Why on earth has LDA/Dr Fallon invited UK's top Denialist to Conference???!!!

Just my opinion, but I'm not convinced the petition will help the cause of Lyme in the UK. Surely it would be good to let him mix with some REAL Lyme disease doctors - he may well learn from them. The petition to prevent him attending seems more likely to drive the wedge between PHE (Public Health England) and Lyme disease doctors even further, with Brooks entrenching his position.

Post Edited (Celeste15) : 8/5/2015 7:59:03 AM (GMT-6)

I briefly glanced at it, is it not a point/counterpoint sort of conference? so he will be presenting his side and hopefully the real lyme disease doctors can pick apart his argument?

These guys are so invested in lyme/chronic lyme being a mirage, their fervent denial is akin to religious zealotry! they only look at the science/studies that fit their paradigm. Said studies are often done by their denialist buddies, who deliberately design these studies so that the outcome is predetermined and will only serve to reinforce their religious views on lyme.

They dismiss any and all research that doesn't fit their paradigm. The research is piling up against them, and yet they continue to deny deny deny. I don't want to hate these people. But I do. I really do. I'd rather bring good kind energy to the world but these people challenge me on that!

Here are some quotes from Brooks' report to the Health and Safety Executive in Britain, an extremely important body that decides what precautions, for example, people in high-risk occupations should take to protect themselves against disease etc.:

Brooks:
"The treatment of Lyme disease at different stages of the disease is summarised in Table 3.

Treatment is usually very effective, and a single course sufficient.

The available data supports a normal duration of 14 days for uncomplicated Lyme; there is marginal data suggesting that 3 weeks may be better in severe cases."


"No benefit is seen in longer courses."


"There is NO evidence that further courses confer any benefit, and NONE WHATSOEVER for
prolonged courses of a year or more in any peer reviewed trial (Wormser et al, 2006). "

"The International Lyme and Associated Disease Society (ILADS) guidance is at variance with the internationally accepted position, recommending prolonged courses of antibiotics for “refractory” Lyme disease and the use of combination therapy. A number of independent practitioners and
private clinics have produced complex cocktails with multiple drugs given concurrently or
consecutively for months at a time....No microbiological or clinical trial evidence supports this approach..."

"A number of papers have been published that claim to test antibiotics in “better” methods than standardised MIC and pharmacokinetic procedures (Sapi
et al.) and advocate drugs such as tinidazole. The methodology is deeply flawed ..."

"Prophylaxis following tick bite in the UK - None
recommended"

"Post Lyme disease
syndrome (PLDS)
Antibiotic therapy is not known to have any impact of PLDS.."

"Chronic Lyme disease

The evidence from both treated cases of Lyme disease,and from treated cases of other spirochetal infections, is that no viable organisms exist after a full course of treatment (Lantos).

Despite this, a number of papers have been published claiming to have found evidence of
Lyme Borrelia after treatment. Most of these rely on discredited methodology or artefacts..."

"RIPL and HPA staff will discuss with Simon Wesseley’s group and other interested parties the development of guidance for clinicians on dealing with the disaffected group with unprovable Lyme disease. This will cover the therapeutic approach, investigation of cases and “disengagement” strategies when further investigation is counter-productive."

END of Tim Brooks Quotes

Reposting from forum MD Junction with minor typo corrections - here is Dr Alan MacDonald's absolutely scathing denunciation of the decision to invite Tim Brooks (he has met him personally, as Brooks attended conferences here in the UK where several leading ILADS doctors spoke. Of course Brooks ignored all the information and continued as before , with his TOTAL denial of chronic Lyme here.
Elena
----
From MD Junction forum:
Bettyg
I'm an Advocate
4 days ago

VIP Member•8 years on site•38613 posts
8.3.2015, DR. ALAN MACDONALD, USA RESEARCHER WROTE THE BELOW LETTER TO ILADS DRS. INVOLVED IN LDA NOV. CONFERENCE....9 were copied!

"I write the following in the hope that the Scientific credibility of the Columbia university Lyme Disease Center might go forward with its reputation for scientific excellenice.

Dr. Brian Fallon, of Columbia University Lyme Disease Center, was invited earlier this year, by Dr Tim Brooks of the UK to speak at a UK SYMPOSIUM OF LYME DISEASE in the UNITED KINGDOM.

