Dr. Gary Wormser and six other chronic Lyme denialists have been recently identified in a racketeering lawsuit to defraud Lyme patients while controlling the narrative. Lyme disease has been deliberately misclassified as a low-risk and non-urgent health issue. The court document can be found at the following link: https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/LymeDisease.pdf Last week, Wormser was appointed to the Lyme Disease Working Group which was established as part of the 21st Century Cures Act: https://www.hhs.gov/ash/advisory-committees/tickbornedisease/members/index.html My communication with the Designated Federal Officer overseeing this Working Group has been posted to this update. IMPORTANT!!!!! Anyone wishing to protest Dr. Gary Wormser’s appointment to the Lyme Disease Working Group can send an email to: tickbornedisease@hhs.gov Communication with the Working Group and Designated Federal Officer: ---------- Original Message ---------- From: Carl Tuttle To: jaucott2@jhmi.edu, khoney@stanford.edu Cc: info@honey2healing.org, wendyadams1@gmail.com, lymeliter@aol.com, cbb0@cdc.gov, Scott.Cooper@cms.hhs.gov, Dennis.Dixon1@nih.hhs.gov, lise.nigrovic@childrens.harvard.edu, Allen.L.Richards.civ@mail.mil, Vanila.Singh@hhs.gov, LDA@LymeDiseaseAssociation.org, James.Berger@hhs.gov, tickbornedisease@hhs.gov, richard.henry@hhs.gov, gwormser@nymc.edu, sgreen@hardball-law.com, GSkall , jgs@jacquessimon.com, gene@shraderlaw.com, wlancelee@gmail.com, rhiggins@rustyhardin.com, ddutko@hanszenlaporte.com Date: November 25, 2017 at 11:54 AM Subject: Fwd: RE: Working Group Selection Nov 25, 2017 Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health Department of Health and Human Services 330 C Street SW., Suite L100 Washington, DC 20024 Attn: Lyme Disease Working Group To the Members of the Lyme Disease Working Group; Please see the following email thread with Dr. Wolitski regarding Dr. Gary Wormser’s involvement in the racketeering lawsuit submitted by SHRADER & ASSOCIATES, LLP, Houston, TX. Dr. Wormser's thirty year fixation on the acute stage of disease [1,2] is the equivalent to ignoring the fact that untreated strep progresses to rheumatic fever. “Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that can develop as a complication of inadequately treated strep throat or scarlet fever. ... However, rheumatic fever remains common in many developing nations. Rheumatic fever can cause permanent damage to the heart, including damaged heart valves and heart failure. Aug 4, 2017” Duke University Oncologist Dr. Neil Spector required a heart transplant after his Lyme infection went untreated for four years. His laboratory tests for Lyme (serology) were repeatedly negative. Source: https://www.dukehealth.org/blog/doctor-hopes-his-medical-journey-inspires-others Late stage Lyme patient testimony (patients who had a prolonged exposure before diagnosis and treatment) often describe debilitating symptoms that do not resolve. PERMANENT DAMAGE Wormser and supporting CDC employees should not be voting members in any recommendations affecting national Lyme policy making. Sincerely, -Carl Tuttle Lyme Endemic Hudson, NH References: 1. Long-term assessment of health-related quality of life in patients with culture-confirmed early Lyme disease. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25888674 2. Impact of patient age on clinical features, serologic test reactivity and long-term outcome of culture-confirmed early Lyme disease http://www.dmidjournal.com/article/S0732-8893(17)30281-X/fulltext Correspondence with Dr. Richard Wolitski: ---------- Original Message ---------- From: Carl Tuttle To: "Wolitski, Richard (HHS/OASH)" Cc: "Tick-Borne Disease Working Group (OS/OASH)" , gene@shraderlaw.com, wlancelee@gmail.com, rhiggins@rustyhardin.com, ddutko@hanszenlaporte.com, Serino , gibson@nysenate.gov, GSkall , sgreen@hardball-law.com, jgs@jacquessimon.com Date: November 25, 2017 at 10:04 AM Subject: RE: Working Group Selection On Nov 22, 2017 Dr. Richard Wolitski wrote: ”Congress required in the 21st Century Cures Act, that the group include members whose views represent a wide range of perspectives. The Act states that “The members of the working group shall represent a diversity of scientific disciplines and views . . .” Dear Dr. Wolitski, Thank you for personally responding to my email regarding the racketeering lawsuit naming Dr. Gary Wormser and his alleged illegal/fraudulent handling of Lyme disease. It is one thing to hear from members whose views represent a “wide range of perspectives,” it’s entirely different however coming from a member accused of a heinous crime which has gone unchallenged and supported by the CDC for the past three decades. Wormser’s thirty year fixation on the acute stage of Lyme after early treatment conveniently avoids the late stage manifestations of Lyme disease [1] which is crippling to the patient and unresponsive to short term antibiotic treatment. Lyme disease with its life-altering/life- threatening consequences belongs in the same health threat category as AIDS, Zika, Cancer etc. [As described in the attached letter and autopsy reports addressed to Brenda Fitzgerald, MD Director of the CDC] Letter to the Director of the CDC: https://www.dropbox.com/s/xaul84dqmqgbre0/Brenda%20Fitzgerald%20MD%20Director%20CDC.docx?dl=0 1. Scientific misconduct or criminal offense? https://www.change.org/p/the-us-senate-calling-for-a-congressional-investigation-of-the-cdc-idsa-and-aldf/u/14006106 When you read the court document it becomes blatantly obvious why the focus over the past 30yrs has been to discredit the sick and disabled along with the courageous practitioners attempting to help these patients [2] as opposed to focusing on new antimicrobials for treating this antibiotic resistant/tolerant superbug. Per the attached court document; Chronic Lyme became too expensive for insurance companies so Lyme was deliberately misclassified as a low-risk and non-urgent health issue. 