Florida Lyme Disease Association

06/17/2026

NEWSWEEK: ‘There Are Many Out There Like Me Suffering in Silence’

"I was officially diagnosed in 2023 after comprehensive testing. I connected with multiple doctors in Minnesota who all confirmed late-stage Lyme disease as the underlying cause of my chronic illness. I was in tears or relief. I felt this release of every time I thought I was going insane. Deep down, I always knew something like this was the cause. Finally having confirmation was both emotional and validating.

I was also diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome, a severe allergy triggered by a tick bite. I have multiple doctors involved in my care, including a neurologist, neurosurgeon, ENT, primary care physician, and Lyme-literate providers. I am being treated for MCAS through a functional medicine doctor."

Link in comments ⬇️⬇️⬇️

06/15/2026

FLDA's Kerry Clark, PhD meets with WJXT4 The Local Station / News4JAX's WJXT4 Jennifer Waugh to discuss Lyme prevalence in Florida, proper tick removal, and early symptoms.

Thank you WJXT for helping to spread much needed awareness!

Link in comments ⬇️⬇️⬇️

06/13/2026

MORE THAN TICKS: You have probably heard that Lyme disease is spread by a tick bite, but it can also be congenital. It can be passed from mother to baby in utero, often without the mother even realizing she has the infection.

This PSA campaign, created by Project Lyme and Mothers Against Lyme, is designed to educate the public about congenital Lyme disease. Watch this video to learn about common symptoms to watch out for.

Learn more about how Lyme disease in pregnancy could affect your family on our website: https://projectlyme.org/resource/congenitallyme/

06/13/2026

THE DARK SIDE OF "WELLNESS": Chris Williamson's health collapsed when he tested positive for Lyme disease, mold toxicity, parasites, and viral infections—devastating his cognitive abilities and forcing him to abandon his home for months.

His symptoms ranged from severe brain fog where he forgot how to tie his shoes to complete emotional numbness, making him realize that harder work couldn't fix what his body had become.
After exhausting conventional treatments, he traveled to Mexico for an experimental blood-cleaning procedure, hoping it would finally be the breakthrough that would restore the life he'd lost.

Chris Williamson's health collapsed when he tested positive for Lyme disease, mold toxicity, parasites, and viral infections—devastating his cognitive abilities and forcing him to abandon his home for months.
His symptoms ranged from severe brain fog where he forgot how to tie his shoes to complete emotional numbness, making him realize that harder work couldn't fix what his body had become.
After exhausting conventional treatments, he traveled to Mexico for an experimental blood-cleaning procedure, hoping it would finally be the breakthrough that would restore the life he'd lost.

06/07/2026

POTENTIAL ALPHA GAL TREATMENT: A 2021 retrospective case series published in Medical Acupuncture examined the use of Soliman Auricular Acupuncture Treatment (SAAT) in patients with confirmed Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS), a tick-borne IgE-mediated allergy to galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose found in mammalian meat and dairy products.

Study Details:
✅ 137 patients across two clinical sites; follow-up data available for 126 patients
✅ All had documented AGS with clinical history and positive alpha-gal IgE testing
✅ Treated with a standardized auricular acupuncture protocol (SAAT)

Key Findings:
✅ 96% of patients with follow-up reported complete remission of allergic symptoms to mammalian products
✅ No adverse events were reported
✅ The treatment targeted symptom resolution without reliance on ongoing avoidance or pharmacotherapy

This observational study suggests that SAAT may offer a safe and potentially effective option for managing AGS symptoms. As a retrospective case series, it lacks a control group and randomization, so further prospective controlled trials are warranted to confirm efficacy and long-term outcomes.

Have you or do you know anyone who as tried SAAT as a treatment for Alpha Gal?

Link to study in comments ⬇️⬇️⬇️

06/04/2026

Years of being dismissed. Delays in diagnosis and treatment have major consequences for this mom.

06/01/2026

31 Million People Get Bit by Ticks in the United States each year. Not all ticks carry infections, but a growing number do, sometimes more than 50%.

05/31/2026

What's Your Lyme IQ? To wrap up Lyme Disease Awareness Month, we are sharing Project Lyme's Lyme IQ to test your knowledge? Who here will score 100%?

test your lyme knowledge

05/31/2026

May is : Cardiological Manifestations of Disease are often unrecognized and can be deadly
It is estimated that between 4% and 10% of patients in the United States who have untreated Lyme disease develop but some have estimated the prevalence of asymptomatic carditis to be as high as 30%. Considering that the CDC now estimates that there are 476,000 new cases of Lyme disease in the United States each year there are potentially tens of thousands of Lyme carditis cases.

Documented cardiac clinical findings observed in the scientific literature include:
block (typically of the atrioventricular A/V node)
(Atrial tachyarrhythmias, Ventricular tachycardia, Supraventricular tachycardia)
Atrial fibrillation
Ventricular fibrillation

Dilated
Cardiac arrest

Perimyocarditis
Left and Right Bundle Branch Block
Intra-atrial block
AV dissociation
Widening of QRS Complex
Prolonged QT Interval
Sinus node dysfunction
Decreased left ventricular function
Sinus Pauses
Diffuse ST segment and T wave changes on ECG (i.e. T-wave flattening or inversion
ST-segment depression)
Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs)
Premature atrial contractions (PACs)
Symptoms:
Light-headedness
(fainting)
(shortness of breath)
Heart
Chest pain

For a detailed discussion of the scientific literature, see:
https://bit.ly/3fhhoy5
















American Heart Association

05/29/2026

🙌 Big News: RFK Jr. (HHS Secretary) Takes Strong Action on Lyme Disease!

Today in New Hampsire, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced major new HHS commitments during Lyme Disease Awareness Month as part of his “Take Back Your Health” tour.

With ~476,000 Americans diagnosed yearly and rising tick threats (over 60% of black-legged ticks in NH carry Lyme bacteria), this is a potential game-changer for patients tired of delays, misdiagnosis, and being dismissed.

Key Initiatives Announced:

✅ Multimillion-dollar pilot for practical tick elimination on wildlife (e.g., targeting deer hosts).
✅ $10M for next-generation diagnostics.
✅ Up to $2.5M in LymeX prizes, including the $250K LymeX Healthathon Innovation Sprint to identify promising frontline solutions — especially drug repurposing strategies.
✅ Focus on Alpha-gal syndrome treatment and prevention research.
✅ Leveraging top xAI and open data approaches to deliver faster answers, better connections, and data-driven insights for patients and researchers.

AND THIS IS A BIG ONE

✅ Public-private partnership with ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society) to connect patients with experienced clinicians via a new locator tool, education, and care resources on HHS.gov/lyme.

RFK Jr. shared his family’s personal battles with Lyme and vowed to end the gaslighting. The goal: real prevention, faster answers, and reducing cases significantly, aiming toward 25% reduction by 2035 (FLDA NOTE: this seems like a long time to wait for a 25% reduction but it is still a step in the right direction).

While there are no quick fixes, this is progress: more innovation, better testing/treatment, and patient voices front and center.

We are grateful for the advocates, ILADS, and those who push for practical solutions!

Share if you or a loved one has been impacted by Lyme or tick-borne illness. What’s one change you’d like to see?

Link to video in comments ⬇️⬇️⬇️