Update 6 - Is the CDC willing to risk its institutional credibility for Lyme disease? Greetings from Jenna, I find it fascinating that the CDC is willing to put its entire institutional credibility on the line over one disease, namely Lyme disease. How many individuals, members of the public, physicians, scientists, mothers, fathers and talented young people will they try to discredit to maintain their outdated and non-science based Lyme views? Also, the CDC strategy to promote misinformation via Lyme Corps is very short sighted and already showing many signs of failure. The CDC Lyme Corps program will never be able to train the number of students needed to promote “public health messaging” that can counter the truth about Lyme disease. The CDC’s intention to use the media for such dissemination is almost absurd. On any given day, a quick web search will show a multitude of media outlets sharing news about the devastation and complexities of Lyme. Does anyone at the CDC watch The Voice? Contender Ryan Quinn is battling Lyme disease. Or Women’s basketball? Most Valued Player Delle Donne is on record detailing her long antibiotic treatments for Lyme. Does anyone at the CDC ever listen National Public Radio? Preeminent oncologist Dr. Neil Spector has a lot to say about how the “Lyme science” promoted by the CDC led to his heart transplant. I want to bring your attention to a recent CDC effort to discredit research done by Dr. Sin Hang Lee. This letter was shared on March 14, 2016 by Lyme Advocate Carl Tuttle. The letter follows. Also, check out Carl’s petition site: https://www.change.org/p/the-us-senate-calling-for-a-congressional-investigation-of-the-cdc-idsa-and-aldf/u/15796418 ________________________________________ From: "Sin Hang Lee" To: bzb8@cdc.gov Cc: runagain@comcast.net Sent: Sunday, March 13, 2016 9:48:02 AM Subject: Please point out inconsistent results Dr Beth P Bell Director The National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) bzb8@cdc.gov cc: Carl Tuttle runagain@comcast.net March 13,2016 Dear Dr Bell: In answering a question from Mr Tuttle concerning a publication in which I am the first author [1], you made an allegation “that the authors of this publication reported inconsistent results for this specimen…..” as a reason for the CDC’s inaction to investigate a novel borrelial infection in Hudson Valley. See Mr Tuttle’s post regarding Patient #9 here: Part 2: New species of Borrellia in the Hudson Valley, NY area? https://www.change.org/p/the-us-senate-calling-for-a-congressional-investigation-of-the-cdc-idsa-and-aldf/u/15796418 I hereby request that you point out the “inconsistent results” in the publication referenced above so that the authors can defend their data presented in a peer-reviewed article. An allegation of this nature and magnitude made by the Director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) carries serious implications which will invariably damage the reputation and credibility of the authors of the publication. If you cannot point out the “inconsistent results” for an open debate, I will question your motives in making such remarks in the first place since your allegation is not based on facts and is now being circulated in the public domain. The authors of the above referenced article [1] performed a series of tests with the support of Dr Marty Schriefer and Dr Claudia Molins of the NCEZID for the purpose of evaluating the accuracy of a new diagnostic test for Lyme disease, utilizing the classic nested PCR and DNA sequencing technology. An official report on this case was submitted to the CDC on September 4, 2013 under a Material Transfer Agreement (NCEZID-R137154-00) authorized by you. Neither you nor any CDC staff members have raised any issue of “inconsistent results” regarding the finding of this novel borrelia. You have an obligation to point out these newly found “inconsistent results” in this article [1] which had undergone two rounds of peer review by 3 experts in the field before acceptance for publication. Sincerely, Sin Hang Lee, MD Shlee01@snet.net Reference [1] Lee SH, Vigliotti JS, Vigliotti VS, Jones W, Shearer DM. Detection of Borreliae in Archived Sera from Patients with Clinically Suspect Lyme Disease. Inter J Mol Sci. 2014; 15:4284-4298.