From FLDA:
While we are thankful for increased Lyme Disease Awareness, Dr. Halperin is one again spewing misinformation that is ultimately very harmful and may result in misdiagnosis.
First, it is critical to note that the tests for Lyme are NOT reliable. Indeed, this is an egregious falsehood. It is widely accepted that the existing CDC two tier testing scheme, that was only intended for surveillance (not diagnostic purposes) misses as many as 70% of actual cases (about 1/2 of actual cases pursuant to numerous peer reviewed studies). The state of Virginia recently passed legislation requiring doctors to notify patients who test negative for Lyme that the tests are inaccurate. The tests for co-infections are even less reliable due to the fact that current tests only cover one or two strains, when there may be hundreds.
Without any authority whatsoever, Dr. Halperin also claimed that "90%" of children will exhibit a bull's eye rash. Dr. Jones, the leading pediatric Lyme doctor in the United States, has documented that 50% of his patients have no known history of deer tick attachments and fewer than 10% have a history of an Erythema Migrans Lyme rash (bull’s-eye).
Dr. Halperin is NOT a pediatric neurologist, pediatric infectious disease doctor or pediatric Lyme Disease specialist.
While we are thankful for increased Lyme Disease Awareness, Dr. Halperin is one again spewing misinformation that is ultimately very harmful and may result in misdiagnosis.
First, it is critical to note that the tests for Lyme are NOT reliable. Indeed, this is an egregious falsehood. It is widely accepted that the existing CDC two tier testing scheme, that was only intended for surveillance (not diagnostic purposes) misses as many as 70% of actual cases (about 1/2 of actual cases pursuant to numerous peer reviewed studies). The state of Virginia recently passed legislation requiring doctors to notify patients who test negative for Lyme that the tests are inaccurate. The tests for co-infections are even less reliable due to the fact that current tests only cover one or two strains, when there may be hundreds.
Without any authority whatsoever, Dr. Halperin also claimed that "90%" of children will exhibit a bull's eye rash. Dr. Jones, the leading pediatric Lyme doctor in the United States, has documented that 50% of his patients have no known history of deer tick attachments and fewer than 10% have a history of an Erythema Migrans Lyme rash (bull’s-eye).
Dr. Halperin is NOT a pediatric neurologist, pediatric infectious disease doctor or pediatric Lyme Disease specialist.
