CBC News, Canada: Lyme disease response requires collaboration in Canada, researcher says
By Laurie Fagan, April 22, 2016
A Queen’s university researcher says Canadian Lyme disease experts need to work more collaboratively to treat the growing number of people who contract the debilitating tick-borne illness.
Steven Liss, the vice principal of research at Queen’s University, is proposing a Canadian research network for Lyme disease that would improve the current methods of tracking its prevalence.
“It’s frustrating we see many aspects of Lyme disease can be addressed through public education, better diagnosis and treatment options perhaps. In Canada there hasn’t been a lot of attention and that’s left people in very debilitating circumstances.”
….Lyme patient Maureen Landry says, “The approach is abysmal, we don’t have a national strategy. No effective lab testing in Canada… it’s 70 percent ineffective and we also have no physician training in clinical skills and diagnosing.”
I went into my local Health Food store and bought some bug spray. I asked if it was active against ticks and no one knew for sure. Then the clerk asked me why I needed it to be tick repellent “are you going into the bush?” she asked. I told her you can be bitten by a tick in your own backyard. She looked amazed.