Autopsy report identifying Chronic Lyme Disease
Page #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
2. In 2018 all patients were culture positive even after multiple years on antibiotics so there was no relief from current antimicrobials. Some of these patients had taken as many as eleven different types of antibiotics. Barbour-Stoener-Kelly (BSK) medium was used and is the same complex medium used in the NIH funded Klempner antibiotic trials. (which set the stage for treatment denial)
Persistent Borrelia Infection in Patients with Ongoing Symptoms of Lyme Disease
https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/6/2/33
Carl Tuttle’s comment: Culture is the gold standard for definitive diagnosis of bacterial and fungal infections worldwide but when it threatens the existing paradigm suddenly it becomes “not particularly useful.”
Serology @ 12:29 min
“If you have symptoms for more than a few weeks it’s a very good test and I think there’s a common misconception, it’s not a good test” -Dr. Paul Auwaerter
1. State of Virginia testing disclosure of 2013
https://www.lymedisease.org/virginia-gov-signs-lyme-bill-2/
"Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell today signed into a law the Lyme Disease Testing Information Disclosure Act. Under the new legislation, patients being tested for Lyme disease must be officially informed that a negative test result does not mean they don’t have Lyme disease."
2. As a member of New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu’s 2020-2021 commission to study diagnostic testing for Lyme disease, I listened to your commentary with strict scrutiny. After a full year of deliberation, study results concluded that the FDA approved two-tier serologic immunoassay for Lyme was not reliable in all stages of disease. (No better than a coin toss)
NH COMMISSION TO STUDY TESTING FOR LYME AND OTHER TICK-BORNE DISEASES
https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/committees/default.aspx?id=1515
3. “Seronegativity in Lyme borreliosis and Other Spirochetal Infections” 16 September 2003
https://www.dropbox.com/s/3d6m45jzlhhwalu/Seronegativity.pdf?dl=0
“If false results are to be feared, it is the false negative result which holds the greatest peril for the patient.”
4. “Standard” Lyme testing once again proves fatal
https://www.lymedisease.org/lyme-testing-proves-fatal/
“Lyme disease helped kill our son. A better test might have saved him.”
5. Wrongful death suit shows pitfalls of IDSA Lyme guidelines
Joseph Elone died of Lyme disease
By Mary Beth Pfeiffer Sept 9, 2019
https://www.lymedisease.org/elone-wrongful-death-lawsuit-lyme/
6. Oncologist Dr. Neil Spector required a heart transplant after his Lyme went untreated for years while serology was repeatedly negative.
Question for Dr. Auwaerter;
Is this a straightforward case of errors and omissions on your part or are you deliberately misinforming the medical community who will be reviewing this so-called “Clinician Toolkit?”
A response to this inquiry is requested.
“Truth doesn't mind being questioned. A lie does not like being challenged.”
Carl Tuttle
Independent Researcher
Hudson, NH
Cc: Mathematica and American Medical Association Senior Leadership,
All members of the Research for Lyme Infection-Associated Chronic Illnesses Treatment committee, Medscape Editorial Staff