CanLyme media fact sheet

Who we are

• CanLyme is a national, volunteer-based organization dedicated to promoting more effective research, education, diagnosis and treatment of Lyme and associated diseases.

Our expertise

• Our President and Board have professional and/or personal experience with Lyme disease and are dedicated to improving the lives of others similarly affected.
• Our President has a PhD in entomology and is a lecturer at the University of Alberta.  
• Our Board of Directors includes a physician, a zoologist, educators and tick researchers. Many members are from endemic Lyme areas including Lunenberg County, N.S., Southeastern Ontario and Buffalo Point, Manitoba.

 Our priorities

• We give a voice to Lyme victims by working with researchers and various levels of government to promote recognition and effective diagnosis and treatment for this debilitating disease.
• We fund research through our Venture grants program to help improve diagnostic standards and treatment options in Canada.
• We promote public awareness through our website, educational podcast Looking at Lyme, social media, fundraising events, campaigns and community presentations.  We also fund medical education.
• We engage directly with the national and international scientific communities to ensure our comprehensive knowledge base on the disease is current and accurate.

Our funding

• CanLyme is funded by individual donations from patients, families and supporters of our cause, which allows us to fund research, provide patient resources and education.

Our research projects

• CanLyme has supported research across a variety of patient-centred areas including:
  • Experiences in navigating the health system for families with children that have Lyme disease,
  • Understanding the obstacles, delays and burdens faced by families and individuals with chronic Lyme disease.
• We supported the formation of the Mount Allison Research Network and have funded many research projects through our Venture grants program. 
• Past research we have funded includes:
  • Development of a test for detecting Lyme infection in animals including horses, mice and ducks,
  • Establishing the prevalence of Lyme disease bacteria in cows and possible transmission to milk,
  • Discovering preferred microhabitats of questing ticks – those looking to attach to a host.
• Current research includes:
  • An investigation of the relationship between traumatic stress and the persistence of Lyme disease symptoms,
  • Determining factors that correlate with successful overwintering of the ticks that carry Lyme disease and developing a low toxicity natural product that can kill ticks during their overwintering period.