Lyme disease is a complex, multi-system, debilitating disease, usually contracted via a tick bite. It often progresses to a long-haul illness, particularly if not diagnosed and treated early.

To date, Lyme patients have struggled to gain diagnosis and treatment due to the Federal Government's denial of "Australian Lyme."

The 2016 Senate Inquiry into a "Lyme-like illness" in Australia recommended a new Clinical Pathway for Lyme/tick-borne diseases (that is, new guidelines for doctors for diagnosis and treatment of tick-borne diseases). A non-trialled Clinical Pathway was published in 2021.

Despite evidence of Lyme in Australia, and the Government admitting that people are becoming sick after tick bites, the Clinical Pathway denies and delays treatment for tick-borne disease sufferers:

1. Lyme disease testing may only be done if the patient has travelled overseas. Therefore excluding the thousands of people who have become sick after tick bites in Australia.
2. Diagnosis and treatment of overseas-acquired Lyme is limited to infectious disease specialists or microbiologists. These practitioners often have waiting periods of several months. (Early Lyme requires urgent medical attention).
3. Lyme disease diagnosis can only be made if there is clinical and diagnostic evidence, as well as evidence of infection spread in the community. The Department of Health does not count cases of Lyme in Australia – making it impossible for patients to receive a correct diagnosis!

This leaves patients in a dangerous medical limbo; with no diagnosis or treatment for a multitude of symptoms which may become life-threatening.

International Outcry
Our official response to the Clinical Pathway outlines its many inaccuracies, and is endorsed by over 60 international Lyme scientists.

• “This document if instituted, is likely to contribute to ongoing patient suffering and potentially death in Australia,”
  
  Dr Richard Horowitz MD, Eminent Lyme expert, Consultant to the Australian Department of Health and LDAA patron.
• “I have previously lectured on Tick-Borne Diseases in Australia. By restricting access to treatment for tick-borne patients you are fully responsible for an otherwise preventable epidemic of mental illness. I shall save this correspondence and be available to provide future testimony against you for committing this crime against humanity if you do not change this irresponsible policy.”
  
  Clinical Associate Professor Robert C. Bransfield MD, DLFAPA, Eminent Lyme Psychiatrist, past President ILADS

Minister Butler, we call on you.

It's time for the Department of Health to urgently prioritise a ‘Patients First’ approach for tick-borne disease sufferers, as the Senate Inquiry committee recommended in 2016. 

On behalf of all medically abandoned patients with Australian-acquired Lyme and associated diseases, we implore you to take a leadership position on this issue and take urgent action to immediately benefit patients.

We have provided your predecessor with definitive evidence that the Pathway is dangerous to patients and unacceptable in its inadequacy.

We urge the Federal Minister of Health as a first and professionally responsible step, to remove the DSCATT Clinical Pathway from the Australian Government’s Department of Health website.