PUBLIC IS URGED TO BECOME ‘TICK’ AWARE THIS SUMMER
A number of Sligo people are featured as part of the ‘Lost to Lyme’ project which aims to give a face to Lyme disease and a voice to patients who may feel ignored, disbelieved and abandoned.
The project was compiled by Lisa Dooley who has made a full recovery from the chronic illness, but her story is rare.
Campaigners gathered at the town hall in Sligo on Friday evening to highlight Lyme awareness month, which takes place throughout May.
Chronic Lyme is not fully recognised or understood by many in the medical community in Ireland. This means there is very little treatment available in Ireland, leaving patients unwell for years, and well intentioned doctors frustrated. People often have to travel abroad for treatment.
The Lost To Lyme campaign includes a series of portraits with personal quotations reflecting each subject’s losses due to Lyme.
With people spending more and more time outdoors, campaigners say it is vital that people are ‘ tick aware’. Fianna Fáil TD for Sligo Leitrim Marc MacSharry is also featured in the campaign, as a huge supporter of fighting to have Lyme disease recognised by medical professionals.
Ticks can be found throughout the year but spring and summer are the times most people are bitten. Ticks are everywhere - in your back garden, in the local park as well as in more overgrown and wooded areas.
The North West is a hot spot for Lyme disease, and campaigners here in the region have worked tirelessly over the last number of years to spread awareness of the disease. People are advised to wear repellent and take precautions to avoid getting bit by a tick. It’s also important if people do get bitten that they know the signs to look for and where to go for help.
If diagnosed early, treatment with antibiotics is generally successful. A bullseye rash may appear, but if you know you have been bitten you are advised to go to your GP as soon as possible.
There are resources available out there. The Lyme Resource Centre has an excellent science based website to educate the public and medical profession about Lyme disease and related tick-borne infections.
Lead by Professor Jack Lambert, Ireland’s leading Lyme disease consultant, it aims to work with others to research ways to combat all tick-borne illnesses. The website has a huge range of scientific journals and expert advice for GPs and other health professionals.
Tick Talk Ireland is the largest of the patient support groups. They work with the North West Lyme Group to raise awareness and support patients.
This May they relaunched their website which is available on www.ticktalkireland.org
“It’s a great resource for patients. I was most struck by the Lost to Lyme campaign. It’s a powerful set of portraits of people from around the country, including Sligo’s Fiona Quilter, who have had their lives turned upside down by Lyme disease. The photographs and short documentary are a potent reminder of what Lyme disease can do if left undiagnosed and untreated,” said Kerry Lawless of Tick Talk Ireland.
Two Rathcormac NS students, Katie Regan, and Éabha Fennelly even presented a project on Lyme disease at the BT Young Scientists Primary School Fair back in January named ‘Why is Lyme disease increasing in Ireland and could better education in primary schools help to prevent it?’. The students had heard so much about Lyme disease as a result of local campaigns, that they felt it was an appropriate topic for their project.
Their stand at the fair attracted much attention.