TÄRKEÄ: ILADSin TIEDOTTEITA !
Valvojat:Jatta1001, Borrelioosiyhdistys, Waltari, Bb
ILADS on kansainvälinen, monitieteellinen, punkkien välittämien sairauksien diagnostiikkaan, hoitoihin jne erikoistunut järjestö.
http://WWW.ILADS.ORG
Allaolevasta viestiketjusta löytyy ILADSin tiedotteita.
Toukokuun 18 - 19. 2012 Itävallassa, Klagenfurthissa, pidetään kansainvälinen Borrelioosikongressi.
Aiheina mm.
Tri Ann Corson: Punkkien välittämien sairauksien lääkehoito
Tri Carsten Nicolaus: Punkkien välittämien sairauksien naturopaattinen hoito
Tri Steven Harris: Borrelioosin lääkkeettömät hoidot
Tri Lee Cowden: Neurologiset sairaudet; Borelioosi vai jokin muu syy?
Tri Armin Schwarzbach: Punkkien välittämien sairauksien haasteellinen diagnostiikka.
CD57+ testin merkitys kroonisen Borrelioosin diagnostiikassa. Mitä tähän mennessä on opittu?
Ginger Savely DNP:
Borrelioosin ja lisäinfektioiden diagnostiikka ja hoito.
Tri Albin Obiltschnig: Borrelia-bakteerin rooli ääreishermoston vaurioissa.
Tri Joseph Burrascano: Perustietoa Borrelioosista ja sen historiallista taustaa.
Tri Christine Green: Useiden kroonisten infektioiden aiheuttama oireisto.
Tri Samuel Shor: Borrelioosin ja kroonisen väsymysoireyhtymän yhteys.
Tri Leo Shea: Neuropsykologiset virhediagnoosit.
Tri Raphael Strickeri: Borrelia-bakteerin nopea eteneminen elimistössä punkinpureman jälkeen.
Tri Robert Bransfield: Borrelioosin neuropsykiatrisia näkökulmia.
ILADS NEWS 3/2012
Although the winter season is historically a slow time as we await the next tick season, the Board of ILADS has been busy with many exciting endeavors. ILADS received unprecedented publicity with the media campaign featuring the Jumbotron ad in Times Square and at the Superbowl, which ran a clip generously donated from the producers of ?Under Our Skin.? The new ILADS members? only website launched this year offers each member an exciting venue to keep in touch with other colleagues. Please see this newsletter for more information on obtaining your password. The planning committees for the 2012 conferences in Austria and Boston are ahead of schedule in organizing these events. Please see our website for more information, or contact me at contact@lymedisease.org.
Editors: Andrea Gaito, MD, Barbara Buchman, Exec.Director ILADS
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Greetings Colleagues,
In the past several months, ILADS had been working in a very public way to increase awareness of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases as an emerging world and national health problem. From Thanksgiving through New Year?s Day, the ILADS message of hope lit up the Jumbotron in Times Square in New York City for millions of holiday visitors from around the world to see. ILADS also was on view at the Superbowl Jumbotron in Indianapolis and national sports fans had the chance to learn more about the impact of Lyme and how we can help. Apart from our efforts to educate the public through such messages, we are also actively engaged in increasing the knowledge of medical and mental health practitioners. In May, ILADS is sponsoring its 3rd European Conference which will be held in Klagenfurt Austria and hundreds of professionals from across Europe are expected to attend. Many of the speakers at the conference will be ILADS Board members who are dedicating their time, talent and treasure to provide the most up-to-date evidence-based medicine to their European colleagues and mutually exchange clinical information. During this period, ILADS has also been active in acquainting Congressional leaders with restrictive medical guidelines which are maintained by certain governmental institutions and which unfairly depict the current state of Lyme research and treatment. Continuing with this year?s theme of Evidence-based Research, the group working on the new ILADS Guidelines is moving into its final phase and the new guidelines should be available at or before the Boston Conference in November. The spirit of the ILADS Board is apparent not only in its collective commitment and dedication to addressing the daily external challenges to our vital mission but also in each individual?s willingness to offer expertise to our members, patients and families.
Leo J. Shea III, Ph.D.
Neuropsychological Evaluation
& Treatment Services, P.C.
212-951-4545 ? http://www.leoshea.com
CALL FOR SLIDES
NJ Star Ledger - Increase in Ticks
by Christine Green, MD ? Chair of Medical Education
The ILADS education committee is planning to develop half, full and 2 day seminars as brown bag lunches, short morning seminars and weekend seminars. If you have presentation slides that you have used to educate patients or care providers and are willing to share those on the ILADS website we would appreciate it. We would take the liberty of arranging them into presentations that you can use to present at your local hospital or venues. The slides should include citation or support for the information.
An introduction to Lyme and co-infection diagnosis and treatment (1 hour talk).
Pathophysiology, clinical presentation and strength of recommendations in Guidelines (1/2 day)
State of understanding of Tick borne disease ? the research studies, the pending studies and the biology, pathophysiology of the bacteria and the co-infections. ( 2 day talk)
Thank you ? Chris Green, MD and others
An article in the NJ Star Ledger on January 28, 2012 entitled, ?Tick Hunters report New Jersey is ?Loaded?, chronicled the upswing of ticks in this region. ?Lots of ticks, lots of deer and lots of people,? was the comment made by Durland Fish, a principal investigator in this study, which was funded by the CDC. Fish, an epidemiologist at Yale said most ticks were found in the Northeast and upper Midwest, but that the ticks were ?expanding their range and migrating to other areas such as Virginia. New Jersey reported 3,320 new cases in 2010. Fish went on to say in the article that Lyme disease is often misdiagnosed because its symptoms are not that specific. Also reported in the article was a ?Lyme Disease Human Risk Map.? Fish said that he hopes that map will show people and the health community where the disease is most likely to be contracted.
