Inflammation has been acknowledged as a central driver of a host of chronic illnesses, from cancer and ischaemic heart disease to diabetes, Alzheimer’s, obesity, depression and asthma. The burden of these illnesses in Australia is sizeable, and current approaches appear not to be stemming the tide of increasing numbers of individuals suffering from these illnesses.
Many of the medical practitioners in the Australian Chronic Infectious & Inflammatory Disease Society (ACIIDS) were surprised to find the link between environmental factors with these illnesses.
For instance, a 2018 study in the BMJ authored by Chowdhury et al. showed a statistically significant association between lead, arsenic and cadmium exposure and coronary heart disease and overall cardiovascular disease, and the risk was linear for the dosages exposed. A link between mycotoxin consumption (e.g. aflatoxin in peanuts) has been investigated for the risk of cancer, and so far experimental studies have found a link. However human epidemiological studies still need to be performed.
Conditions of Interest
The conditions of interest and in which ACIIDS believe are under-recognised and undertreated conditions in the Australian landscape include:
- mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS)
- chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS)
- disabling symptom complexes attributed to ticks (DSCATT)
- gastrointestinal dysbiosis
Some of our activities
The ACIIDS has been a major contributor to several government inquiries and committees including the following:
- The senate enquiry titled “Growing evidence of an emerging tick-borne disease that causes a Lyme-like illness for many Australian patients” concluded in November 2016.
- This enquiry included the following recommendation in its final report: “The committee recommends that government medical authorities, in consultation with stakeholders including the Australian Chronic Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases Society (ACIIDS) and the Karl McManus Foundation, establish a clinical trial of treatment guidelines developed by ACIIDS with the aim of determining a safe treatment protocol for patients with tick-borne illness.”
- The parliamentary enquiry titled “Inquiry into Biotoxin-related illnesses in Australia” run by The Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sports.
- The Medical Board of Australia’s consultation paper proposed greater regulation into “complementary and unconventional medicine and emerging treatments” which was ultimately abandoned.
- The biotoxin-related illness advisory committee (BIAC) is currently in operation.
In line with the objectives of ACIIDS, it holds regular educational events e.g., monthly webinars, an annual conference, as well as collegiate discussion forums to advance the area of chronic infectious and inflammatory disease.
The main objectives of the ACIIDS can be summarised as follows:
- to form a society of Registered Medical Practitioners with an aim of recognising the existence of chronic infectious and inflammatory diseases in Australia
- to promote excellence in patient care of chronic infectious and inflammatory diseases
- to formulate guidelines for the treatment of chronic infectious and inflammatory diseases
- to search for evidence-based criteria in the management of chronic infectious inflammatory diseases
- to promote the interests, influence and proficiency of its members including providing ongoing education and collegiate support to members
- to collaborate and cooperate with other associations worldwide in the furtherance and promotion of the objectives
- to represent members and promote the objectives in communications with applicable government bodies, regulatory authorities and their interested parties.
We are more than happy to receive applications from registered medical practitioners and similarly trained practitioners to become full or affiliate members of ACIIDS.