Disease Association of Australia (LDAA):
Senate Inquiry - What happens next? The Community Affairs References Committee will provide a Final Report by 26 March 2025; Bron https://www.facebook.com/@LymeDiseaseAustralia/15 January 2025: Senate Inquiry - Submission 102 Tezted (Finland); Bron https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Bu ... ubmissions
..Regarding the following Australian Senate inquiry into "Access to diagnosis and treatment for people in Australia with tick-borne diseases," please accept this as our submission with the intent to highlight the need for better clinical pathway judgments than debilitating symptom complexes attributed to ticks (DSCATT) and the need for better testing for Australian patients. More specifically, this submission provides evidence that affects the following four terms of reference outlined by the Australian Parliament's Senate:
a. the initiatives and resources developed to improve awareness, diagnosis, treatment, and management of tick-borne diseases in Australia since the release in 2016 of the Community Affairs References Committee Report Growing evidence of an emerging tick-borne disease that causes a Lyme-like illness for many Australian patients;
b. the adequacy and effectiveness of the 'debilitating symptom complexes attributed to ticks' clinical pathway to support patients;
c. current research to advance the management of complex inflammatory diseases; and
d. any other related matters.
This submission provides evidence that Australian patients suffer from Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases and that DSCATT has substantial pitfalls that support the immediate development of better testing and treatment management of Australian patients..
..Concerning providing solid evidence that Australian patients are suffering from Lyme Disease and other tick-borne diseases,
1. Enhanced Diagnostic Potential: Using a novel diagnostic tool, we identified immune responses to multiple pathogens in Australian patients, including microbes associated with Lyme disease and other tick-borne co-infections. This highlights the diagnostic tool's
ability to screen for a broad range of pathogens with a single test, which is particularly valuable given the diverse nature of TBDs;
2. Australian Relevance: Despite uncertainties surrounding the existence of endemic Lyme disease in Australia, our findings suggest that Australian patients exhibit immune responses consistent with exposure to tick-borne microbes. This aligns with the increasing recognition of "Lyme-like" disease and underscores the need for improved diagnostic capabilities in this region; and
3. Interlaboratory Reliability: High concordance was achieved between testing sites in Australia and Finland, validating the reproducibility and reliability of this novel diagnostic tool, such as TICKPLEX, results across different settings.
In addition to
..The impact on Australian patients of these studies is profound with easy solutions. This research highlights the promise of innovative and superior diagnostic techniques to rectify persistent deficiencies in diagnosing TBDs in Australia. This is especially pertinent for patients suffering from persistent, debilitating symptoms linked to tick bites, a condition frequently neglected or misunderstood. Innovative diagnostic techniques could facilitate early diagnosis and focused therapy through a more complete diagnostic approach, enhancing patient outcomes and quality of life. We assert that these findings signify a crucial advancement in acknowledging and tackling the intricate issues presented by TBDs in Australia..
..Therefore, we aimed to furnish additional evidence through a scientific critique of the peer-reviewed article titled "Characterising DSCATT: A case series of Australian patients with debilitating symptom complexes attributed to ticks"
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To tackle the identified issues, Australia needs to implement sophisticated diagnostic instruments such as TICKPLEX to enhance the precision and dependability of tick-borne disease (TBD) diagnosis and establish a national surveillance system and reference laboratory to monitor and standardize testing. It is imperative to revise the deficient DSCATT Clinical Pathway using evidence-based, internationally standardized criteria alongside physician education and augmented research funding to investigate new infections and therapies. Support for patient advocacy organizations, equal access to healthcare, and elimination of psychosocial stigma are essential for facilitating patient-centred care. Comprehensive, rigorous studies must supplant deficient research to guide policies, while a centralized patient registry can monitor outcomes and enhance treatment pathways. These initiatives will improve patient outcomes, promote TBD research, and cultivate equitable, evidence-based healthcare..
'Characterising DSCATT: A case series of Australian patients with debilitating symptom complexes attributed to ticks' by Schnall et al. 2021; Bron https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.117 ... 4211043788 Preprint Article: 'Assessing Interlaboratory Performance and Concordance of Tick-Borne Disease Testing Using Multiplex Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay' by Kunal Garg, Fausto Villavicencio-Aguilar, Flora Solano-Rivera, Leona Gilbert; Bron https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202412.0220/v1