Lyme disease is on the increase
Message from the Chief Medical Officer of HealthOntario
Ontario is seeing an increase in human cases of Lyme disease and an increase in numbers and range of black-legged ticks, especially in southern Ontario.
Reporting of all cases is critical.
Lyme disease is a preventable disease caused by a Borrelia burgdorferi bacterial infection and transmitted through the bite of an infected tick.
In Ontario, the black-legged tick (or deer tick) Ixodes scapularis is the sole vector of B. burgdorferi. People who spend time outdoors may encounter other tick species, but only the black-legged tick can transmit the Lyme disease bacteria. These ticks are small (3-5 mm) and people often do not realize they have a black-legged tick on them.
Risk areas
The greatest risk of acquiring Lyme disease is found in areas where black-legged ticks carrying the bacteria are endemic (well-established).
The endemic areas in Ontario include:
Long Point Provincial Park (northwest shore of Lake Erie near Port Rowan)
Point Pelee National Park (near Leamington)
Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area (located at the southeastern tip of Prince Edward County)
St. Lawrence Islands National Park (near Brockville) ? Rondeau Provincial Park (southeast of Chatham)
Turkey Point Provincial Park (near Port Rowan)
Wainfleet Bog Conservation Area (in Port Colborne)
The black-legged tick also feeds on birds and can be transported to almost anywhere in the province; therefore, Lyme disease can be acquired almost anywhere in the province.
When a person is showing signs and symptoms of Lyme disease, health care professionals should consider this diagnosis even if the person is not from, or has not visited, an endemic area.
Persons can come into contact with ticks is from early spring to the end of fall. The ticks can also be active in the winter in areas with no snow and mild temperatures
(>4°C).
HIGHLIGHTS:
Since 2005, there has been an increasing trend in the number of Lyme disease cases acquired in Ontario.
REPORT
Lyme disease is a reportable disease as per O. Reg. 559. Clinically diagnosed Lyme disease, even in the absence of laboratory confirmation, should be reported to your local public health unit.
TEST
While the probability is low, it is possible to acquire Lyme disease almost anywhere in Ontario. If you suspect Lyme disease, have the patient tested.
TREAT
Early treatment with appropriate antibiotics is important.
Information for Clinicians
Clinical Presentation
The incubation period for B. burgdorferi is usually one to four weeks after a bite from an infected tick. Early infection is characterized in 70 to 80 per cent of cases by erythema migrans, a skin lesion commonly known as a ?bull?s eye rash? (see picture, right).
Other early symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, fatigue and stiff neck. Clinical diagnosis can sometimes be difficult as the symptoms can mimic many other diseases.
If left untreated, Lyme disease can progress to an early-disseminated disease with migraines, weakness, multiple skin rashes, painful or stiff joints, cardiac abnormalities and extreme fatigue. If the disease continues, arthritis, along with neurological symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, numbness and paralysis can occur.
From Hilary Schlinger, CNM in Albuquerque, NM
I will be presenting at the American College of Nurse-Midwives during their annual conference, being held June 2-7th, 2012 in Long Beach, CA.: Abstract Title: Lyme Disease 101: What Every Midwife Should Know Regarding Tick-Borne Infections.
Format: Oral Session- Primary
Presenter: Hilary Schlinger, CNM
Date: 6/4/2012
Time: 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM
I will first be presenting the ?Lyme 101? talk at the Mid- wives Alliance of North America?s Western Regional Conference in Phoenix next week: 10:15 am on Saturday February 18th.
2012 ILADS Conference in Austria
The 2012 European ILADS conference will be held this year on May 18 & 19 at the University of Klagenfurt, Klagenfurt, Austria. The two day conference will feature speakers from both Europe and the United States. All members are invited to attend the conference in this beautifully situated city in Austria, which offers many cultural amenities. Registration is up on http://www.ilads.org
Friday May 18, 2012
Integrative Approach to Lyme Disease
Morning Moderator: Carsten Nicolaus, MD, PhD
09:00?10:00 ? Registration
10:00?10:10
Introduction & Welcome
Albin Obiltschnig, MD, PhD
View Bio
10:10?10:20
Welcome from the President of ILADS
Leo J. Shea, III, PhD
View Bio
10:20?11:05
Use of Biological Medicine in Treatment of Tick-borne Diseases
Ann Corson, MD
View Bio
11:05?11:50
Case Management in Neurotoxin Illness
Wayne Anderson, ND
View Bio
11:50?12:00 ? Questions
12:00?13:00 ? Lunch (included in registration)
Afternoon Moderator: Ann Corson, MD
13:00?13:45
Use of Naturopathic Medicine in Treatment of Tick-borne Diseases
Carsten Nicolaus, MD, PhD
View Bio
13:45?14:30
Non-Antibiotic Approaches to the Management of Lyme Disease
Steven J. Harris, MD
View Bio
14:30?15:15
Neurological Diseases: Borreliosis or Another Cause?
