A petition submitted to the Chamber of Deputies calling for better care for victims of Lyme disease in Luxembourg has surpassed the number of signatures required for the matter to be considered for a topic of debate in Parliament.
Petition N°567 was submitted by Tania Silva on 14 October 2015 and was allowed through five days later. The petition has since received over 7,500 signatures from the public, of which more than 3,650 were submitted online, exceeding the 4,500 required by Luxembourg law for the subject to be discussed in Parliament.
In her petition statement, Ms. Silva called for better recognition of the infectious disease, which is caused by Borrelia bacteria often transmitted through tick bites and can result, if untreated, in impairment of motor, sensory or cognitive functions. The petition further requested that health personnel undergo medical training based on new studies by lyme borreliosis specialists in order for patients in the second and third stage of the disease to receive better care. As a preventive measure, Ms. Silva suggested that panels informing citizens of the dangers of tick-borne illnesses be installed at the entrances to public parks and forest in the Grand Duchy.
The petition closed on Thursday 3 December 2015.
