1. 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

2. Dr. Robert Kerr & Sons Clinical Associate Professor Emeritus, UBC Medical School Head of Internal Medicine, UBC

3. Epidemiology
Euro surveillance Map of global Lyme incidence (in red) between latitudes

4. 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

7. Comparison in Lyme reporting Between Canada & Minnesota

8. 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)

9. Ixodes Pacificus established (green)

10. Peromyscus maniculatus incidence (Deer Mouse)
courtesy of: maniculatus

12. courtesy of Minnesota Health Department website

13. 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