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June 2nd Lyme Rights Rally at CT State Capitol is National Call to Action By Patients, Medical Professionals, State Attorney General and Celebrity

Posted on: Thursday, 25 May 2006, 09:01 CDT

Lyme disease patients and their families, as well as advocates and government officials will rally at the State Capitol in Hartford, CT on Friday, June 2, 2006, from 12 noon to 3pm, to raise awareness of a public health crisis that affects tens of thousands of individuals throughout Connecticut and the nation.

Scheduled guest speakers include: Attorney General Richard Blumenthal; CT State Representative Claudia Powers; E! Entertainment reporter (and Lyme disease patient) Brooke Landau; Lyme disease expert Dr. Joseph Burrascano; social worker Sandy Berenbaum; and Lyme Disease Association President Pat Smith. Dr. Charles Ray Jones will also be attending.

"Outrage is growing because the incidence of tick-borne diseases is rising at an alarming rate, while the medical community is not keeping pace," stated rally committee member Maggie Shaw. Adding, "Thirty years have passed since Lyme disease was identified and we still have no accurate testing, no comprehensive physician training and no adequate research on chronic Lyme disease - patients who contact us at the Newtown Lyme Disease Task Force often describe enduring months of misdiagnosis and suffering before finding relief from one of the few Lyme literate physicians practicing."

One of the key concerns affecting the Lyme disease community is that doctors disagree about appropriate treatment while patients are caught in the crossfire. These deeply divided opinions, primarily where persistent Lyme disease is involved, have left many individuals suffering. Expanded physician training in tick-borne diseases, protection of Lyme physicians and increased research funding are just a few of the many issues that will be addressed by rally speakers, along with patient testimonials from both adults and children.

Children are in the highest risk category for contracting the disease, since people are commonly infected in their own backyard. The effects on students can be staggering: a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study reported median school absences of 140 days in New Jersey, and a Columbia University Medical Center study reported a 22-point drop in IQ.

"Lyme patients everywhere deserve the right to choose their standard of care for diagnosis and treatment," said Jennifer Reid, Co-Chair of the Ridgefield Lyme Disease Task Force. "Physicians who are willing to address the complexities of Lyme disease, along with co-infections, should be allowed to practice freely without fear of repercussions."

Lyme disease is reported in 49 states, with data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing 166,868 reported cases of Lyme disease from 1994-2003 nationally. Reported cases are estimated to be approximately 10 percent of actual cases that meet the CDC definition. Cases of Lyme disease in Connecticut (the state where the disease was first discovered) increased 34 percent last year. The Connecticut State Department of Public Health said there were 1,810 new cases of Lyme disease reported in 2005, an increase from 1,348 the previous year. The 2005 incidence rate in Connecticut was 53 cases per 100,000 people.

Proposed federal legislation sponsored by U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT) aims to improve prevention efforts and access to medical care for Lyme patients. The Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Prevention, Education, and Research Act of 2005 in the Senate (S. 1479 Chris Dodd/Rick Santorum), and its House companion bill (H.R. 3427 Chris Smith/Sue Kelly) authorizes an additional $20 million a year for Lyme disease research, education and prevention for the next five years.

For additional rally information and directions visit www.LymeRightsRally.org.

Source: Business Wire

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