During the summer months the likelihood of being bitten by a tick – and potentially contracting Lyme disease – increases greatly, and we need to be aware of the implications of this. Lyme disease can have devastating effects on health (although it’s important to note that almost nobody who discovers and removes a tick properly within a few hours of it attaching will develop the disease). The symptoms are very similar to MS, featuring fatigue, problems with mobility and balance, and numbness and tingling.

If detected swiftly enough, the disease can usually be resolved by a short course of antibiotics, but a delay in diagnosis could potentially result in a severe, long-term chronic illness.

Colin Beattie MSP has mentioned Garrapat in his monthly newsletter. Mr. Beattie has been very supportive of our efforts to raise awareness of Lyme disease in Scotland, proposing a motion to congratulate us on receiving funding to set up the company and later securing cross-party recognition of the seriousness of the condition in this country. However we need to make fundamental changes, starting with the restoration of Lyme disease to the status of a notifiable condition here.

You can help by signing our online petion on change.org, by clicking one of the links below:

http://chn.ge/1DZItPG

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We’re aiming for at least 1000 signatures by the end of August: please help!”