Top North doc warns of viral illness increase

Jul 5 2009 by Vicky Robson, Sunday Sun

A TOP North doctor has warned that the region could be sitting on a ticking timebomb after new figures revealed a rise in the cases of a potentially fatal disease.

Rheumatoid consultant Dr Terence Daymond is urging people to become aware of the viral illness in order to prevent the number of cases in the UK from spiralling.

The private practitioner, at The Nuffield Hospital, in Jesmond, Newcastle, claims that the figures released by The Health Protection Agency (HPA) may only be “the tip of the iceberg”.

Lyme Disease, which can be fatal if left untreated, is caused by a bacteria that is transmitted to humans when they are bitten by an infected tick.

Dr Daymond said: “Not only are there new patients being diagnosed, but the ones that have already been diagnosed are now realising that they were bitten by a tick in the past.

“The two main things are that the number of cases being reported in the country are rising, and ticks are no longer dying off during the winter months due to climate change and warmer weather.

“So at this time of year, especially with the summer holidays coming up, people need to be made aware of the risks of going into the countryside and being bitten by a tick.”

Since 2003 the number of laboratory-confirmed cases in England and Wales have been rising, with 815 cases recorded by the HPA last year - according to statistics released last month based on the cases that were reported to the organisation.

That includes almost 30 in the region last year.

But Dr Daymond claims the figure does not include patients who have been privately diagnosed.