Compliance Need to refrigerate vaccine Lyme Disease Conference A conference with representatives from many agencies including East and West Suffolk Health Authorities, MAFF, the Armed Services and the Forestry Commission was held in May 1992 in Norwich to review Lyme disease. Based on reported figures, the disease is uncommon in the UK - 125 cases since reporting started in 1986. Those most at risk are farmers, forestry and park workers. Seroconversion may take several months. Treatment of ECM is with penicillin, erythromycin or tetracycline orally.
More advanced disease needs at least two weeks of intravenous penicillin or cefotaxime.
The disease is not notifiable, save in the Armed Services, though it is reportable under the Health and Safety at Work Act. The causative organism, Borrelia burgdorferi, has very recently been subdivided into four subgroups which appear to cause different sets of symptoms. One episode of Lyme disease is not protective against another. Discussions are taking place between the Regional Epidemiologist and the Department of Health to see if we can participate. East Suffolk now has 11 AIDS patients resident within its boundaries and 26 persons known to be seropositive.