Dan Neville (Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Acting Chairman for facilitating me in raising this matter. Lyme disease, known as Lyme borelliosis, is a bacterial infection transmitted by the bite of hard-bodied ticks. Not all ticks are infected but vigilance is recommended where ticks are present to reduce the risk of transmission to humans and pets. Lyme disease can cause a variety of symptoms, ranging from mild to severe. Known as the great imitator, it can mimic other diseases such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and chronic fatigue syndrome. Early treatment is vital to prevent serious consequences.

There are three stages to the development of the disease. Within days to weeks of a bite from an infected tick, an expanding rash may occur. This is the first stage. Sometimes this rash will appear as multiple concentric rings forming a bulls-eye. It is important to note that the rash may not develop or be noticed in some patients. A 'flu-like illness may also occur in the early stages of the disease. Stage two, otherwise known as the disseminated disease, has symptoms that may include migratory joint pain, head and neck pain, sore throat, swollen glands, Bell's palsy and severe fatigue. Cardiac problems may also occur, in addition to bladder irritation in the form of cystitis. Some patients may miss stage one of the illness and develop disseminated disease within months to years of the initial bite. The stage three symptoms for late-stage Lyme disease may include neurological changes such as tingling, numbness and tremors. Nerve pain, poor temperature control, brain fog and disturbed sleep patterns are common. Complications may also include optic neuritis, depression, panic attacks, muscle weakness, tissue damage, meningitis and chronic arthritis.

Lyme disease was named after the town of Lyme in Connecticut, however studies by the University of Bath have identified that it has been present in Europe since the ice age. The length of treatment with antibiotics depends on the severity and stage of the disease and co-existing co-infections. Intravenous antibiotics may be required for treatment of late-stage disseminated disease.

Patients feel an urgent need that a group be established by the HSE to examine the whole area of Lyme disease. This group should include a range of expertise including infectious disease consultants, GPs, international Lyme disease experts and patients' representatives. It should also consult with a number of other experts on patient symptoms including chronic pain specialists, neurologists, rheumatologists, paediatricians and obstetricians. Patients also feel that up-to-date training on Lyme disease should be offered to GPs as part of their continuing professional development. Public health nurses should also receive training on the effects of the disease, particularly on children. The teaching of medical students about Lyme borelliosis symptoms should be standardised. Students should be taught about the problems with diagnostic tests and about treatment options including the long-term treatment aspect.

Lyme disease is officially a notifiable disease since 2011 but if a hospital consultant denies a diagnosis from another EU state, this blocks GPs in reporting cases, leading to the data on a number of cases in Ireland being underestimated. Quite a number of patients travel to Europe for full diagnosis of Lyme disease.

See this speech in context