Transcript Lyme Denial Disease

The Truth About
Lyme In Canada
Presented to the Manitoba
Ministry of Health
October 19, 2009
by
Dr. E. Murakami, MD, BA Immunology &
Bacteriology, Clinical Associate Professor
Emeritus, UBC
Special Interest in Lyme Disease
Dr. Robert Kerr & Sons
Clinical Associate Professor Emeritus, UBC Medical School
Head of Internal Medicine, UBC
Epidemiology
Euro surveillance Map of global Lyme incidence
(in red) between 20-70 latitudes
Lyme Disease Incidence Acquired in
Canada vs. Outside Canada
CMA Graph Incidence of Lyme from I. Scapularis ticks, I.
Pacificus ticks courtesy of CMA website
Comparison in Lyme reporting
Between Canada & Minnesota
Canada
Minnesota Department of Health
“Large Numbers of Minnesota Ticks Carry Disease Organisms”
May 8, 2009
“Overall, about one out of every three adult blacklegged
ticks was positive for the bacteria that cause Lyme
disease.”
(this would indirectly reflect what is happening north of the border in Manitoba, where
minimum 33% of ticks are infected, since the PCR is not an absolute test.)
“Lyme disease co-infections with Ehrlichiosis and
Babesiosis can occur from the same tick bite.”
(Medical profession has not been trained to recognize the symptoms and test for these
co-infections in Canada)
Ixodes Pacificus established (green)
Peromyscus maniculatus incidence (Deer Mouse)
courtesy of: http://pick4.pick.uga.edu/mp/20q?search=Peromyscus
maniculatus
courtesy of Minnesota Health Department website
National Priorities
• National Surveillance of ticks and vector
borne diseases must improve
• Lyme & Co-Infection Education (Elementary,
High Schools, Universities, Medical Schools, Post
Graduate Education)
• Must work to eliminate the divide between
Medical profession regarding Lyme
• Development of better testing methods
• Development of Canadian Guidelines
separate from US IDSA Guidelines