November 2, 2006 Sherwood Gorbach, M.D., Editor Clinical Infectious…

November 2, 2006

Sherwood Gorbach, M.D., Editor
Clinical Infectious Diseases
Tufts University School of Medicine
200 Harrison Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02111

Dear Dr. Gorbach:

The Board of Directors of the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation strongly supports the
membership of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) in calling for a
retraction of the Wormser, Dattwyler, Shapiro et al. article entitled "The clinical assessment,
treatment, and prevention of Lyme disease, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, and babesiosis:
Clinical practice guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America" published in Clinical
Infectious Diseases on November 1, 2006 (volume 43(9), pages1089-1134). We are alarmed and
disappointed that Clinical Infectious Diseases has chosen to publish an article that clearly
violates principles of scientific integrity.

The authors of the article have chosen to accept evidence that is opinion. They make strong
recommendations based on that weak evidence, while ignoring or dismissing research that
contradicts their conclusions. The article will have far reaching consequences as guidelines from
the powerful Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) are generally accepted as accurate.

Our national organization represents people in Canada who are affected by Lyme disease. Our
Board of Directors includes physicians, researchers and Lyme disease sufferers who are
committed to bring awareness, support and research to the rapidly growing numbers of
Canadians affected by Lyme disease. We believe the article should be retracted because the
authors have ignored the evidence that indicates that: 1) Lyme disease and the co-infections that
occur with Lyme disease are complex illnesses that are often difficult to treat; 2) Lyme disease
testing is unreliable; 3) longer term antibiotics are often necessary because the infection persists
despite treatment; 4) Lyme disease is frequently a neurological disease; and 5) most patients with
chronic Lyme disease improve with long-term antibiotics.

There is something gravely wrong in the publication of this guideline article. Given the
controversy surrounding Lyme disease and the bitterness and mistrust mainly pitting patients


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with Lyme disease and their treating physicians against the powerful IDSA, it seems to us that
Clinical Infectious Diseases should NOT have published these guidelines without assuring that
the authors have treated the subject fairly and have reflected a balanced view. We ask that the
article in question be retracted immediately.

Sincerely,




Jim Wilson AIIC
President


   cc. Dr. Colin McMillan, President, Canadian Medical Association
       Dr. David Butler-Jones, Chief Public Health Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada
       Dr. Graham Tipples, President, Canadian Association for Clinical Microbiology and
                      Infectious Diseases
       Diann Nicholson, Director, Research Ethics Administration, Canadian Association for
                      Research Ethics Boards (CAREB/ACCER)
       Dr. Michel Laverdière, President, Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious
                      Disease Canada
       Dr. Louise Nasmith, President, College of Family Physicians of Canada
       Dr. Raphael Stricker, President, International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society
       Dr. Martin J. Blaser, President, Infectious Diseases Society of America
       Dr. Alan Bernstein, President, Canadian Institutes of Health Research




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