Once again we see the IDSA propaganda machine; American Lyme Disease Foundation perpetuating what has been wrongly established over the past three decades as the severity of Lyme disease with its life-altering/life-threatening consequences is never mentioned. Philip Baker should be added to the racketeering lawsuit for aiding and abetting in the commission of this crime. Letter to The American Journal of Medicine: --------- Original Message ---------- From: Carl Tuttle To: Editors@amjmed.org Cc: cope assistant Date: December 29, 2017 at 9:38 AM Subject: Straight Talk About Chronic Lyme Disease Straight Talk About Chronic Lyme Disease http://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(17)31290-1/fulltext Phillip J. Baker, Executive Director, American Lyme Disease Foundation Dec 29, 2017 The American Journal of Medicine 3615 N. Prince Village Place, Suite 181 Tucson, Arizona 85719 Attn: Timothy Baird, MFA, Managing Editor Dear Editor Baird, Please be advised that a racketeering lawsuit (RICO) has been filed in the United States by the law firm SHRADER & ASSOCIATES, LLP against the Infectious Disease Society of America, seven IDSA Panelists and eight insurance companies. The court document can be found at the following link: https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/LymeDisease.pdf Accused of Conspiring to Deny Lyme Disease Coverage: https://www.courthousenews.com/insurers-accused-conspiring-deny-lyme-disease-coverage/ Excerpt: “Twenty-eight people claim in a federal antitrust lawsuit that Lyme disease victims are being forced to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for treatment because health insurers are denying coverage with bogus guidelines established by their paid consultants, who falsely say the disease can always be cured with a month of antibiotics.” ___________________________ The American Lyme Disease Foundation (ALDF) is an AstroTurf organization perpetuating the thirty year dogma produced by the seven academics/defendants named in the racketeering lawsuit. Four of the seven defendants named in the RICO lawsuit are on the Board of Directors or identified as national scientific advisors for the ALDF. The CDC, IDSA and American Lyme Disease Foundation all claim that Lyme disease is easily diagnosed and treated with a one-size-fits-all IDSA mandated treatment guideline. Basically: a simple nuisance disease like strep throat. As you know, untreated strep throat leads to rheumatic fever which can cause irreversible heart damage but rapid culture tests available in the primary care setting has virtually eliminated rheumatic fever and the life-threatening complications associated with that disease. Misdiagnosed and untreated Lyme disease creates the same life-altering/life-threatening consequences (as described in the attached letter addressed to CDC Director Brenda Fitzgerald, MD) but this has been hidden from the worldwide medical community and general population. Just ask Duke University Professor Neil Spector who required a heart transplant after his Lyme infection went four years untreated. [1] Spector’s laboratory tests (serology) were repeatedly negative. Faulty/misleading antibody tests are the root cause of unimaginable pain and suffering. Letter to CDC Director Brenda Fitzgerald, MD: https://www.dropbox.com/s/xaul84dqmqgbre0/Brenda%20Fitzgerald%20MD%20Director%20CDC.docx?dl=0 Please read the following case study from Stony Brook Lyme Clinic. I understand the patient received thirteen spinal taps, multiple courses of IV and oral meds, and relapsed after each one, proven by CSF antigens and/or PCR. The only way this patient (said to be a physician) remained in remission was to keep her on open ended clarithromycin- was on it for 22 months by the time of publication. Seronegative Chronic Relapsing Neuroborreliosis. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7796837 Lawrence C.a · Lipton R.B.b · Lowy F.D.c · Coyle P.K.d aDepartment of Medicine, bDepartment of Neurology, and cDivision of Infectious Diseases, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and dDepartment of Neurology, State University of New York at Stony Brook, New York, NY., USA Eur Neurol 1995; 35:113–117 (DOI:10.1159/000117104) Abstract We report an unusual patient with evidence of Borrelia burgdorferi infection who experienced repeated neurologic relapses despite aggressive antibiotic therapy. Each course of therapy was associated with a Jarisch-Herxheimer-like reaction. Although the patient never had detectable free antibodies to B. burgdorferi in serum or spinal fluid, the CSF was positive on multiple occasions for complexed anti-B. burgdorferi antibodies, B. burgdorferi nucleic acids and free antigen. ________________________ You may want to ask Baker why he excluded this case study from his so-called “Straight Talk About Chronic Lyme Disease.” Lyme disease with its life-altering/life-threatening consequences belongs in the same health threat category as AIDS, zika, cancer etc. but has been deceitfully miscategorized as a low-risk and non-urgent health issue. The role of Journal Editors and the peer-review process is also in question here as there is a long standing editorial censorship of the severity of Lyme disease with its ability to disable the patient. Editorial censorship will insure this letter to the editor will never reach the public. Respectfully submitted, Carl Tuttle Independent Researcher Lyme Endemic Hudson, NH Cc: Daniel R. Dutko, HANSZEN LAPORTE Reference: 1. Professor Neil Spector: Duke physician uses near-death experience to encourage patient self-advocacy http://www.dukechronicle.com/articles/2015/05/28/duke-physician-uses-near-death-experience-encourage-patient-self-advocacy#.VYlYnxtViko Dr. Neil Spector from Duke University required a heart transplant after his Lyme disease went undiagnosed for four years.