LYME DISEASE: MYTHS AND DENIAL

The comment below is in response to the recent misleading Newsweek article about Lyme disease.
"My Father's Mystery Illness"


 David Volkman who wrote the response below corrected the many errors or false insinuations in the Newsweek article

David Volkman
Lyme disease: Myths and denial

The poignant August 24 article by Mr. Juskalian regarding Lyme disease
(borreliosis) depends on authoritative opinion and perpetuates erroneous
myths and untruths that some "experts" have been desperate to publicize.


Contrary to Dr. Shapiro's assertion, viable circulating borrelia DNA has
been isolated from both humans and mice that have received inadequate
antibiotic therapy for their acute borrelia infection. Indeed, the tick bite
regimen advocated by the IDSA leaves 80% of newly infected mice with
persistent borreliosis. These data were published in reputable peer-reviewed
scientific journals and the Lyme community is well aware of these studies.

More problematic, if inadequate antibiotics are used to treat the initial
infection an effective anti-body response is blocked and the persistently
infected individual will be consistently seronegative (a negative Lyme
test). These seronegative, infected sufferers are demonized as not having
real disease. Several of these Lyme "experts" receive consultant fees from
insurance companies denying treatment for chronic Lyme disease symptoms and
benefit from their denial that persistent Lyme disease may need to be
treated.
David Volkman, Ph.D., M.D.
Emeritus Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics
SUNY, Stony Brook, NY
Tuesday, August 31, 2010, 11:09:36 PM





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