LYME DISEASE

A Senate inquiry has heard an increasing number of Australians say they are experiencing symptoms of Lyme disease.Many doctors have long denied the presence of the disease in Australia, saying ticks in the country do not carry the correct pathogens.Now, researchers are calling for new studies to potentially redefine the illness and improve treatment.

Ventral view of a tick Source: SBS

It is a debilitating illness, characterised by fatigue, fever and headaches -- a bit like having a very bad case of the flu.

Sufferers with chronic levels of Lyme disease experience a loss of vision, ringing in the ears and severe muscular pain and cramps.