Lee Cowden, MD
View Bio
15:15?15:35 ? Questions
15:35?16:00 ? Networking Break
16:00?16:45
Diagnostics of Tick-borne Diseases: Sometimes a Challenge
Armin Schwarzbach, MD, PhD
View Bio
16:45?17:30
The Use of the CD57+ NK Cell Count as a Marker in Chronic Lyme Disease: What Have We Learned So Far?
Ginger Savely, DNP
View Bio
17:30?17:50 ? Questions
17:50?18:00 ? Close of Day 1
Saturday May 19, 2012
Lyme Disease and Co-Infections ? Diagnostics and Therapy
Morning Moderator: Armin Schwarzbach, MD, PhD
7:45?8:30 ? Registration
8:30?8:35
Introduction
Albin Obiltschnig, MD, PhD
View Bio
8:35?8:40
Welcome from the President of ILADS
Leo J. Shea, III, PhD
View Bio
8:40?9:25
Role of Lyme Disease in Complex Peripheral Nerve Lesions
Albin Obiltschnig, MD, PhD
View Bio
9:25?10:10
History of Lyme Disease and the Basics
Joseph J. Burrascano, Jr. , MD
View Bio
10:10?10:25 ? Questions
10:25?10:45 ? Networking Break with the Exhibitors with Poster Presentations
10:45?11:30
Multiple Chronic Infections Disease Syndrome: Borreliosis and Other Stealth Pathogens in the New Paradigm
Christine Green, MD
View Bio
11:30?12:15
A Potential Connection Between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Lyme Disease, A Recent Publication
Samuel M. Shor, MD
View Bio
12:15?12:30 ? Questions
12:30?13:30 ? Lunch (included in registration)
Afternoon Moderator: Joseph J. Burrascano, Jr. MD
13:30?14:15
Neuropsychological Misdiagnosis: Implications and Treatment Interventions
Leo J. Shea, III, PhD
View Bio
14:15?15:00
Basic Treatment Protocols for Lyme Disease
Steven J. Harris, MD
View Bio
15:00?15:15 ? Questions
15:15?16:00
Clinical Evidence for Rapid Transmission of Lyme Disease Following a Tick Bite
Raphael B. Stricker, MD
View Bio
16:00?16:45
Neuropsychiatric Interventions
Robert Bransfield, MD
View Bio
16:45?16:55 ? Questions
16:55 ?17:00
Closing Remarks
Carsten Nicolaus, MD, PhD
View Bio
17:00 ? Drinks Reception
ILADS PHILANTHROPHY DINNER
CALL FOR PAPERS 2012 ILADS Meeting
The second annual ILADS Philanthropy dinner was held on October 27 at the Fairmount Royal York Hotel in Toronto. Twenty Five guests were in attendance for this dinner which honors those individuals who have made a substantial financial commitment to the ILADS mission. Each year one guest is selected for their unparalled generosity. Last year?s honorees were Stacey Sobel, Stephanie Sparr and Nan Kurstman from Turn the Corner Foundation, who again this year have generously donated a much appreciated grant to fund the Physicians Training Program. The 2011 Donor Award Recipients were Armin Schwartzbach and Carsten Nicolaus for their contribution of both funds and effort in making the International meeting in Augsburg, Germany such as success. Thank you to all those who contributed to ILADS this year with total donations of an impressive $166,935! The 2012 Philanthropy dinner will be held in Boston. Please contact Andrea Gaito, MD at contact@ilads.org for further information or to make a donation.
The ILADS 2012 Meeting will be held in Boston, November 2-4, 2012. The Program Committee is now accepting abstracts for those who would like to present papers at the meeting. All abstracts should be 500 words or less. ILADS members who would like to participate in other aspects of the meeting are encouraged to contact Leo J. Shea, III, PhD. They may do this directly to him or through contact@ilads.org.
Lyme Disease Diagnosis and Integrative Treatment:
A Practical Course for Naturopathic Physicians
To Register Go To http://www.regonline.com/lymedisease OR Call 360.696.3800 Option 5
Approved for 11.75 CE Hrs ? Pharmacy: 3.25 hrs ? OB: 0.5 hrs ? Ethics: 0.5 hrs ? Pain: 0.75 hrs
Date:
Saturday, April 14, 2012 8:00 AM ? 5:00 PM
Sunday, April 15, 2012 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM (PST)
Course Faculty:
Dr. Stacey Raffety B.S.N., N.D., L.Ac
Dr. Daniel I Newman M.D., N.D., M.S.O.M.
Seminar Description:
Lyme disease is rapidly progressing to epidemic proportions. This course, specifically tailored for naturopathic physicians, will cover Lyme epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment options, with an emphasis on usable recommendations for the practicing clinician.