The United Kingdom stands out among ALL EUROPEAN community countries, as recorded for the past 20 years,... The country with the Absolute Lowest number of Lyme Borreliosis human cases per annum In the Entire European Community!

The UK is NOT NOW, AND NEVER IN RECORDED HISTORY, EVER BEEN A SATISFACTORY PROVIDER FOR Lyme /Borreliosis care AND care of other tick borne human illnesses, Nor have UNITED KINGDOM MEDICAL PERSONNEL, OR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHERS ever been leaders in research into Lyme Borreliosis Pathobiologies AND THERAPIES FOR HUMAN OR VETERINARY PATIENTS.

The Function of the United Kingdom NHS PERSONNEL, UNDER THE GUIDANCE AND OVERSIGHT OF DR. TIM BROOKS IS TO DENY, TO SUPPRESS, AND TO ABNEGATE ANY LEGITIMATE CASES Of LYME BORRELIOSIS in citizens of the UNITED KINGDOM.

THIS GAPING 'sink hole" of Lyme awareness, is direct result of the activities of Dr Tim Brooks, MD, Who follows the precepts of of his predecessor as UK Lyme Czar Dr. O'Connell, who was the Director of all UK LYME DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES DURING HER TENURE AT UK's Southampton Hospital, Southampton,United Kingdom.

The UK Lyme campaign of suppression of new diagnoses of UK LYME DISEASE, Is the direct legacy of the activities of DR. S. O Connell and her successor, Dr. Tim Brooks.

Persons in the UK WHO ACTUALLY seek medical Care for Tick borne illnesses, are greeted, thanks to Dr. Tim Brooks and Dr S. O'Connell With placards in the Offices of UK National Health Service Medical personnel:

"if you think that you have Lyme Disease, go elsewhere!!"

... AND SO IT IS THAT PERSONS WHO ARE UNITED KINGDOM RESIDENTS, PAY OUT OF THEIR OWN PERSONAL FUNDS for airline ticket fees and fees for Lyme Diagnosis and for Lyme Medical care - rendered by Lyme literate physicians who practice in the German Democratic Republic..

Because of these United Kingdom campaigns vigorously and in a predatory/punitive mindset ....AGAINST THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF NEW CASES of UNITED KINGDOM TICK VECTORED LYME Borreliosis GROUP; THIS REIGN OF SUPPRESSION OVERSEEN AND PROMULGATED BY DR, TIM Brooks, Czar of UK Lyme Disease medical Care, THERE IS PATIENT Suffering AND , unreasonable expense to find medical care "elsewhere".

And repudiation of their legitimate concerns about their own personal journeys with Chronic Lyme Borreliosis..All overseen by Dr Tim Brooks, CZAR OF ALL THINGS LYME AND BORRELIOSIS, AND ALL ILLNESSES TIck BORNE, AND TRANSMITTED TO UNITED KINGDOM HUMAN-kind...

I urgently and immediately make my personal appeal to Columbia University (my medical alma mater) and to the LDA (Lyme Disease Association, directed by Pat Smith, who draws her annual stipend from charitable contribitions to the LDA (LymeDisease Association)) to IMMEDIATELY WITHDRAW THE INVITATION - to Dr Dr. Tim Brooks - to speak at the Columbia/LDA Annual SCIENTIFIC SYMPOSIUM, in Providence, Rhode Island in November, 2015.

To invite Dr Tim Brooks, who has never authored a significant peer reviewed scientific/Medical manuscript on the. Diagnosis/treatment Of Lyme disease - is an ignominious and reprehensible EVENT in the ACADEMIC HISTORY OF EVERY one of the PREVIOUS COLUMBIA/LDA SPONSORED ANNUAL MEETINGS DEVOTED TO. " Purported ' BEST ' LYME SCIENCE IN LYME BORRELIOSIS'' in our world today.

Dr, Tim Brooks, Is entirely devoid of a Lyme/ Borreliosis. Curriculum Vitae, and he DOES NOT DESERVE A PODIUM POSITION AT THE COLUMBIA/ LDA Providence November 2015 SYMPOSIUM.

YOURS SINCERELY,

ALAN B. MACDONALD, MD,

FELLOW, COLLEGE OF AMERICAN PATHOLOGISTS

MD GRADUATE, COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS OF COLUMBIA UNIVERISITY,

IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK, 1974"