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Australia Lyme Disease Protests

Lyme Disease in AustraliaAs awareness of Lyme disease in Australia grows, the movement towards government recognition will also build. A recent protest led by Lyme sufferers in Australia demonstrates that. But will the government accept that patients with Lyme disease in Australia could have been infected there, or will they continue to deny its existence even in the light of solid evidence to the contrary?

Much of the government’s denial of Lyme disease in Australia is based on a study done in 1994, which claimed that in a number of ticks studied, spirochete bacteria were not found. However, that study was flawed for a number of reasons. One is that they only used PCR testing, a very specific kind of test. Second, they only tested for the strain Borrelia burgdorferi, not B. afzilii or B. garinii, the European strains that are most likely found in Australia. Third, they used both fed and unfed ticks – the unfed ones being much less likely to harbor infection.

In my soon-to-be-released book, Lyme Disease in Australia: Fundamentals of an Emerging Epidemic, I review the evidence of the existence of Lyme disease in Australia, including case reports dating back to the early 1980’s; studies by other researchers that clearly show the existence of Borrelia in ticks, as well as human laboratory data demonstrating infection in people who have not even left the country.

The book also serves as an education tool – what is Lyme disease, what are the symptoms of Lyme and co-infections, how to test for Lyme disease, and what treatment options are available, both antibiotic and naturopathic.

Lyme disease is a major and emerging health crisis. For those in the United States who have experienced the political controversy surrounding Lyme, you will understand. The situation in Australia is even more dire – there is no recognition at all, and many people are suffering daily because of that.

My hope is that my new book will help to bridge a gap – to shed light on the evidence of Lyme in Australia, and to provide a practical and useful tool that people can use to educate themselves, their family and friends, and their medical team.

Of course, these things always take longer than expected – but it’s close, just a few short weeks away. For more information on the book and to sign up to be notified the moment it’s released, please visit www.lymedownunder.com

Australian news clip showing recent protest led by Lyme sufferers in Australia:

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