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UK News - Breaking news in the field of health and safety
Lyme disease on increase
A reported sharp increase in cases of the tick-borne Lyme disease may persuade some employers or organisations concerned with sending, advising or inviting people to frequent countryside areas where they might come into contact with infected ticks to review their risk assessments for adequacy.
A recent steep increase in cases of the zoonose in Scotland, notably in the Southern Highlands and the Islands, is matching those reported elsewhere in the UK and Northern Europe, and is of concern to bodies such as the Scottish Gamekeepers Association who are well aware of the situation from feedback by members.
In the UK there are several hundred cases recorded each year, but many more times that number are likely and go undiagnosed. Public awareness of Borreliosis / Lyme disease is poor, and a charity, the Borreliosis and related diseases awareness UK, is now working to inform employers and the public of the risk.
Different strains of Borrelia can produce varied symptoms, if treatment is not commenced as soon as an infection is suspected, the patient is at risk of suffering from long-term ill health.
In Scotland, Lyme disease is classed as a notifiable disease.
01.09.06