Location:
Red Lion Hotel at the Quay, Vancouver, WA
Price:
$269 Early Bird (Before March 15), $295 Practitioners, $200 Students, Webinar $150
Course Faculty
Dr. Stacey Raffety B.S.N., N.D., L.Ac has spent over 16 years in clinical private practice. She is an ILADS member who uses her training in naturopathic medicine (including her vast expertise with intravenous therapies) and Chinese medicine to effectively treat Lyme disease. http://www.tigardholistic.com
Dr. Daniel I Newman M.D., N.D., M.S.O.M. has over 30 years of clinical practice experience. He is an ILADS member who uses his training as a naturopathic physician, Chinese medicine doctor, internist, and pain specialist to craft holistic programs for the treatment of Lyme disease. http://www.rising-health.com
Schedule
April 14, 2012
8:00AM-9:00AM Registration
9:00AM-10:00AM Introduction to Lyme Disease & Co-infections
10:00AM-11:00AM Clinical Presentation & Laboratory Evaluation
11:00AM-11:15AM Break
11:15AM-12:30PM Treatment - Foundational Support
12:30PM-2:00PM Lunch (provided)
2:00PM-3:30PM Treatment - Non-antibiotic Treatments
3:30PM-3:45PM Break
3:45PM-5:30PM Treatment - Antibiotic Treatments
April 15, 2012
8:30AM-9:00AM Check In
9:00AM-10:30AM Special Topics (pregnancy, children, biofilms, ?herxing?, etc)
10:30AM-10:45AM Break
10:45AM-12:30PM Clinical Case Presentations
12:30PM-2:00PM Lunch (on your own)
2:00PM-4:00PM Clinical Case Presentations
4:00PM Adjourn
In the Lyme-Light - Portraits of Illness and Healing
In the Lyme-Light: Portraits of Illness and Healing is both a personal expose´ of my experience with Lyme disease and an educational exhibit designed to expose the general public to the serious impact of the disease. As a subjective portrayal of one person?s experience billed as an ?art show?, this exhibit has the potential to bypass the political climate that downplays the severity the disease and ?get in under one?s skin? on an emotional level. But even as it testifies to the struggle of living with illness, it also contains humor and hopefulness.
The exhibit consists of 27 paintings, 16? x 20,? in acrylic and collage materials mounted on birch plywood, and text to be read as one views the paintings. The artwork portrays symptoms and conditions typical of chronic neurological Lyme disease, such as Brain Fog (#12) and The Central Nervous system (#13). The writing places my personal experience within a more universal context and explains some of the metaphors. The exhibit is intended to be educational for those who know little or nothing about the disease, and is also intended to be a voice of support for those who are all too familiar with
what is portrayed, but who frequently are told ?the disease is all in your head.? Many visitors have identified with what they?ve seen and read. Some were already Lyme patients, others sought treatment because of seeing the exhibit. Several found the courage to reveal more about the intensity of their struggles to family and friends, and families with young children have used the images as talking points to explain what someone they know is going through.
I had a great time creating the exhibit, and as an artist, writer, and educator consider it to be my most satisfying project. Since it opened at the Blum Gallery at the College of the Atlantic in February 2010, it has traveled to galleries and libraries around the state. It will be in Vermont this summer, then in Chicago in the fall, sponsored by the Midwest Lyme Association.
In February 2011 I published a book by the same title, which can be bought at http://www.inthelyme-light.com. For more information please contact Emily Bracale, 38 Glen Mary Road, Bar Harbor, ME 04609 (207) 288-4724 visions@gwi.net
PERINATAL LYME
What We Know and What We Don't Know about Lyme Disease during Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
AN IMPORTANT NEW PRESENTATION!
Well-known lactation consultant and breastfeeding educator Linda J. Smith, MPH, FACCE, IBCLC, FILCA will address the complicated topic of the transmission and treatment of Lyme disease in pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and their babies. Linda will provide an overview of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses, explore the controversies about the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme, and present information about current research, as well as discussing best practices for healthcare providers treating pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers and infants.
March 23, 2012
8:15am-10:30am
Cost $50
Register online at http://www.bace-nmc.org or by sending a check to BACE, 69 Court St., Newton, MA 02458. Please include your name, address, phone number and email address.
This session is part of the
2012 Breastfeeding Conference
sponsored by
The Nursing Mothers? Council of BACE
The conference will be held at:
Holiday Inn
242 Adams Place
Boxborough, MA
Contact hours will be available for nurses, lactation consultants, childbirth educators, and dieticians.
For more details on the complete conference please visit our website.
Boston Association for Childbirth Education and Nursing Mothers? Council
69 Court St., Newton, MA 02458 ? 617-244-5102 ? bace@rcn.com ? http://www.bace-nmc.org
5th Annual Medical-Scientific Conference on Morgellons
Register Today!
Dates: March 24 and 25, 2012
Time: Saturday 8:30am-5pm
Location: Westoak Woods Baptist Church Conference Center
2900 Slaughter Ln
Austin, TX 78748
Time: Sunday 1:00pm-4:00pm
Location: The Wyndham Garden Hotel
3401 South IH35
Austin, TX 78741
Room Rate ? Double Occupancy is $109 + tax
Deadline for this rate is March 3, 2012)
To make reservations call: 1-800-996-3426
*Be sure to mention ?The New Morgellons Order/The Charles E. Holman Foundation? for this Special Rate!
Fee $50.00:
( $40.00 If you register before March 10, 2012)
A tax deductible contribution to The Charles E. Holman Foundation is requested to help cover costs of this event, but is not required. We want everyone to have the opportunity to attend. Any proceeds from this event will be used to further education and research.
Students: $10.00 with Student ID
For more information go to http://www.thecehf.org
Viimeksi muokannut soijuv, Ke Touko 30, 2012 12:03. Yhteensä muokattu 1 kertaa.
http://ilads.org/ilads_media/lyme-disea ... g+campaign
ILAD lyme disease Toronto 2011
Toronto, ON, Canada
Oct. 28-30, 2011
ILADS Toronto
Program
Speakers
Videos
Slides
Store
ILADS 2011 Toronto Lyme Disease Conference Videos
This year?s Lyme Disease Professional Conference was held on October 28-30, 2011, Friday-Sunday in Toronto, Canada and brought together leading professionals to examine the cutting edge research and state-of-the-art clinical applications in the treatment and diagnosis of Lyme disease.
