The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has agreed to reassess its 2006 Lyme disease guidelines with the help of an outside arbiter after it was criticized by Lyme disease patients. The group's 2006 guidelines say there is no evidence that chronic Lyme disease exists or that long-term antibiotic treatment is effective.
The IDSA's guidelines also say Lyme disease can be treated in most cases with a 30-day course of oral antibiotics.
However, critics say Lyme disease is difficult to diagnose and can last for years. They also charge the disease requires treatment with antibiotics for six months or longer.
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal launched an antitrust investigation into the patient's complaints. The IDSA guidelines are often used by insurance companies to prohibit long-term antibiotic treatment or other medical care.
"The IDSA's 2006 Lyme disease guideline panel undercut its credibility by allowing individuals with financial interests -- in drug companies, Lyme disease diagnostic tests, patents and consulting arrangements with insurance companies -- to exclude divergent medical evidence and opinion," he said in a statement.
Existing treatment guidelines will remain unchanged while the review, which could take up to a year, is underway, the Hartford Courant reported.
Lyme disease is a bacterial illness caused by a bacterium called a "spirochete." Certain ticks found on deer harbor the bacterium in their stomachs. Lyme disease is spread by these ticks when they bite the skin.
Lyme disease can cause abnormalities in the skin, joints, heart, and nervous system.
