Paper - Lyme Disease International Surveillance Project (LDISP).

Cameron DJ, Gaito A, Harris N, Bach G, Bellovin S, Bock K, Bock S, Burrascano J, Dickey CE, Horowitz R, Phillips S, Merr-Sherrer L, Raxlen B, Sherr V, Smith H, Smith P, Stricker R. International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS), Bethesda, Maryland

Background: Clinicians face a rise in the number of persistent, recurrent, and refractory Lyme disease cases and growing controversy in treatment.

Design: The world’s largest Lyme disease database - Lyme Disease Surveillance Database (LDSP) – consisting of 2575 consecutively evaluated individuals with Lyme disease will be expanded to multiple international sites to further examine the emerging problems of persistent, recurrent, and refractory Lyme disease.

Setting: Geographic areas on an international scale will be selected for inclusion in the LDISP Program based on their ability to operate and maintain a high quality Lyme disease reporting system and for their epidemiologically significant population subgroups. Training courses for surveillance sites will be arranged during professional meetings that include hands-on use of the international LDISP software.

Measurement: Data include regular assessments of the broad spectrum of factors that may influence outcomes, including demographics, history of a tick bite or rash, serologic testing, co-morbidity, and specific antibiotic treatments. The database looks to uncover new facts, which may help clinicians choose the best treatment options including the impact of different antibiotics on outcome of individuals with persistent, recurrent and refractory Lyme disease.

Conclusion: The ILADS-sponsored LDISP brings together a database for clinicians and community members to produce a timely resource for Lyme disease, significantly influencing the understanding of Lyme disease.