If you missed out on the conference or simply want to revisit what you saw and heard then you can buy access to these videos now. Buy purchasing individual videos, you gain access to both the video of the presentation and the powerpoint slides if available. As soon as you?ve checked out you?ll be able to watch the videos and slides at your convenience through your own private link. You can also purchase these videos in bundles. Click on the buttons below to view the presentations included in each bundle or to view individual videos.
Videos will be available Nov. 14, 2011, however you can pre-order now. Attendees at the conference can purchase individual videos or video bundles for a 50% savings by clicking here.
Lyme Disease Videos Individual
Lyme Disease Basics and Beyond Video Bundle
Lyme Disease Integrative Medicine Video Bundle
Canadian Lyme Disease Video Bundle
Research and Writing Video Bundle
Lyme Disease Laboratory Advances Video Bundle
Psychiatric/Neurologic Lyme Disease Video Bundle
Complete ILADS Lyme Disease Conference Video Bundle
Lyme Disease Videos Interviews
ILAD lyme disease Toronto 2011
Toronto, ON, Canada
Oct. 28-30, 2011
ILADS Toronto
Program
Speakers
Videos
Slides
Store
ILADS 2011 Toronto Lyme Disease Conference Videos
This year?s Lyme Disease Professional Conference was held on October 28-30, 2011, Friday-Sunday in Toronto, Canada and brought together leading professionals to examine the cutting edge research and state-of-the-art clinical applications in the treatment and diagnosis of Lyme disease.
If you missed out on the conference or simply want to revisit what you saw and heard then you can buy access to these videos now. Buy purchasing individual videos, you gain access to both the video of the presentation and the powerpoint slides if available. As soon as you?ve checked out you?ll be able to watch the videos and slides at your convenience through your own private link. You can also purchase these videos in bundles. Click on the buttons below to view the presentations included in each bundle or to view individual videos.
Videos will be available Nov. 14, 2011, however you can pre-order now. Attendees at the conference can purchase individual videos or video bundles for a 50% savings by clicking here.
Lyme Disease Videos Individual
Lyme Disease Basics and Beyond Video Bundle
Lyme Disease Integrative Medicine Video Bundle
Canadian Lyme Disease Video Bundle
Research and Writing Video Bundle
Lyme Disease Laboratory Advances Video Bundle
Psychiatric/Neurologic Lyme Disease Video Bundle
Complete ILADS Lyme Disease Conference Video Bundle
Lyme Disease Videos Interviews
Kansainvälisen Borrelioosijärjestön, ILADS, konferenssi järjestetään Itävallassa, Klagenfurtissa toukokuun 18-19.20212. Vuosittain järjestettävä konferenssi on tarkoitetti tutkijoille, lääkäreille ym Borrelioosin hoidosta vastaaville ammatinharjoittajille. Konferenssi pidetään englanniksi ja saksaksi.
Konferenssissa käsitellään mm biologisia lääkkeitä, naturopatiaa, muita kuin antibioottihoitoja, neuroborrelioosia, borrelioosin diagnostiikkaa, neuropsykologisia virhediagnooseja jne.
http://ilads.createsend5.com/t/ViewEmai ... 968C2E#fjr
3rd European Meeting Of The
International Lyme & Associated
Diseases Society
University of Klagenfurt | Klagenfurt, Austria | May 18th - 19th, 2012
An Invitation To Austria ILADS Lyme Disease Conference
The 3rd European ILADS Professional Conference is designed to foster collaboration and dialogue between Lyme disease researchers and those who care and advocate for Lyme disease patients in a variety of settings.
ILADS brings professionals together every year to examine the cutting edge research and state-of-the-art clinical applications. The conference will be in English with German translation. The conference will provide updates in clinical knowledge and treatment techniques which include:
Day 1 will be highlighting Integrative Approach to Lyme Disease
Day 2 will be highlighting Lyme Disease and Co-Infections ? Diagnostics and Therapy
To find out more about the conference, click here.
Conference Highlights
Friday, May 18, 2012
10:20?11:05
Use of Biological Medicine in Treatment of Tick-borne Diseases
Ann F. Corson, MD ? View Bio
13:00?13:45
Use of Naturopathic Medicine in Treatment of Tick-borne Diseases
Carsten Nicolaus, MD, PhD ? View Bio
13:45?14:45
Non-Antibiotic Approaches to the Management of Lyme Disease
Steven J. Harris, MD ? View Bio
14:45?15:30
Neurological Diseases: Borreliosis or Another Cause?
Lee Cowden, MD ? View Bio
16:10?16:55
Diagnostics of Tick-borne Diseases: Sometimes a Challenge
Armin Schwarzbach, MD, PhD ? View Bio
16:55?17:40
The Use of the CD57+ NK Cell Count as a Marker in Chronic Lyme Disease: What Have We Learned So Far?
