New Lyme disease study in the Netherlands

dinsdag 14 april 2015 14:00

At the start of the “Tick Awareness Week”, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) and Wageningen UR are commencing a large-scale study on the long-term effects of Lyme disease. Annually about 25,000 people are diagnosed with Lyme disease in The Netherlands. Although this number may be stabilising, the number of new patients remains high. Most people recover after a course of antibiotics, but 1,000 to 2,500 people a year continue to have persistent symptoms. Why these complaints develop in one person and not in the other, is unknown. Therefore, the study "Lyme Prospect” has started. People who are about to start a course of antibiotics against Lyme disease can apply for participation.