Worldwide Lyme Disease Patients’ Protest

Clinical conditions

Scientist finds Lyme Bacteria in Brains of Alzheimer’s Victims Lyme Disease patients took to the streets again this May as part of the 2nd Worldwide Lyme Disease Protest against the failure to diagnose and adequately treat this potentially-crippling tick-borne illness.

Lyme disease protest

Multinational insurance corporations, vaccine manufacturers, and others with a vested interest are partly responsible for the situation. However, what cannot be ignored is the fact that the genus to which the Lyme bacteria belongs, Borrelia, has been studied for biowarfare purposes since the Second World War era. This means that much important information which should be available to treating physicians and researchers, is suppressed on spurious grounds of “national security”. The mild, wet winter has led scientists to predict a *tick “population explosion” this summer. Yet the glib promises made by Public Health England (PHE) to improve their appalling detection rate and inadequate treatment recommendations have not materialised.

Dr. Tim Brooks, head of Lyme diagnostics at the Porton Down biowarfare lab, continues to use a flawed testing protocol, based on recommendations of the US public health agency CDC and “experts” from CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service, a military unit. This, despite the fact that CDC has been recently forced to admit their official incidence figures missed 90% of cases diagnosed. The revised US figure of 300 000 new cases per year, though still an under-estimate, reflects the epidemic proportions of this disease, spread globally by ticks on migrating birds.

A blood culture test capable of detecting chronic Lyme Disease exists, but PHE refuse to acknowledge it, parroting instead CDC’s condemnation of the test based on false accusations of “contamination”. In fact the alleged contaminating material, and the culture plates concerned, were 200 miles apart at the time the supposed “contamination” occurred.

Without prompt diagnosis, Lyme Disease,can produce a severe disabling and difficult-to-treat chronic illness. It can also be fatal. Its myriad symptoms mean sufferers may be diagnosed instead with any of a huge range of conditions, including M.E., M.S., Motor Neurone Disease, Arthritis, Autism, Fibromylagia, Birth defects, brain tumours, heart problems, Psychiatric illness, and Alzheimer’s.

This year’s protest, which took place in London and Manchester, saw a rift developing in the British Lyme patient community. Supporters of the charity Lyme Disease Action, which does not back protests, favour “co-operation” with PHE. But increasing numbers are angry with a “collaboration” from which they perceive no benefit. PHE not only fails to diagnose the chronic form of Lyme Disease, they refuse to accept that it exists at all, despite a mountain of evidence. They recommend a very simple antibiotic course of 2-4 weeks – even though experienced physicians and researchers at the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) have found that prolonged and complex antibiotic regimes may be necessary, along with other drugs to treat parasitic and other “co-infections” acquired from the same tick-bite. In London, Minister of State for Justice the Rt. Hon. Simon Hughes MP attended the protest, and, with cameras rolling, vowed not to let supposed “national security” issues endanger public health. In January 2012 the Countess of Mar raised the issue of the Lyme bacteria, Borrelia, as a biowarfare agent. However, following talks with Porton, she no longer wishes to pursue this. It remains to be seen whether Mr. Hughes will keep his promise.

On 4 June 2014, US researcher Dr. Alan Macdonald will be in London for the public launch of the Spirochaetal Alzheimer’s Association (SAA). (Spirochaetes are the biological sub-type to which the Lyme bacteria, Borrelia, belongs.) Dr. MacDonald will be describing his shocking findings of Lyme Borrelia in 7 out of 10 autopsy Alzheimer’s brain specimens, using cutting-edge molecular biology techniques. Tickets are priced at £10 (doctors), £5 (standard) and £2.50 (concs.) and are available from the Spirochaetal Alzheimer’s Association  website With a projected one million dementia sufferers in Britain by 2021, there has never been a more urgent need to stop our military from suppressing the crucial facts about Borrelia bacteria and its role in brain diseases.

Written  in a personal capacity, not on behalf of any organisation.