Presented by Mathilde Roussel, Valérie Garrait, and Anaïs Chosidow, medical biologists and researchers at Laboratoire Cerba, the Intercommunal Hospital of Créteil (CHIC), and the Intercommunal Hospital of Villeneuve-Saint-Georges (CHIV), France.

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Lyme borreliosis is not always regarded as a public health priority, yet it has generated growing interest in the media and among the general public. In France, Professor Perronne, a prominent figure in this field, has played a key role in bringing visibility to the topic. Since the publication in 2017 of Dr. Clélia Pascal’s study on Lyme disease media coverage, several major developments have occurred, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the creation of the Reference Centers for Tick-Borne Diseases (CRMVT).

This study is based on an analysis of 151 articles published between 2018 and 2024, as well as reports broadcast on major national television channels and in 19 press publications. It highlights a significant decline in media coverage since 2019, with a notable decrease in patient interviews and appearances by Professor Perronne, along with a sharp drop in airtime dedicated to the topic in audiovisual media. Since 2021, no new interviews with Professor Perronne have been recorded, and media coverage has increasingly focused on prevention topics, such as awareness of ticks, bite prevention, and monitoring high-risk areas.

These findings underscore a loss of media visibility for Lyme borreliosis over time, further exacerbated by shifting health priorities linked to COVID-19. While CRMVT centers were created to strengthen disease monitoring and patient care, their impact on public perception remains to be assessed. The rise of online media and the decline of traditional outlets offer new opportunities to study how information on this disease is disseminated.