2. Lyme disease antiscience http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(12)70054-3/fulltext If you truly believe Dr. Wormser should be included as a member of Working Group then something is seriously wrong with this picture. Respectfully submitted, Carl Tuttle Hudson, NH I represent the 41,000 individuals who have signed the Change.org petition calling for a congressional investigating into the mishandling of Lyme disease: https://www.change.org/p/the-us-senate-calling-for-a-congressional-investigation-of-the-cdc-idsa-and-aldf Cc: Senators Chris Gibson and Sue Serino Dr. Richard Wolitski's email message: _________________________________________________ On November 22, 2017 at 4:03 PM "Wolitski, Richard (HHS/OASH)" wrote: Mr. Tuttle. Thank you for email. I am writing to confirm that it has been received and provide a brief response. We have received a number of comments (both supportive and critical) about the membership of the Working Group and are compiling them at this time. Emails about the composition of the Working Group (or any other aspect of the group) are reviewed, responded to, and logged as part of our efforts to document public comment and provide information to the members of the Working Group for their consideration. I regret that emails sent to me or other HHS staff or contractors, members of the Working Group, or any other individual may not be answered in a timely manner because they may overwhelm the ability of any one person to perform their duties and respond to a large volume of emails. We have set up procedures to respond efficiently to emails that are received at the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group email address. In the future, please send your emails to: tickbornedisease@hhs.gov. There is no need to copy me or any of the staff on those emails. We will be taking all of the feedback we receive and weigh it, along with any other sources of information we have at that time, to make decisions about what actions should be taken, if any, based on the evidence that has been presented. We expect, and Congress required in the 21st Century Cures Act, that the group include members whose views represent a wide range of perspectives. The Act states that “The members of the working group shall represent a diversity of scientific disciplines and views . . .” I expect that the Working Group members and the public who provide comments to the group will conflict at times. What we will be working hard to do is to establish an environment in which all people and their opinions are heard and received in a respectful manner. I hope that you will be able to attend the first meeting of the Working Group either in person or via the live stream that will be available from the HHS Website. Information about the meeting can be found at: https://www.hhs.gov/ash/advisory-committees/tickbornedisease/index.html That is all of the information that I have to provide at this time. If any changes occur that affect the meeting dates or membership, they will be posted at the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group website. Thank you for your input. Rich Wolitski Director, Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy Original email disapproving Wormser's appointment: ______________________________________________________ From: Carl Tuttle [mailto:runagain@comcast.net] Sent: Wednesday, November 22, 2017 1:13 PM To: Wolitski, Richard (HHS/OASH) Cc: Tick-Borne Disease Working Group (OS/OASH); Seem, Debbie (OS/OASH) Subject: Working Group Selection Dear Dr. Wolitski, Please be advised that Dr. Gary Wormser has been named in a racketeering lawsuit per the following PDF and should not be included in the Working Group: https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/LymeDisease.pdf The following statement regarding the IDSA Lyme treatment guidelines was taken from the attached court document: (Wormser is lead author of the IDSA treatment guidelines for Lyme disease) “169. The 2006 Guidelines do not have a legitimate purpose. The IDSA, the IDSA Panelists, and the Insurance Defendants use the Guidelines as a predatory device to injure doctors who do not follow the Guidelines. The 2006 IDSA Guidelines also prevent doctors from providing patients with proven treatment options because the IDSA Guidelines are extremely restrictive. The IDSA Guidelines also limit patients' ability to obtain health care and eliminate patients' choice of medical treatment in the Lyme treatment market.” --------------------------- Wormser with his 30yr bias against persistent infection and suppression of evidence of chronic seronegative Lyme is the main reason we have a working group. I ask that Wormser be disqualified from any involvement in the Working Group. Carl Tuttle Hudson, NH