P R E S S R E L E A S E
After a cold start, Spring in Alberta is finally here and Summer seems to be within our grasp. Something sinister could be lurking on a blade of grass, or on a shrub, waiting for us to brush by. It will reach out to us and hop on. For some Albertans summer could bring with it this unwelcome hitchhiker -- a tick. A tick bite this summer could mean a life of chronic illness for some -- Lyme disease. Ticks carrying the Lyme disease bacterium have been collected in Alberta. As a result of global climate change, evidence suggests that ticks are becoming increasingly more common in Alberta and across Canada.
The Lyme Disease Association of Alberta (LDAA) is a newly formed non-profit organization. In honor of Lyme Awareness Day, The LDAA will be hosting its launch event. The aim of the LDAA is to raise awareness about Lyme disease and to probe into the controversy that surrounds it. People who have been diagnosed with this disease will attest to the fact that when they had their blood tested in Canada, results often came back negative. Yet, when their blood samples were sent, at their own expense, to licensed U.S. laboratories specializing in Lyme disease, the reports came back positive for this illness.
Both Lyme disease testing and treatment of the disease are topics of hot debate. The LDAA, shares the view held by the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation, that through examination of scientific studies, a consensus can be reached, bridging the gap between these polarized views and with it a with a better patient outcome.
The Association has planned the meeting for Wednesday, May 22, 6:30-9:00 p.m. at the Strathcona Community Association. The intent of the meeting, part ofLyme Disease Awareness Month during May, is to broaden awareness that Lyme disease is a serious issue in Alberta. A better understanding of this illness is needed if new legislation in the federal Parliament in the fall, Bill C-442, is to be approved. Bill C-442 is a private member's bill calling for a new national strategy for Lyme disease, sponsored by Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, and dealing with the testing and treatment of Lyme.
Petitions supporting this legislative action will be available at the Association's session:
Meeting date: Wednesday, May 22nd
Strathcona Community Association
277 Strathcona Drive, S.W. Calgary"