Ginger Savely, DNP ? View Bio
Saturday, May 19, 2012
8:40?9:25
Role of Lyme Disease in Complex Peripheral Nerve Lesions
Albin Obiltschnig, MD, PhD ? View Bio
9:25?10:10
History of Lyme Disease and the Basics
Joseph J. Burrascano, Jr. , MD ? View Bio
10:45?11:30
Multiple Chronic Infections Disease Syndrome: Borreliosis and Other Stealth Pathogens in the New Paradigm
Christine Green, MD ? View Bio
11:30?12:15
A Potential Connection Between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Lyme Disease
Samuel M. Shor, MD ? View Bio
13:30?14:15
Neuropsychological Misdiagnosis: Implications and Treatment Interventions
Leo J. Shea, III, PhD ? View Bio
For complete information about the ILADS Lyme disease conference, click here or call 301 263 1080
Konferenssissa käsitellään mm biologisia lääkkeitä, naturopatiaa, muita kuin antibioottihoitoja, neuroborrelioosia, borrelioosin diagnostiikkaa, neuropsykologisia virhediagnooseja jne.
http://ilads.createsend5.com/t/ViewEmai ... 968C2E#fjr
3rd European Meeting Of The
International Lyme & Associated
Diseases Society
University of Klagenfurt | Klagenfurt, Austria | May 18th - 19th, 2012
An Invitation To Austria ILADS Lyme Disease Conference
The 3rd European ILADS Professional Conference is designed to foster collaboration and dialogue between Lyme disease researchers and those who care and advocate for Lyme disease patients in a variety of settings.
ILADS brings professionals together every year to examine the cutting edge research and state-of-the-art clinical applications. The conference will be in English with German translation. The conference will provide updates in clinical knowledge and treatment techniques which include:
Day 1 will be highlighting Integrative Approach to Lyme Disease
Day 2 will be highlighting Lyme Disease and Co-Infections ? Diagnostics and Therapy
To find out more about the conference, click here.
Conference Highlights
Friday, May 18, 2012
10:20?11:05
Use of Biological Medicine in Treatment of Tick-borne Diseases
Ann F. Corson, MD ? View Bio
13:00?13:45
Use of Naturopathic Medicine in Treatment of Tick-borne Diseases
Carsten Nicolaus, MD, PhD ? View Bio
13:45?14:45
Non-Antibiotic Approaches to the Management of Lyme Disease
Steven J. Harris, MD ? View Bio
14:45?15:30
Neurological Diseases: Borreliosis or Another Cause?
Lee Cowden, MD ? View Bio
16:10?16:55
Diagnostics of Tick-borne Diseases: Sometimes a Challenge
Armin Schwarzbach, MD, PhD ? View Bio
16:55?17:40
The Use of the CD57+ NK Cell Count as a Marker in Chronic Lyme Disease: What Have We Learned So Far?
Ginger Savely, DNP ? View Bio
Saturday, May 19, 2012
8:40?9:25
Role of Lyme Disease in Complex Peripheral Nerve Lesions
Albin Obiltschnig, MD, PhD ? View Bio
9:25?10:10
History of Lyme Disease and the Basics
Joseph J. Burrascano, Jr. , MD ? View Bio
10:45?11:30
Multiple Chronic Infections Disease Syndrome: Borreliosis and Other Stealth Pathogens in the New Paradigm
Christine Green, MD ? View Bio
11:30?12:15
A Potential Connection Between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Lyme Disease
Samuel M. Shor, MD ? View Bio
13:30?14:15
Neuropsychological Misdiagnosis: Implications and Treatment Interventions
Leo J. Shea, III, PhD ? View Bio
For complete information about the ILADS Lyme disease conference, click here or call 301 263 1080
15.5.2012
Dear ILADS Member,
May is National Lyme Disease Awareness month. Besides recognizing and treating patients in your offices this month, try to make a commitment to do something at the community level to promote awareness and prevention. We look forward to seeing everyone in Austria and Boston. Please continue to send us any news between issues either directly or through our member website.
Editors: Andrea Gaito, MD, Barbara Buchman, Exec.Director ILADS
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Greetings Colleagues,
During the past few months we have been working diligently to advance the knowledge of Lyme in both the national and international community. As a follow-up to our groundbreaking, nationally-recognized informational campaign beginning with the Times Square Jumbotron in December, we worked to increase knowledge of Lyme by having another Jumbotron informational site at Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis. With the emergence of spring, multiple national media outlets contacted ILADS to get its perspective on the dangers of Lyme this summer after the mild United States winter. Their focus on ILADS represents an emergent understanding of the positive contributions that ILADS doctors have made in educating the public and in participating in the challenging and often controversial world of Lyme. Our Guidelines Committee continues to work on analyzing hundreds of studies and summarizing data so that a revised set of guidelines can be ready for the Boston Conference in November.
Our place as the most important multidisciplinary medical society dedicated to Lyme and other tick-borne diseases is highlighted by our Third Annual European Conference to be held in Klagenfurt, Austria on May 18th and 19th.
ILADS doctors will be addressing our European counterparts about the nature of Lyme and its physical and neuropsychological manifestations. We will also have the opportunity to share in mutual discussions with international researches about the efficacy of emerging treatment modalities. On the national front we are finalizing the schedule of speakers and break-out programs for the Annual Conference scheduled in Boston on November 2nd through 4th. The title of the program is ?Evidence-based Medicine? and we have commitments from nationally-recognized researchers and clinicians to present at the conference. All in all, it has been very exciting year so far and we look to continue the good work on your behalf.
Leo J. Shea III, Ph.D.
Neuropsychological Evaluation
& Treatment Services, P.C.
212-951-4545 ? www.leoshea.com
Practicing Ethical Guidelines for ILADS Members
In 2010 the following Ethical guidelines were drafted by the ethics committee and presented to the membership at the Annual meeting. Since that time, our membership has grown substantially, and many of our new colleagues may not be aware of the specific points and practice parameters contained within the guidelines. The purpose of the document was not only to illustrate the core values of the ILADS philosophy, but additionally to safeguard the society against any unethical personal or professional behavior among the membership. Please take a moment to read through this list in its entirety. Andrea Gaito, MD, Chairperson, Ethics committee.
