Written answers
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
Department of Health and Children
Lyme Disease
10:00 am
John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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Question 306: To ask the Minister for Health and Children his plans to help raise awareness of Lyme disease; the number of persons who have contracted this illness over the past five years on a county basis. [28440/10]
Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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Lyme disease (also known as Lyme borelliosis) is an infection caused by a bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi which is transmitted to humans by bites from ticks infected with the bacteria. The infection is generally mild affecting only the skin, but can sometimes be more severe involving other organs. Ramblers, campers and those who work in such areas especially if they come into contact with large animals are at greatest risk of being bitten by ticks and of going on to develop the disease. A number of cases are diagnosed each year, but the true figure is unknown. However, research has determined that there are about 30 human cases per year in Ireland. In 2007, 71 specimens were confirmed positive for Lyme borreliosis, suggesting a crude incidence rate of 1.67 per 100,000 that year. A recent study in the west of Ireland at Galway University Hospital suggests that the disease incidence may be higher in the Galway area.
Lyme disease is not a notifiable infectious disease in Ireland. This means that there is no legal requirement on doctors to report cases to their local Director of Public Health, so this makes estimates of incidence difficult. However, the schedule of infectious diseases is reviewed on a periodic basis and inclusion of Lyme disease will be considered in the future.
A fact sheet on Lyme disease, developed by the Vectorborne Subcommittee of the Scientific Subcommittee of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), is available on their website (www.hpsc.ie) to provide members of the general public and media with advice on minimising the risk of Lyme disease and provides information on the prevention and treatment of the disease. This is currently being updated with a view to bringing increased awareness of the disease to the attention of those most at risk e.g. having the information available through the websites of Coillte, the Irish Farmers Association and Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and also Local Authorities. In addition, last Autumn an awareness raising article was placed in Epi-Insight, the HPSC disease surveillance report which is targeted at clinicians with a view to increasing awareness of the disease.
Comments
janet fitzgerald
Posted on 1 Jul 2010 9:38 am (Report this comment)
It is great to see some of our government officials at last speaking up about Lyme disease.
Making Lyme "notifiable" would increase awareness at the diagnostic level. This would result in more patients being treated in earlier stages of the disease, when routine treatment is much more likely to be successful.
Chronic patients, who have failed to be diagnosed early, must endure a painful disease, that may not actually respond to even more aggressive treatment. They face uncertain futures, where they may be reliant on family and social service support. Treatment at Chronic stage is many times more expense and complex, than treatment in the early "acute" stage.
Too many patients a slipping through the medical system, being investigated for MS, ME, motor neuron or other diseases that share similar symptoms, and by the time doctors get around to looking at Lyme, they are past the point of "acute" treatment and may have lost their chance at ever having a healthful productive life.
Recent trends in farming, establishment of wildlife habitat, low sheep grazing levels, and climate change are all impacting the increase of ticks and all the diseases they carry. These issues must be addressed by the Minister of the Environment, The Department of Agriculture and EU level farming policy. The Minister of Health needs to make Lyme "notifiable" now.
Now a little less talk, and a lot more action is needed
Jennifer O'Dea
Posted on 30 Jun 2010 11:14 pm (Report this comment)
It may be useful to add a link to the leaflet Ms Harney!!
Details of Lyme disease can be found at:
http://www.ndsc.ie/hpsc/A-Z/Vectorborne/LymeDisease/
There you can find a fact sheet, links to the EPI-Insight article on the Under Diagnosis of Lyme in Ireland (as referred to by Ms Harney) and also the newly updated leaflet (as also mentioned) raising public awareness.
Lyme can be very serious if not caught early so recognition of the dangers of ticks and knowledge of the signs & symptoms is key (warning, not ALL early Lyme cases will show as a rash). Be on the alert for general ill health following a tick bite, especially if it involves flueyness or joint pains. No need to fear the great outdoors, just remember that nettles can sting and ticks can bite - be aware and take precautions!