In the wake of the Worldwide Lyme Disease Awareness rally May 10 in Albany, it was encouraging to read the article that addressed the controversy over Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment ("Lyme disease debate surges," May 11).
Dr. Alan Sanders of Albany Medical Center mentions that people are requesting tests when they have no signs of Lyme disease. He refers to 20-year-old medical opinion stipulating the only true signs of Lyme disease are a bull's-eye rash and a positive serological test. Several published clinical case studies reveal the rash is an exceptionally poor disease marker (occurring less than 10 percent of the time). Other published research puts the sensitivity of the current blood tests at less than 50 percent (meaning false negatives occur half the time).
In Virginia, physicians are required by law to inform their patients that a negative blood test does not mean they don't have Lyme disease.
The abject refusal by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (and by extension the state Department of Health) to put the public first when it comes to this disease underscores the unfortunate need for state and national legislators to get involved and press for changes to the recommendations for diagnosis, treatment and reporting of Lyme disease.
Published research reveals the complexities of chronic inflammatory diseases resulting from persisting infection by stealth pathogens such as those that cause Lyme disease. These organisms show remarkable strategies for self-preservation, including immune evasion and antibiotic resistance. The real question is: Why do the infectious disease experts so strenuously defend their construct of Lyme disease when the scientific evidence shows it to be wrong?
Holly Ahern
Charlton
Microbiology professor, SUNY Adirondack
