Lyme Disease

Baroness Masham of Ilton Excerpts

Thursday 22nd October 2015 Grand Committee

[Baroness Masham of Ilton (CB)]

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Greaves, for this short debate alerting your Lordships to a topical issue. Last Thursday, the Evening Standard had a double page headed, “The Ticking Lyme Bomb”, and yesterday the Daily Mail had a large article entitled, “So what IS the truth about the Lyme disease ‘epidemic’?”. I come from North Yorkshire, which is one of the areas listed as having a particularly high population of ticks. Lyme disease is transmitted by the bite of a tick affected with Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. Ticks do not jump or fly but climb on clothes or skin. The bite does not itch or hurt, so the tick can remain on the skin for longer than 24 hours, which is dangerous.

Gamekeepers who walk in heather and bracken are always well protected as they are dressed in thick tweed plus-fours and jackets, thick stockings and boots, but nowadays I see more and more people running in shorts, sometimes with no socks, or having picnics in parks in hot weather wearing little clothing. Could this be a reason for the increase in tick bites? I know of a woman from the Czech Republic who got a tick bite picking mushrooms in a forest. She got a rash and went straight to her doctor. She was given the appropriate antibiotics and did not develop the problems which can be associated with Lyme disease. Can the Minister tell us whether enough people know what to do when bitten?

I am told there are three vaccines for dogs but none for humans. How much research is taking place? Are we sharing research with other European countries, Canada and the USA that have the problem? The Health Protection Agency is very important. Can the Minister tell the Committee what research is being undertaken into complications resulting in long-term damage to the nervous system, joints and heart issue? Could there be any danger of Lyme disease being passed on by body fluids, such as infected sexual fluid which is lingering on and being found in people with Ebola?

Now the problems have been highlighted, results should be made public and help should be made available for those who need it. I hope this debate will help to make more people aware of what infected ticks can do.