""PROPER" DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT and PREVENTION of NEGLIGENT and RECKLESS MISDIAGNOSIS and COVERUP of LYME/ASSOCIATED TICK BORNE/VECTOR DISEASES EPIDEMIC IS COMING!!!
‘‘The key with the bill is to get everyone in the room, get all of the
best available science and then aggressively attack this hideous
disease that has ruined so many lives,’’ said Rep. Chris Smith,
R-N.J., the sponsor in the House who has pushed similar legislation in
the past.
Reed and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who introduced the Senate
bill, said they hope to pass a bill this year.
‘‘It is essentially designed to create awareness and understanding in
public health agencies about the urgent and immediate need to act more
effectively against a disease that truly has reached epidemic
proportions,’’ Blumenthal said.
A leading cause of food sensitivities, vasculitis (inflammation of
arteries), gastrointestinal, heart arrythmias (damage), nervous
system, liver, kidney, muscle/joint inflammation, Autism spectrum
disorders, heart and lung failure, strokes, disabilities, and death.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A group of lawmakers is pushing for a national
strategy to combat Lyme disease aimed at speeding advances in
diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the sometimes serious illness
that infects tens of thousands of people every year.
‘‘The tick problem is growing. The Lyme disease problem is growing,’’
said Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., a cosponsor of the bill in the U.S.
Senate. ‘‘This requires resources.’’
The legislation provides for the establishment of an advisory
committee made up of researchers, patient advocates and agencies, as
well as the coordination of support for developing better diagnostic
tests, surveillance, research and other efforts.
‘‘The key with the bill is to get everyone in the room, get all of the
best available science and then aggressively attack this hideous
disease that has ruined so many lives,’’ said Rep. Chris Smith,
R-N.J., the sponsor in the House who has pushed similar legislation in
the past.
Reed and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who introduced the Senate
bill, said they hope to pass a bill this year.
‘‘It is essentially designed to create awareness and understanding in
public health agencies about the urgent and immediate need to act more
effectively against a disease that truly has reached epidemic
proportions,’’ Blumenthal said.
Lyme disease is the sixth most common reportable disease in the United
States, and the second highest (behind chlamydia) in the Northeast,
said Dr. Ben Beard, director of vector-borne diseases at the federal
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In recent years, Lyme disease cases have increased around the country.
Some of that may reflect improved testing and reporting, Beard said.
But he said researchers also believe there has been a real growth in
cases, possibly because of more deer and the spread of suburbia into
previously uninhabited places.
This year, 8,400 cases have already been reported, the CDC said. Lyme
experts believe the number of actual cases is likely larger, in part
because tests for the disease are unreliable.
Lyme disease is named after Lyme, Conn., where the illness was first
discovered in 1975. It’s transmitted through the bites of infected
deer ticks, which are about the size of a poppy seed. Those infected
often develop a fever, headache and fatigue, and sometimes a tell-tale
rash that looks like a bull’s eye centered on the tick bite. Most
people recover with antibiotics, although some symptoms can persist.
If left untreated, the infection can cause arthritis or spread to the
heart and nervous system.
Treatment can be tricky, especially in cases that aren’t caught early.
Reed said the bill would ultimately result in more federal money aimed
at Lyme disease, welcomed news to Thomas Mather, a professor and
director of the University of Rhode Island’s Center for Vector-Borne
Disease, which runs the TickEncounter Resource Center.
A grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2006 helped start
his program, which works to reduce tick-borne illnesses including Lyme
disease. Mather said it’s difficult to get the money he needs to keep
the work going, and he hopes enacting a federal strategy will make
that easier.
‘‘We’re really looking for ways to sustain these activities,’’ he
said. ‘‘Mostly what’s needed are more resources.’’
The Infectious Diseases Society of America, an influential doctor’s
group that sets guidelines for treatment of Lyme disease, has opposed
similar legislation in the past. In 2009, it raised concerns about
whether such a panel might be slanted and not adequately represent the
views of the scientific community.
It has not yet taken a position on the pending legislation.
If the legislation passes, Lyme disease would be the latest in a
string of diseases to be targeted with a national strategy, the most
recent being Alzheimer’s disease.
Smith has scheduled a Congressional subcommittee hearing on Tuesday
about challenges in diagnosing and managing Lyme disease.
___
Michelle R. Smith can be reached at http://twitter.com/MRSmithAPend of
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