Politics, Funding and Publicity

Guidelines should be based on science, not economics and vested interests.

Concerning: A Workshop on the Critical Needs and Gaps in Understanding Prevention, Amelioration, and Resolution of Lyme and Other Tick-borne Diseases: the Short-Term and Long-Term Outcomes October 11, 2010 - October 12, 2010.

"As Lyme disease experts gather for a two-day scientific workshop a trio of disease advocacy groups have withdrawn their participation, claiming that the meeting is biased.

Time for Lyme, the Lyme Disease Association and the California Lyme Disease Association decided to walk away from the meeting, arguing that organizers are not presenting enough information about the possibility that the disease can be chronic, and requires a long-term regimen of antibiotic drugs."

As usual it appears the patient advocacy groups although excessive in their endorsement of long-term treatment are likely correct about the existence of a chronic condition and the conflicts of interest present in those who develop and enshrine the various guidelines.

While walking out of conference is regrettable I do think the fault lies with the scientists who are too close to financial issues. Guidelines should embody the state of the knowledge and should be an indication of the return on investment of steps to be taken, guidelines should not freeze out valid viewpoints with substantial supporting evidence simply because they are so unpopular. This issue was explored a few years ago by the Attorney General of Connecticut issuing a subpoena for records relating to the exclusion of unpopular viewpoints from the guidelines. It would seem strange to see a state attorney-general involved in the issue and it would seem strange to hinge the investigation on antitrust law but for Lyme Disease what state is more relevant than Connecticut?

The science is established. Just as L-forms persist but are often ignored by medicine, it seems that persistent spirochetes exist after antibiotic treatment of mice. Ticks raised in a laboratory and free of the spirochete will acquire an infection after they have feasted on mice that have completed a lengthy course of antibiotic treatment and have tested negative for the spirochete. Such xenodiagnosis is an established technique of immunology.