http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-11/lyme-disease-treatment-in-australia-criticised-by-john-madigan/7080708

Independent senator John Madigan has come out firing over the treatment of Australians suffering with Lyme disease.
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Despite growing public awareness of the debate, infectious disease expert Dr Peter Collignon said there was not enough good evidence to conclude that Lyme disease was in Australia.

“All the evidence at the moment is that, despite people looking, we don’t have the classical form of Lyme disease in Australia, as is the one in Europe and the US,” he said.

“People have looked for Lyme disease but have not been able to find it by any method that most people would think is acceptable.”

The ABC’s 7.30 understands that leading experts will prepare submissions to deny the existence of the disease for the Senate inquiry, which is due to report in June this year.
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More in link.

Is this article a fair summary of the status quo?

dv said:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-11/lyme-disease-treatment-in-australia-criticised-by-john-madigan/7080708

Independent senator John Madigan has come out firing over the treatment of Australians suffering with Lyme disease.
—-
Despite growing public awareness of the debate, infectious disease expert Dr Peter Collignon said there was not enough good evidence to conclude that Lyme disease was in Australia.

“All the evidence at the moment is that, despite people looking, we don’t have the classical form of Lyme disease in Australia, as is the one in Europe and the US,” he said.

“People have looked for Lyme disease but have not been able to find it by any method that most people would think is acceptable.”

The ABC’s 7.30 understands that leading experts will prepare submissions to deny the existence of the disease for the Senate inquiry, which is due to report in June this year.
—-

More in link.

Is this article a fair summary of the status quo?

He should also have said that our ticks are significantly different?

As far as I’m aware, our ticks aren’t able to carry the borreliosis bacteria.

I know nothing about this, but is it possible that European/US ticks are totally absent from Australia?

Pretty much. Lyme like symptoms is nicely vague e.g. Fever, headache, myalgias, fatigue, or arthralgias may occur after infection.

I’ve had a patient use an online US ‘physician’ to get ‘diagnosed’, ordered a US based lab test that isn’t the usual test to confirm diagnosis, then start person on all sorts of weird treatments for Lyme disease.

I mean it is a specific bacterial strain. Can’t they test definitively using DNA analysis?

dv said:

I mean it is a specific bacterial strain. Can’t they test definitively using DNA analysis?

Need synovial fluid for PCR

And PCR only works in later stages of infection apparently. Usual test is ELISA/IFA, then Western blot confirmation for IgG or IgM antibodies

Background Briefing did an excellent piece on this some years ago.
Well worth listening to, it ……well it gives the background to the whole debate.

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/backgroundbriefing/2013-05-12/4675072

For example, DNA testing does not distinguish between living and dead organisms, and laboratory contamination with amplified DNA poses a risk for false-positive results. This leads to the question. is PCR useful for the diagnosis of Lyme disease? In general, the answer is no.

Defacto son-in-law’s been crook for years (still works and all), had a lot of tests and turned up zip. Anyway daughter had chucked around possibility of lyme disease and mentioned it to me, I read up on it months later and suggested to her it was unlikely here in Australia. He though has been overseas. I think I looked up the countries too it’s known in.

Still though I’ve put it in the not enough information to entertain it as a likelihood category, though i’m reluctant to dismiss such possibilities of sub-clinical infections and pathogens that exhibit immune system, and endocrine system disruptive properties.

There is too the very real possibility of culture being cruel to those with disease that can’t be identified, and no less so of the last half century.

transition said:

Defacto son-in-law’s been crook for years (still works and all), had a lot of tests and turned up zip. Anyway daughter had chucked around possibility of lyme disease and mentioned it to me, I read up on it months later and suggested to her it was unlikely here in Australia. He though has been overseas. I think I looked up the countries too it’s known in.

Still though I’ve put it in the not enough information to entertain it as a likelihood category, though i’m reluctant to dismiss such possibilities of sub-clinical infections and pathogens that exhibit immune system, and endocrine system disruptive properties.

There is too the very real possibility of culture being cruel to those with disease that can’t be identified, and no less so of the last half century.

the doctors in australia don’t know or understand lyme disease, if you are lucky they might diagnose that a heavy weight be placed on the chest, blood letting be carried out and a priest to bless you

anyone suffering from lyme disease will be better off getting medical treatment in another country that understands that it exists

poikilotherm said:

Pretty much. Lyme like symptoms is nicely vague e.g. Fever, headache, myalgias, fatigue, or arthralgias may occur after infection.

I’ve had a patient use an online US ‘physician’ to get ‘diagnosed’, ordered a US based lab test that isn’t the usual test to confirm diagnosis, then start person on all sorts of weird treatments for Lyme disease.

I’ve got a patient like that too. She’s managed quite a few self diagnoses over the years. At the moment she is bemoaning that she can’t afford the USA tests.

Everything you ever wanted to know about Australian Ticks and related diseases. The notation at the bottom of the page is interesting and reflects the current medical attitude towards Lyme disease.

http://www.karlmcmanusfoundation.org.au/ticks-in-oz