Work

Destroying the Village in Order to Save It: Collateral Damage in the Battle Over Lyme Disease

Year: 2022

Type: article

Abstract: A federal court recently dismissed the case against the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) brought by a group of patients with Lyme disease. While the outcome represented an important victory of the IDSA, I argue that it should also serve as a turning point in our approach to patients with "chronic" Lyme disease, many of whom experience substantial symptoms and suffer an emotional burden due to the uncertainty of their diagnosis. As the incidence of Lyme disease continues to increase and the geographic range of the vector expands, infectious disease specialists-experts in history taking, physical examination, and diagnosis-should play a leading role, not only to combat pervasive misinformation, but more importantly to benefit patients.

Source: Open Forum Infectious Diseases

DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofac153

Author: Ross M Boyce

Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Language: English

Topic: Vector-borne infectious diseases

Subfield: Parasitology

Field: Immunology and Microbiology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,676