Jennifer O'Dea
Posted on 8 Mar 2012 11:06 pm (This comment has been reported to moderators)
Thank you Maire Maloney for bringing up the huge problem with Lyme disease. Considered 'rare' by the HSE (only 50 cases per year) Tick Talk ireland believes that the number is fact much higher. Reasons for underestimation may include problems with testing (false negatives can occur at any stage of the disease. Early in the disease it may take time for antibodies to produce & later in the disease negatives can be caused by antibiotics abrogating immune response or by poor immune function as a direct result of the disease).
Also many physicians do not realise that Lyme is prevalent in Ireland believing it to be a North American disease. Europe has its own strains of borrelia (lyme causing bacteria) which are equally present in Ireland & ticks can carry other infections besides lyme hindering teratment & diagnosis. Another problem is that the early sign of infection which is an EM rash (known as a bull's-eye rash) is not prevelant in all patients or may be mistaken as ring worm or shingles.
On top of this the symptoms can overlap other illnesses such as ME/CFS. There are 12,000 people with ME across the country & it's certainly possible (if not probable) that many are infected with borrelia.
Although lyme has recenty been made notifiable the decision was made by the government to track only lab confirmed cases of neuroborreliosis. I feel that tracking 'clinical' rather than lab confirmed cases would provide a more accurate reflection of numbers across Ireland, due to problems with current testing & also clinical signs such as EM rash which would not at that stage show a positive test as it's too early in the disease.
Without considering clinical cases it will be difficult to track the spread of infection or identify the areas most at risk & will subsequently be much harder to gain am accurate reflection of numbers.
Jennifer O'Dea
Posted on 8 Mar 2012 11:06 pm (This comment has been reported to moderators)
Thank you Maire Maloney for bringing up the huge problem with Lyme disease. Considered 'rare' by the HSE (only 50 cases per year) Tick Talk ireland believes that the number is fact much higher. Reasons for underestimation may include problems with testing (false negatives can occur at any stage of the disease. Early in the disease it may take time for antibodies to produce & later in the disease negatives can be caused by antibiotics abrogating immune response or by poor immune function as a direct result of the disease).
Also many physicians do not realise that Lyme is prevalent in Ireland believing it to be a North American disease. Europe has its own strains of borrelia (lyme causing bacteria) which are equally present in Ireland & ticks can carry other infections besides lyme hindering teratment & diagnosis. Another problem is that the early sign of infection which is an EM rash (known as a bull's-eye rash) is not prevelant in all patients or may be mistaken as ring worm or shingles.
On top of this the symptoms can overlap other illnesses such as ME/CFS. There are 12,000 people with ME across the country & it's certainly possible (if not probable) that many are infected with borrelia.
Although lyme has recenty been made notifiable the decision was made by the government to track only lab confirmed cases of neuroborreliosis. I feel that tracking 'clinical' rather than lab confirmed cases would provide a more accurate reflection of numbers across Ireland, due to problems with current testing & also clinical signs such as EM rash which would not at that stage show a positive test as it's too early in the disease.
Without considering clinical cases it will be difficult to track the spread of infection or identify the areas most at risk & will subsequently be much harder to gain am accurate reflection of numbers.