Health Minister Sussan Ley, I understand you are busy campaigning to retain your seat in Farrer at the moment, but I thought you may be interested in this breaking news - Confirmed - Novel Borrelia species detected in ticks found on Australian echidnas. Lyme disease is classically associated with Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) complex (Over 30 known borrelia species, many which are Lyme related), though these species of bacteria weren't found in this study, a unique genus of Borrelia was, potentially forming a fourth major group that is similar to, but distinct from, Relasping Fever Borrelia. New species of Borrelia are being discovered all around the world, with some contributing to the cause of Lyme (or Lyme-like) illness. The study concluded that "The presence of a novel Borrelia sp. in Australia is of significant public health importance and warrants further investigations." Could this 'novel' Borrelia discovery be part of the puzzle in finding out exactly what is making Australians sick after a tick bite? #lymedisease #timeforaction http://www.lymedisease.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Loh-2016-Borrelia-Echidna-ticks.pdf?platform=hootsuite