Episode Details

"...It was lovely last weekend. Warm enough to wear shorts and sandals taking the dog for a walk in the park. How can this nasty red rash on my ankle have anything to do with it? Don't remember being bitten. There was a little black thing on my ankle, but just scratched it off. Doctor says it's Lyme Disease. Never heard of it. Have to take these horrible antibiotics -- and no drinking! Last time I go for a walk in the park..."

Uploaded 27-06-12

How real is this scenario? Professor Pat Nuttall will consider the likelihood of being bitten by a tick carrying the Lyme Disease spirochaete, Borrelia burgdorferi. The disease derives its name from Lyme, Connecticut in North America, where it was described in the 1970s as a distinct clinical entity among children believed to have juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Now it is recognised in temperate regions across much of the northern hemisphere. The reasons for the seemingly prolific spread of the disease, and the prospects of controlling it, will be discussed. Yes, it is safe to walk in the park, but there are some provisos...

The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website:
http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/twenty-first-century-threats-lyme-disease-is-it-safe-to-walk-in-the-park

Gresham College has been giving free public lectures since 1597. This tradition continues today with all of our five or so public lectures a week being made available for free download from our website.
http://www.gresham.ac.uk



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