Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 April 2015
464. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the progress on the issues raised with regard to the testing, diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease since the hearing of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children in December 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13962/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraLyme disease (also known as Lyme borreliosis) is an infection transmitted to humans by bites from ticks infected with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. The infection is generally mild affecting only the skin, but can occasionally be more severe and debilitating.
Lyme borreliosis is is a notifiable infectious disease, the notifiable entity being the more severe neurological form, Lyme neuroborreliosis. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) collects and collates surveillance data on the condition. 20 cases of the condition have been provisionally notified in 2014. This number is likely to fall following validation.
Lyme borreliosis can be asymptomatic or have a range of clinical presentations. Current best advice is that diagnosis should be made only after careful examination of the patient's clinical history, physical findings, laboratory evidence and exposure risk evaluation. Exposure to ticks prior to disease manifestations is necessary for the diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis. Since an awareness or recollection of a tick-bite is not always present, however, this should not exclude the diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis. Later stages require the use of antibody detection tests (or advanced DNA detection techniques). Testing for Lyme Disease is undertaken in most of the larger hospitals in Ireland. In undertaking Lyme testing, it is essential that the results are interpreted in the light of the clinical condition of the patient. If the result of this initial screen is equivocal, the patient's samples are referred to the U.K.'s Public Health England Porton Down facility which uses a two-tier system recommended by American and European authorities. This involves a screening serological test followed by a confirmatory serological test. Because of the general availability of initial screening for Lyme disease in Ireland and the provision of a confirmatory testing service in the UK, there is no need for Irish citizens to travel abroad for testing.
The Scientific Advisory Committee of the HPSC has established a Lyme Borreliosis Sub-Committee. The aim of this Sub-Committee is to develop strategies to undertake primary prevention in order to minimise the harm caused by Lyme Borreliosis in Ireland. These strategies will be published in a Final Report. In addition to staff from the HPSC, the membership of the Sub-Committee includes specialists in Public Health Medicine, Consultants in Infectious Diseases, Clinical Microbiology, Occupational Health an Entomologist from the Parks and Wildlife Service, a representative from the Local Government Management Agency and an Environmental Health Officer. A representative from the Patients' Association is also being sought. The Terms of Reference of the Sub-Committee are:
- To raise awareness in Ireland of Lyme Borreliosis amongst clinicians and the general public;
- To identify and highlight best international practice in raising awareness about Lyme Borreliosis for the General Public;
- To develop policies of primary prevention of Lyme Borreliosis in Ireland based on best international evidence;
- To explore ways in which to improve surveillance of neuroborreliosis in Ireland;
- To develop straegies to raise awareness among the public particularly in areas of higher tick populations;
- To produce a Final Report covering all the above areas.
The Sub-Committee will hold its inaugural meeting on May 6.
Each year the HPSC holds a Lyme Awareness Week. This involves raising awareness for clinicians and the general public as to the risks of infected biting ticks, protection against tick bites and identifying the disease. Much use is made of the media to broadcast these messages in addition to the extensive material provided on the HPSC website. This years Lyme Awareness Week takes place from April 27- May.
