Vernon Morning Star June 16, 2017
In recent months Lyme disease (bacterial infection) has received an overwhelming amount of media coverage. This potentially devastating illness, starting with a seemingly innocuous tick bite, has reached public awareness, but there is ongoing confusion regarding risk and treatment. Here’s how Lyme disease can affect you.
Vernon Morningstar May 2015
May is Lyme Disease Awareness month worldwide and media attention has increased significantly. Avril Lavigne, one of Canada's best known pop singers, recently donned the cover of People magazine announcing that her absence from the music world was due to Lyme disease and that she was bedridden for five months. She said "I thought I was dying. I went from doctor to doctor for about eight months until I found somebody that had the knowledge of Lyme disease and the experience of treating it." Lyme disease reached national headlines last December in Ottawa with the passing in parliament of a bill that called for the development of a comprehensive Lyme disease strategy for Canada.
Vernon Morningstar June 2014
Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a spirochete bacteria. Woodland ticks pick up the bacteria by biting infected deer, mice and birds, and then pass it on to humans by biting them. It was first identified in 1975 in Lyme, Connecticut, USA, from where it takes its name.