Bit of info about Lyme Disease:
Lyme disease is an illness caused by bacteria called Borrelia. It’s more formally known as Lyme Borreliosis.
Lyme is usually transmitted via a tick bite, and in most cases, other infections, known as co-infections, are also contracted at the same time. In Australia, the most common co-infections are Bartonella and Babesiosis.
Evidence-based studies indicate that Lyme can also be transmitted by other insects. Additionally, Borrelia has been found in every human bodily fluid, and there is evidence to suggest that it can be transmitted in utero, via blood transfusion, and sexually. However, much research is still required.
Lyme manifests itself differently in different bodies; generally in the early stages, people experience flu-like symptoms. If left untreated, the disease becomes chronic, and can affect any organ, muscle or joint in the body.
Symptoms vary from person to person. Commonly, patients experience neurological and gastro-intestinal issues, muscle and joint pain, and chronic fatigue. Depending on symptoms, the infection can be confused with other conditions, such as Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Motor Neurone Disease, Alzheimer’s disease and autism. For this reason, Lyme is known as ‘The Great Imitator’.
If caught early, the prospects of recovery are excellent. Chronic Lyme, however, can cause severe disability or even become fatal.
Unfortunately, Lyme is currently considered a controversial diagnosis, primarily due to the lengthy lifecycle of the bacteria, and the likely resulting long term treatment required. Some in the medical community believe that the infection can be resolved via a short course of antibiotics, and that any residual symptoms (including obvious indications of illness such as Grand Mal seizures) are psychosomatic.
In Australia, the very possibility of Lyme being locally acquired, is also questioned – some believe it can only be contracted overseas, despite numerous scientific, evidence-based case studies to the contrary. (Seehttp://www.lymedisease.org.au/evidence-of-borrelia-in-aust…/)
Our government is aware of the ongoing controversy, and the negative implications of this on patients. A spokesperson from the Federal Department of Health recently acknowledged that “..there are quite a number of people who have been diagnosed with the disease by their treating doctors, some of whom have been ill for a long period of time and whose therapy is complex and demanding. It is important for these people in particular that we find out as much about the disease as we can”.
Federal Chief Medical Officer Prof Chris Baggoley commissioned a Scoping Study to identify the research requirements for an investigation into whether a causative tick borne microorganism for Lyme disease exists in Australia, but has yet, no funding to conduct this research has been made available.
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