hi Dawn,

We have the same situation here in the US. Millions are infected and they don't even know it. To make matters worse, the possibility of Lyme Disease infection isn't even on the radar of most doctors. And the testing for Lyme Disease and Tick Borne Ilnesses is not very good. So many people get false negatives. That is, they are truly infected with Lyme and sick from it but the tests show as negative. My Lyme Disease was misdiagnosed for ten years. It wasn't until I consulted with doctors who are considered Lyme Aware or Lyme Literate (i.e., Lyme specialists) that I finally got my answers.

I think it's important to know that we don't have to recall being bitten by tick. They are so very small and they can bite and release without us having to pull them off. The nymph (baby) tick can bite people without them knowing and transmit Lyme Disease. The tick in the nymph stage is no larger then the period at the end of a sentence.

Also, as you wisely said, there are other biting insects that are transmitted these diseases. Mosquitos, biting flies (such as horse flies, sand flies), fleas -- have all been found to transmit Lyme Disease and the Co-Infections that go with it.

Lyme Disease is on the rise all over the globe, actually.

As far as seeing a doctor to get tested to rule Lyme Disease out of the equation, I don't know what's being done in the UK. I have heard many UK patients having their blood work sent to the USA for testing. Ultimately, the diagnosis needs to be a clinical one. The doctor will take into account the patient's history, symptoms, testing, etc.

There are other illnesses in addition to Lyme (borrelia) that are being transmitted. ALthough they are known are tick borne illnesses, as I said, they can be transmitted by other vectors. Some of the co-infections that are transmitted and frequently seen along with Lyme Borrelia are Bartonella, Babesia (a type of malaria), Erhlichiosis, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

I evidently had my Lyme Disease for a long time and we believe I was re-infected again in the Summer of '05 from a biting sand fly. I have been diagnosed with Lyme Disease, Babesia and Bartonella. Docs think I also had Erhlichiosis as well but that it was treated sufficiently with a rather long course of antibiotics I received back in '05.

I will be in treatment for a long time because this disease went so long without being diagnosed.

I don't ever remember being bitten by a tick, by the way.

I have been posting information on Lyme Disease and Co-Infections in the Lyme DIsease forum section. There is information on symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, etc. Here's a quick link to the Lyme Disease Forum of Herb Allure so you don't have to scroll down and look for it:

http://tinyurl.com/3qz5ko

I will post a link an paste an article from the UK in a new posting box on this thread so you can read further. It lists some possible places on the internet where you might find resources and information for testing and diagnosis in the UK.

Sharon