Surviving Summer Scaries: Ticked off and Buzzed Out!

In 2007, Australian former pro tennis player, former World No. 1 in doubles and US Open singles champion, Sam Stosur was at the top of her game, before succumbing to a mysterious illness that left her unable to play--with prolonged fatigue, severe headaches, chest pains, and weakness. She struggled for months before seeing an infectious diseases (ID) specialist who ultimately diagnosed her with a tick-borne illness. Sam tells her own story to open the episode, and then hosts and ID clinicians, Dr. Vivian Vega and Dr. Jackie Sherbuk, summarize her syndrome and the symptoms she experienced.

Using this as a springboard to discuss other zoonotic (transmitted from animals to humans) infections of the summer, Vivian and Jackie next discuss what are known as vector-borne diseases (VBDs). These are infections that use an intermediary host (such as a blood-sucking insect) to transmit the infection to a human victim. VBDs kill up to a million persons per year, according to the World Health Organization.

Among the most important vectors of summertime infections are ticks. Our hosts explain how ticks attach to their hosts and the factors that make these six-legged creatures so adept and spreading infections to humans.

Lyme disease is a perennial tick-related syndrome in the US and Europe that is a major cause of illness and prolonged complications in endemic areas. Vivian and Jackie review the history of Lyme disease and its different clinical manifestations. Lyme disease diagnosis, treatment strategies, and prevention are explained. As an aside, the duo also discusses alpha-gal syndrome, a fascinating but under-recognized food allergy related to tick exposure.

Next, the duo move on to discuss mosquito-borne illnesses. Important summertime infections of these buzzing pests are described, including West Nile virus, Dengue, and Chikungunya. And demonstrating the power of preventing disease through engineering, they explain the reason behind why there are no mosquitoes in Disney World.

In our last segment, Vivian and Jackie share important Infectious Diseases news stories for the month, including the reporting of even more cases of Avian Influenza and the threat they pose to agriculture and humans. Finally, DoxyPEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) is highlighted, a promising new approach to preventing sexually transmitted infections in vulnerable persons in high risk groups.

Vivian would like to thank her friend Sam Stosur for sharing her story on this episode. She would also like to thank her friend Natalie Buono for putting together the theme song for this episode and vocals. John Ferrell on lead guitar.

Thanks also to Dr. Ana Velez, our artistic contributor, for the custom oil painting and thumbnail art for this episode.