ILADS: Ethical Guidelines
The aim of these ethical guidelines is to promote excellence, respect and professionalism amongst academic and nonacademic members, in our dealings with each other, and with those to whom we provide services. We commit to following the core values of integrity, confidentiality, impartiality, accountability and honesty..
The term ?ethical? refers to matters involving moral principles or practices and matters of social policy involving issues of morality and character.
Each member shall uphold the standards of professionalism and be honest in all personal and professional interactions.
Each member shall respect the confidentiality of matters specific to ilads and refrain from distribution of any sensitive material to outside sources.
Each member shall respect the viewpoint of other members with courtesy and encourage productive debate when indicated.
Each member shall refrain from speaking ill of other colleagues or members.
Communication between members shall not contain derogatory, abusive or inflammatory material. The use of profanity will not be tolerated. This includes all verbal communications, emails, and statements made on internet sites.
Members shall not charge or collect an illegal or excessive fee from patients for their services.
A member shall abstain from voting on an issue in the event of a conflict of interest. A conflict of interest is deemed to exist when there is a substantial threat to independence of judgment created by personal interest.
A member may not speak as a representative of ilads without prior approval to do so by the Board or president.
A member shall not commit fraud or engage in other illegal activities.
Any complaints involving unethical behavior shall be reviewed by the ethics committee in a timely manner. If the complaint seems valid, the committee shall then present the information to the Board for discussion. The credibility of any association depends on the integrity of its leaders. The first response of an association must be to label the unethi
ILADS Announces Annual Meeting
in Boston
The Board of Directors of ILADS is happy to announce Pre-registration for the fall annual meeting to be held in Boston November 2-4, 2012. The program?s theme is Evidence Based Medicine.
Where: The Westin Boston Waterfront. The address is 425 Summer Street (between Viaduct St & C St) Boston, MA 02210. (617) 532-4600. The neighborhood is South Boston.
Getting There: The hotel is a ten minute drive from Logan International Airport. There is a silver line T stop very near by. The T is the Boston equivalent of the subway or metro. Additionally, the hotel is very conveniently located for those traveling by train to South Station.
Reservations: ILADS has negotiated a special room rate of $199 per night good until October 10, 2012. A link to the reservations is on our web site www.ilads.org This rate is good during the period October 30, 2012 to November 5, 2012. To book a room go to: www.starwoodmeeting.com/Book/Ilads2012
Grants: A special grants available for medical students and residents in accredited training programs as determined by the Board. There may also be limited grants available for first time attending physicians. Please inquire at lymedocs@aol.com
Conference Registration
Register online for the conference by clicking here. After completing registration online, delegates will be sent a ticket to the conference via email, which should be printed out and brought to the conference.
Conference Pricing Early Bird (until Oct. 10)
Member-Non-Physicians: $445
Member Professionals (CME included): $545
Medical students: $250
Non-Member Non-Physician: $520
Non-member Professionals (CME included): $620
One day rate: $400
Spouse registration (with paid professional registration): $350
Conference Pricing Regular (after Oct. 10)
Member-Non-Physicians: $545
Member Professionals (CME included): $620
Medical students: $325
Non-Member Non-Physician: $645
Non-member Professionals (CME included): $720
One day rate: $450
Spouse registration (with paid professional registration): $400
Conference Pricing At The Door
Member-Non-Physicians: $620
Member Professionals (CME included): $695
Medical students: $325
Non-Member Non-Physician: $720
Non-member Professionals (CME included): $770
One day rate: $500
Spouse registration (with paid professional registration): $450
CONFERENCE POLICY: Please note that the distribution of any materials or flyers during either the ILADS European Conference in Austria or the Annual Conference in Boston, must be cleared in advance by Barbara Buchman, Executive Director of ILADS. Additionally, ILADS expects those who attend to not solicit other members for commercial projects or profits. This type of activity does not align with the professional image and mission of ILADS. Thank you to all in advance for your cooperation.
ILADS PLATINUM DINNER
The ILADS Philanthropy dinner will be held on Thursday evening November 1, 2012 in Boston, Mass. The annual dinner honors guests who donate at the platinum level. This year those attending will have the opportunity to sample the cuisine at one of Boston?s finest restaurants while they enjoy the company of their colleagues and friends. For information on attending the dinner, please contact Barbara Buchman at Lymedocs@aol.com.
2012 Boston Exhibitors To Date
H. Buschkuhl GmbH
Researched Nutritionals
Xymogen
Advanced Laboratory Services, Inc
IGeneX
Doctor?s Data
Hopkinton Drug
Boulder Diagnostics Inc.
Infuserve America
Master Supplements
Lee Silsby Compounding
RESEARCH PUBLICATION
Dr. John D. Scott who spoke at the ILADS conference in Toronto, recently published his work, ?Widespread Dispersal of Borrelia-Burgdorferi-infected Ticks Collected from Songbirds across Canada,? in the Journal of Parasitology, 98(1) 2012. Dr. Scott points out that since migratory songbirds widely disperse infected ticks, that people do not have to go to endemic areas to contract Lyme disease. Congratulations to Dr. Scott on his publication.
LYME DISEASE PREVENTION GUIDE
Dr. Ron Hamlen recently published an article, ?Tick-Borne Infections-A Growing Public Health Threat to School-Age Children? in the National Association of School Nurses journal. The article reviews and offers guidance for preventative measures that schools can take to prevent tick-borne infections both on school property and residential areas. As Dr. Hamlen points out, school nurses are often the frontline for children infected at school. Please contact Ron Hamlen for more information on how your local school can benefit from this important document.
