New Study Questions Legitimacy of "Post Treatment Lyme Syndrome"

A new scientific research paper questions the legitimacy of "Post Treatment Lyme Syndrome" also known as PTLS

"In summary, in this pilot study we demonstrated persistent infection despite antibiotic therapy in 12 North American patients with ongoing symptoms of LD. Cultures were positive in all 12 patients in our study, indicating that the Borrelia spirochetes were replicating and therefore alive. The spirochetes were genetically identified as Bb in a blinded fashion using PCR and gene sequencing in three separate laboratories. In contrast, cultures from control subjects without Lyme disease were negative for Borrelia spirochetes. Our findings provide evidence that persistent infection rather than spirochetal “debris” was at least in part responsible for ongoing symptoms in these cases of Lyme disease, and the results mirror recent observations in a non-human primate model of treated Lyme disease [37]. Larger clinical studies using corroborative techniques are needed to confirm the findings in this pilot study." http://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/6/2/33/htm

This is frightening considering the alarming pace of the disease as illustrated in some projections.

"1 million people are predicted to get infected with Lyme disease in the USA in 2018. Given the same incidence rate of Lyme disease in Europe as in the USA, then 2.4 million people will get infected with Lyme disease in Europe in 2018. In the USA by 2050, 55.7 million people (12% of the population) will have been infected with Lyme disease. In Europe by 2050, 134.9 million people (17% of the population) will have been infected with Lyme disease. Most of these infections will, unfortunately, become chronic." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29438352

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Another question arises concerning the data demonstrating sexual transmission of the bacteria which commonly occurs in syphilis, also a spirochetal infection. If the standard 8 weeks of antibiotics treatment does not clear out the infection, how likely is it the infection can then be sexually transfered to other individuals?

"As expected, all of the control subjects tested negative for Borrelia burgdorferi in cultures of semen samples or vaginal secretions. In contrast, twelve of thirteen patients with Lyme disease had positive cultures for Borrelia burgdorferi in their genital secretions. Furthermore, two of the couples with Lyme disease showed identical strains of the Lyme spirochete in their semen and vaginal secretions, while a third couple showed identical strains of a related Borrelia spirochete in their genital secretions.

“The presence of live spirochetes in genital secretions and identical strains in sexually active couples strongly suggests that sexual transmission of Lyme disease occurs,” said Dr. Mayne, who recently published the first comprehensive study of Lyme disease in Australia. “We need to do more research to determine the risk of sexual transmission of this syphilis-like organism.”" https://www.morgellonssurvey.org/news/expanded-study-confirms-lyme-disease-may-sexually-transmitted/

Will this evidence be taken seriously and will the projections decline as a result of action taken? We're not holding our breath but it would be refreshing.