New York City, NY—The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society today kicked off a campaign to raise awareness of the risks associated with chronic Lyme disease and provide prevention guidance.

The campaign launch coincides with Lyme Awareness Month and the community premiere of Under Our Skin, the recently released film by Open Eye Pictures, focused on the controversy surrounding diagnosis and treatment for Lyme disease. ILADS has developed Top Ten Tips for Preventing Chronic Lyme Disease for use as reference for people who suspect they may have developed chronic Lyme disease or are at risk of contracting due to early misdiagnosis or under-treatment. The prevention guide can be found at http://www.ilads.org/cldprevention/.

“ILADS recommends all families at risk of exposure to Lyme disease read this guide,” said Dr. Daniel Cameron, ILADS Board President and internal medicine physician. “The best way to prevent chronic Lyme disease is to get the right treatment early on. We hope this guide will help ensure more people receive appropriate treatment for early-stage Lyme disease thus mitigating their chances of developing chronic Lyme disease.”  

The guide intends to help patients and their families engage in useful discussions with their family physicians with the goal of early, accurate diagnosis of Lyme disease—the first step in preventing the more debilitating form of the disease.  

Chronic Lyme disease is often the result of misdiagnosis or under treatment soon after a tick bite. Standard treatment guidelines reflect a narrow view of Lyme disease, making it difficult for physicians not well versed on the complexities of the disease to recognize symptoms and provide adequate treatment. There are no accurate diagnostic medical tests for Lyme disease.

 

A recent announcement by the Connecticut Attorney General, Richard Blumenthal, calls for a reassessment of the guidelines, after finding flaws in the original guideline development process. This review provides the opportunity for development of a new set of guidelines that provide more thorough guidance for physicians treating Lyme disease.

Media contact: Pam Kahl. pam.kahl@verbal800.com 503.284.1534 

http://www.ilads.org/files/2008/Prevent_CLD_news_release.pdf

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