Canadian Lyme disease scientists start petition for more transparency and involvement on all aspects of Lyme policy development
The Canadian Lyme Science Alliance (CLSA) is a fledgling organization dedicated to enhancing our understanding of Lyme disease, and ensuring that health policy and guidelines accurately reflect available scientific data. It represents both academic researchers and clinical practitioners.
The first major initiative is a petition that articulates several objectives that should be met by the task force representing the Federal Framework on Lyme Disease (Bill C-442). Goals include involving patients and advocates in the process of policy development, undertaking a transparent review of available literature to generate solid, evidence-based guidelines, allocating resources to Canadian researchers to address deficits in the literature and identify uniquely Canadian perspectives on Lyme disease, and finally, ensuring that the Lyme disease dialogue remains open as new research becomes available.
Anyone with a scientific or medical background is invited to sign this petition. Patients, caregivers, and advocates are encouraged to share this information with their health care teams. Please visit www.lymesciencealliance.org to read the CLSA mandate, and view / sign the petition.
I am a Professor of Biology, retired, avid naturalist, and I regularly hike through Lyme country. Our lack of access in Canada to permethrin-treated clothing represents one failure of “the system” to do what it can to prevent Lyme disease. Lyme is our malaria.. let’s begin to treat it that way.
Permethrin is a neurotoxin. I personally (as a Lyme patient) do not feel that is “the answer”. The CDC has studies and information on more natural, less toxic ways of protecting ourselves against ticks and other vectors. I would much rather see them spend funding on something that doesn’t cause more physical harm.
I am a patient with Lyme, and have looked into Permethrin and it’s status at HC. I have more recently been looking into what is perhaps even a better insecticide and pesticide without the harmful effects that Permethrin has on fish and other insects/wildlife. I am willing to do research with tics at home with my ideas and am also willing to work with those more knowledgeable in the field.
If you dig a little deeper.. you will actually find that Lyme is more like a modern day syphillis, before syphillis had good testing and treatment.