About
16
Publications
1,135
Reads
How we measure 'reads'
A 'read' is counted each time someone views a publication summary (such as the title, abstract, and list of authors), clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the full-text. Learn more
18
Citations
Citations since 2017
Introduction
Sandra Pearson is a retired consultant psychiatrist and was medical director with the UK charity Lyme Disease Action until her retirement in 2020. Sandra has published a number of articles aimed at raising awareness, recognition, and improving diagnosis and treatment in primary care. She co-authored the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) elearning module and helped write and present the RCGP Spotlight Project on Lyme disease. She has lived experience of Lyme disease as a carer.
Skills and Expertise
Publications
Publications (16)
Lyme disease or Lyme borreliosis is a vector-borne zoonotic infection transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected tick. Ticks from the genus Ixodes act as the vector, and the disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. It is now the most common tick-borne disease in the northern hemisphere. In the UK, the recorded incidence has be...
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection which can affect all age groups, including school-aged children. If recognised and treated early, it responds well to a short course of antibiotics. If it remains undiagnosed, serious complications may follow, including chronic illness and debilitating neurological problems. These may have a devastating effect...
Lyme disease is a vector-borne zoonotic infection that is caused by different genospecies of Borrelia and transmitted by the bite of an infected tick . Ticks are found throughout the UK,
[1]
although most do not carry the infection, and thrive in moist, humid conditions — particularly woodland and moorland, and some urban parks and gardens . If lef...
Lyme disease, which is a tick-borne bacterial infection, is becoming increasingly common and early recognition depends on awareness of the risk factors and early symptoms. Prompt effective tick removal is key to primary prevention, and early antibiotic treatment is essential for improving treatment outcomes. Late-stage Lyme disease in the UK genera...
Both ticks endemic to the UK and exotic tick species are important as vectors of a variety of pathogens causing diseases in companion animals and in humans. It is generally felt that tick abundance is increasing and tick ranges expanding, but there is a lack of robust long-term data to confirm this, and more surveys such as those that have been car...
Prompt treatment is important in order to minimise the risk of multi-system disease, says Sandra Pearson
Lyme disease is an emerging tick-borne zoonotic disease in the UK and is of increasing public health concern.
The lack of a reliable diagnostic test and limited knowledge of the disease amongst professionals has contributed to understandable public concern and frustration.
An effective public health response to raise awareness, acknowledge core u...
Ticks carrying the bacteria causing Lyme disease, Borrelia, are endemic throughout the UK. The number of ticks is rising, and the incidence of Lyme disease is slowly increasing. It is important that nurse are competent in assessing and managing patients who present with tick bites or suspected Lyme disease. A well informed and holistic approach wil...
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the northern hemisphere and its incidence is rising, leading to increased public health concerns. It is important to understand the nature of the disease because this defines the limitations of current understanding and knowledge. Significant uncertainties in diagnostics and treatment remain....
ARTICLE
ARTICLE
Sir,
The recent paper by White et al. 1 is notable on a number of counts and adds weight to the calls for further research that Lyme Disease Action has been making for some years.
The abstract, quoting a definite improvement in 28% of patients might mislead. It is worth drawing clinicians’ attention to the fact that those who ha...
The recent focus on Lyme borreliosis helps raise awareness at a time of year when incidence is highest and there is increased need for vigilance.1 However, there appears to be a missed opportunity in terms of the quality and bias of information provided.
The true incidence of Lyme disease in the UK is unknown but is certainly higher than thought....
Projects
Projects (3)
This Spotlight Project focuses on raising the profile of Lyme disease in General Practice and thereby increasing awareness and improving patient outcomes. It will support UK primary care clinicians in developing clinical skills and expertise aimed at improving early recognition, diagnosis and treatment of the condition. The project will seek ways to augment the current system of recording only laboratory-confirmed cases by promoting an effective primary care response and enhanced clinical surveillance: https://www.rcgp.org.uk/clinical-and-research/our-programmes/clinical-priorities/spotlight-projects-2019-to-2020/lyme-disease.aspx
Aimed at raising awareness and recognition of Lyme disease in primary care in the UK, also improving medical education and understanding of key issues and complexities.
