Lyme disease: a ticking time bomb

An article in The Conversation written by Vis-a-Vis Patron Hany Elsheikha, was published 28th April 2016 


Concludes- 

Tackling the threat

The effects of the disease on so many body systems, and the debilitating impact on the life of the affected patient, have triggered a crisis that has far-reaching implications for public health and policy. When people get diagnosed with Lyme, they make a shift to a life of increasing uncertainty, particularly from a lack of adequate and credible information.

It’s clear, given the rise in clinical cases across the world and the number of people who continue to suffer even after antimicrobial treatment, that Lyme disease is spreading rapidly. For example, in the US the number of annual reported Lyme cases has increased about 25-fold since the national surveillance began in 1982.

Many aspects of the disease mechanisms, such as the chronic condition, remain controversial or evolving, due to the scarcity of robust evidence-based data. There is not even one consistent terminology that defines “chronic Lyme disease”. More measures are also needed to resolve the crippling uncertainty surrounding the infection. We need more research to help develop reliable diagnostic tests, identify sub-populations of patients who are most likely to benefit from antibiotic treatment, and ultimately to ensure that Lyme disease does not become a pandemic reality.

 

Go to this link to read the full article – https://theconversation.com/lyme-disease-a-ticking-time-bomb-57844