Is Gulf War Syndrome actually chronic Lyme disease?
Is Gulf War Syndrome actually chronic Lyme disease?Owen DC.
Department of Accident and Emergency, College of Medicine, University of
Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff United Kingdom, Cardiff, UK.
Symptoms of Gulf War Syndrome and chronic Lyme disease are very similar.
Lyme disease is a condition which can be difficult to diagnose since one of
the main features of the condition, the erythema migrans rash, may be absent
or overlooked and serological testing for Lyme disease may be falsely
negative. Symptoms of Lyme disease may not became apparent until years after
exposure to the causative organism. Military personnel during training in
the field are at risk of tick bites and it may be that those who developed
Gulf War Syndrome entered the conflict with latent Lyme disease. There has
been no systematic examination of Gulf War Syndrome sufferers for chronic
Lyme disease and it is hypothesized that chronic Lyme disease has been
overlooked as a cause of Gulf War Syndrome. To address this it is suggested
that sufferers of Gulf War Syndrome or similar illnesses should be examined
by physicians who have experience diagnosing and treating large numbers of
patients with Lyme disease.
