Current Controversies in Lyme Disease

A debate currently exists in the medical world over the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease.  Two groups, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS), have opposing views on the subject.  IDSA states that there is no convincing biological evidence for the existence of chronic Lyme infection and that long-term antibiotic treatment of "chronic Lyme disease" is unproven and unwarranted.  ILADS believes that current Lyme testing is largely inaccurate and likely to miss patients with chronic and ongoing infection, and that long term antibiotic treatment is indicated for those patients with chronic symptoms due to the persistence of the spirochete.