Saturday 21 July 2012

LYME DISEASE INCREASE IN CANADA

More in the news about Lyme disease in Canada


Janet Sperling a University of Alberta entomologist, and co-author of a submission to The Canadian Entomologist on the presence of Lyme disease ticks in Alberta, was interviewed on Alberta Prime Time link to the interview here 


A five year study is showing that Alberta is not safe from a species of tick that carries Lyme disease — news article here 


Researcher warns heavy rains increase risk of Lyme-carrying ticks across Alberta. Ticks “like it moist,” said George Chaconas, a University of Calgary professor who holds the Canada research chair in the Molecular Biology of Lyme Borreliosis. “They don’t like it dry.” here


Research published in The Canadian Entomologist

Volume 141, Number 6, November/December 2009ISSN 1918-3240

Lyme borreliosis in Canada: biological diversity and diagnostic complexity from an entomological perspective Janet L.H. Sperling and Felix A.H. Sperling



Abstract: Lyme borreliosis (LB), also known as Lyme disease, is emerging as a serious tickborne illness across Canada. More than three decades of research on LB in North America and Europe have provided a large, complex body of research involving well-documented difficulties at several levels. However, entomologists are well situated to contribute to resolving some of these challenges. The central pathogen in LB, the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi Johnson et al., includes numerous genospecies and strains that are associated with different disease symptoms and distributions. The primary vectors of LB are ticks of various Ixodes Latreille species (Acari: Ixodida: Ixodidae), but questions linger concerning the status of a number of other arthropods that may be infected with B. burgdorferi but do not transmit it biologically. A variety of vertebrates may serve as reservoirs for LB, but differences in their ability to transmit LB are not well understood at the community level. Persistent cystic forms of and immune system evasion by B. burgdorferi contribute to extraordinary challenges in diagnosing LB. Multiple trade-offs constrain the effectiveness of assays like ELISA, Western blot, polymerase chain reaction, and microscopic visualization of the spirochetes. Consequently, opportunities abound for entomologists to contribute to documenting the diversity of the players and their interactions in this devilishly complex disease.



Janet's son featured in a TV program on Lyme Disease here note the program was in two parts.


An earlier post about a news article interviewing Janet  here 

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