A major concern for hikers and those who practise outdoor sports, Lyme disease is closely monitored in Luxembourg. Monitoring has increased since the law on the mandatory declaration of some diseases came into force at the beginning of the year. This law means doctors are obliged to alert the ministry within a week of a patient's screening.
When LSAP MP Mars Di Bartolomeo asked about the number of patients affected, Minister of Health Etienne Schneider confirmed 14 people had contracted the disease since 1 January 2019. Doctors had reported 13 cases of chronic erythema migrans - a rash which appears after a tick bite - and one case of neurological disturbances.
The minister added that the diagnosis of Lyme disease cannot be established solely on the basis of an isolated medical biology test, but requires a compatible clinical picture.
More information on ticks here.
