Unlocking the Secrets of Bartonella: An Interview with Expert Dr. Ed Breitschwerdt
Dr. Ed Breitschwerdt is a renowned expert in the fields of Lyme Disease and Bartonella. With over 30 years of experience in veterinary medicine and a passion for helping those affected by these complex diseases, he has become a leading voice in the fight against Lyme and Bartonella. In this interview, Dr. Breitschwerdt will share his insights on the latest research and treatments for these diseases, and offer advice for those who may be struggling with a diagnosis. Get ready to learn from one of the foremost authorities on Lyme Disease and Bartonella.
Here’s a lowdown of the main points:
Lyme disease isn't just about the borreliosis bacteria - it's also about personal immunity and co-infections which can prevent healing.
Often it can be co-infections that cause most problems, and Bartonella is a common co-infection of Lyme which also affects your immune system.
Dr Ed Breitschwerdt is a professor of medicine and infectious disease in the veterinary college of North Carolina State University. He is a leading researcher in Bartonella and other vector-borne illnesses and has been studying them since the 90s.
He is also the founder of Galaxy Diagnostics - which provides advanced testing for vector-borne diseases such as Lyme and Bartonella.
Bartonella and Borreliosis are stealth pathogens, which means they fly under the radar of tests and are hard to detect. This is a problem because if you can't detect them - you can't treat them. It’s also hard to tell if a person has recovered from them.
Stealth pathogens are resistant to antibiotics because they live in biofilms within the body. Eva Sapi explains biofilms in our first Lyme Warrior interview.
Dr Ed and his team cultivate Bartonella and study its DNA so they can understand it better.
They have discovered Bartonella affects a lot more cells compared to other bacteria. It can invade any system and migrate around the body, unlike most bacteria, which stay in a local area.
Bartonella is sometimes present in the blood, and sometimes it’s not, and symptoms and recovery vary dramatically in sufferers.
Bartonella usually presents with regular symptoms at the start of the infection, such as a fever every few hours - but the symptom pattern becomes less predictable the longer a person is infected.
Most Bartonella symptoms are present in the nervous system, cardiovascular system, rheumatic system, muscles and skeleton. It can also cause brain lesions, paralysis and sudden onset endocarditis (heart murmur).
Bartonella is also linked to behavior changes, hallucinations, seizures, depression and anxiety. These symptoms can intensify at the start of antibiotic treatment due to the Jarisch Herxheimer effect, but they often desist once Bartonella leaves the body.
Many people clear Bartonella without treatment, but like Lyme disease, treatment is more successful in the early stages.
Dr Ed developed triple draw testing, which involves taking blood three times over a 7-day period which gives a better chance of detecting stealth pathogens such as Lyme and Bartonella.
He believes tissue biopsies are the most reliable way to look for vector-borne illnesses.
Dr Ed and his team are investigating why some people have difficulties recovering from vector-borne illnesses even with repeated treatment. They’re trying to establish whether the bacteria are resistant to antibiotics or if it's because of a problem with the patient's immunity.
As a veterinarian scientist, Dr Ed has pushed human physicians to explore vector-borne illnesses, and they currently have more scientific interest and funding than ever before.
Scientists are experimenting more with antibiotic treatments for stealth pathogens - using new antibiotics, old ones and combinations - though Dr Ed believes a holistic approach is better than treating people with antibiotics alone.
Overall, the scientific and medical community are making enormous progress with diseases such as Lyme and Bartonella, and there have been many worldwide advances in dealing with stealth infections.
Dr Ed has a state-of-the-art research station at NC State University, where they constantly research vector-borne illnesses. They also have the most advanced testing technology, and he’s pushing for better diagnostics.