Spiroplasma ixodetis Infections in Immunocompetent and Immunosuppressed Patients after Tick Exposure, Sweden.

We report 2 cases of Spiroplasma ixodetis infection in an immunocompetent patient and an immunocompromised patient who had frequent tick exposure. Fever, thrombocytopenia, and increased liver aminotransferase levels raised the suspicion of anaplasmosis, but 16S rRNA PCR and Sanger sequencing yielded a diagnosis of spiroplasmosis. Both patients recovered after doxycycline treatment.

[Severe Covid-19 comprises a self-amplifying loop of inflammation and coagulopathy]. / Spiral av inflammation och koagulopati bakom svår covid-19.

Severe Covid-19 has a high mortality rate. Vital organ dysfunction results from pathophysiological self-amplifying loops of innate immunological hyperactivation, cytokine release, complement deposition, endothelial damage, and macro- and microvascular thromboembolism. Resulting alveolar exudation and pulmonary capillary thromboembolism lead to ventilation-perfusion mismatch, considered to be a primary cause of death in severe Covid-19. Therapeutic immunomodulation is believed to be safer and more effective during time periods with decreasing viral exposition and increasing inflammation.