Members' Business — S6M-12082 Alexander Burnett: National Lyme Disease Awareness Month

That the Parliament recognises that May 2024 marks Lyme Disease Awareness Month, which aims to raise awareness of the disease in order to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment; understands that Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can be spread to humans by infected ticks; recognises that cases of Lyme disease have been reported across Scotland, but that diagnosis and treatment of the disease can be difficult and complex due to varying symptoms, including a "bullseye" bite, rash, fatigue and flu-like symptoms; notes the importance of early diagnosis and access to antibiotic treatment, as in some cases Lyme disease can have long-term symptoms impacting someone’s health, including memory problems, joint and nerve pain and heart problems, and further notes the view that there is still much more progress to be made in educating medical professionals across Scotland to help improve detection of the disease, as well as spreading public health information on how to prevent and treat Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.