# #450: Lyme, Bartonella & Babesia EXPOSED: Hidden Vectors, Lost Lives, and the Battle for Early Detection With Nicole Bell

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/longevity-with-nathalie-niddam-1367436/450-lyme-bartonella-babesia-exposed-hidden-vectors-lost-lives-and-the-battle-for-early-detection-with-nicole-bell
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/longevity-with-nathalie-niddam-1367436/450-lyme-bartonella-babesia-exposed-hidden-vectors-lost-lives-and-the-battle-for-early-detection-with-nicole-bell.md
Podcast: [LONGEVITY with Nathalie Niddam](https://stenobird.com/podcast/longevity-with-nathalie-niddam-1367436)
Published: 2026-06-26T09:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://episode.flightcast.com/01KTTVK3EPQ42R02CTPJXCNR43.mp3
Audio file: https://episode.flightcast.com/01KTTVK3EPQ42R02CTPJXCNR43.mp3
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Duration seconds: 5134

## Resource

Today, I’m joined by Nicole Bell, an accomplished engineer who made an unexpected leap from designing cutting-edge surgical robotics to becoming a powerful advocate for better diagnostics in tick-borne diseases. Nicole’s story is both deeply personal and urgent: after her husband was misdiagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s—only to later discover the true culprit was hidden tick-borne infections—she set out to uncover why our medical system misses these subtle yet devastating conditions. Episode Timestamps: Podcast introduction and episode overview ... 00:00:00 Subtle early signs—normalization and mood changes ... 00:10:16 Challenges with standard diagnostic routines ... 00:14:59 Common misconceptions: bullseye rash and antibiotics ... 00:17:06 Prevalence and misdiagnosis of Lyme and co-infections ... 00:18:01 How pathogens evade detection in humans ... 00:20:20 Broader vectors: fleas, lice, and pets ... 00:23:11 Complexity of co-infections (Lyme, Bartonella, Babesia) ... 00:29:39 When to suspect vector-borne disease—key symptom clusters ... 00:31:58 Infections and neurodegeneration: why the link is resisted ... 00:38:01 Evidence of pathogens in brain tissue from research ... 00:42:21 Hope for innovation and better diagnostics ... 00:51:20 New testing technologies and patient self-advocacy ... 00:54:40 Major insights from the state of Lyme research ... 01:02:51 Overcoming myths and regional biases ... 01:07:23 Advice for caregivers and rethinking health ... 01:13:12 Practical steps for prevention and early detection ... 01:17:53 Our Amazing Sponsors: STEMREGEN by Stemregen - A daily formula designed to support your body’s natural repair systems by helping release your own stem cells into circulation, supporting recovery, resilience, and whole-body renewal at the sourc…

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