OUTSTANDING WOMAN AWARD
Dr . Andrea Gaito received the ?Outstanding Woman Award? given by the New Jersey Commission on the status of Women on March 23, 2012 for her work with Lyme disease and ILADS during their annual dinner as part of Women?s history month. Dr. Gaito received additional awards from NJ Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen, State Senator President Stephen Sweeney, and Governor Chris Christie, who recognized her as one of the founders of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society ?an organization which has made great strides in promoting awareness and research of Lyme disease.?
BECOME AN EXPERT REVIEWER
Dr. Ray Stricker has recently become an Expert Reviewer for the California Medical Board and feels that this may be a great opportunity for other ilads members to get involved at the state level. ?It?s a good way for ILADS physicians to identify potential problems and get our side heard?, said Dr. Stricker. He also added that working with the Medical Board ?affords some protection for the individual provider.? For specifics within your state, please contact your local Board of Medical Examiners.
ILADS DOCS FEATURED IN PREVENTION
Prevention Magazine recently interviewed Dr. Leo Shea and Dr. Andrea Gaito for their article on Lyme Disease, ?Is a Tick Bite Causing Your Depression??, as part of Lyme Disease awareness month. Author Leah Zerbe reviews the disease?s manifestations in pets as well as humans and offers many tips on preventing Lyme and strategies for early treatment and diagnosis.
To view the article in Prevention Magazine, click here.
Dr. Daniel Cameron and Dr. Jeffrey Greenfield were recently quoted in an article about Lyme disesase in the New Hampshire Sentinel newspaper based in Keene, NH.
To view the article in the New Hampshire Sentinel, click here.
ILADS MEMBERS VOLUNTEER
Would you like to get involved? We have several discreet projects for ILADS members who would like to help ILADS. The first is to provide outreach to an upstate New York camp for their educational efforts to prevent Lyme disease among campers. As it is a YMCA camp, your work could serve as a prototype for other similar camps. Secondly, we have pages on our web site which need to be updated. It is something that a Lyme doctor could do easily, but not a lay person. Thirdly, Dr. Cameron needs a volunteer to help him categorize research papers for the web site. Please contact lymedocs@aol.com if you would like to volunteer or have questions regarding any of the projects.
NJ STAR LEDGER REPORTS INCREASE IN TICK POPULATION
An recent article in the NJ Star Ledger entitled, ?Tick Hunters report New Jersey is ?Loaded?, chronicled the upswing of ticks in the region. ?Lots of ticks, lots of deer and lots of people,? was the comment made by Durland Fish, a principle investigator in this study which was funded by the CDC. Fish, an epidemiologist at Yale said most ticks were found in the Northeast and upper Midwest, but that the ticks were ?expanding their range and migrating to other areas such as Virginia. New Jersey reported 3,320 new cases in 2010.? Fish went on to say in the article that Lyme disease is often misdiagnosed because its symptoms are not that specific. Also reported in the article was a ?Lyme Disease Human Risk Map.? Fish said that he hopes that map will show people and the health community where the disease is most likely to be contracted.
To view the article in the NJ Star Ledger, click here.
Meet Our Webmaster, Laurie Martin
Laurie is based in Sonoma California. She is the back bone of ILADS, designing our website and marketing materials for ILADS Conferences and implementing all the changes to our web site in a timely fashion. Laurie has a background in marketing and sales for leading hi-tech media companies and currently has her own business in web development and print design. She is a creative thinker and also a stickler for details. We honor Laurie for her work ethic and her dedication to ILADS.
NEWSLETTER ADVERTISING POLICY
Due to the overwhelming requests received for advertising in the newsletter, we will now charge a small fee to advertise any event which is not sponsored by ILADS or given by a Non-ILADS member where a fee is required for attendance. We will continue to publish all lectures, community service programs and events which are nonprofit involving our members.
Dear ILADS Member,
May is National Lyme Disease Awareness month. Besides recognizing and treating patients in your offices this month, try to make a commitment to do something at the community level to promote awareness and prevention. We look forward to seeing everyone in Austria and Boston. Please continue to send us any news between issues either directly or through our member website.
Editors: Andrea Gaito, MD, Barbara Buchman, Exec.Director ILADS
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Greetings Colleagues,
During the past few months we have been working diligently to advance the knowledge of Lyme in both the national and international community. As a follow-up to our groundbreaking, nationally-recognized informational campaign beginning with the Times Square Jumbotron in December, we worked to increase knowledge of Lyme by having another Jumbotron informational site at Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis. With the emergence of spring, multiple national media outlets contacted ILADS to get its perspective on the dangers of Lyme this summer after the mild United States winter. Their focus on ILADS represents an emergent understanding of the positive contributions that ILADS doctors have made in educating the public and in participating in the challenging and often controversial world of Lyme. Our Guidelines Committee continues to work on analyzing hundreds of studies and summarizing data so that a revised set of guidelines can be ready for the Boston Conference in November.
Our place as the most important multidisciplinary medical society dedicated to Lyme and other tick-borne diseases is highlighted by our Third Annual European Conference to be held in Klagenfurt, Austria on May 18th and 19th.
ILADS doctors will be addressing our European counterparts about the nature of Lyme and its physical and neuropsychological manifestations. We will also have the opportunity to share in mutual discussions with international researches about the efficacy of emerging treatment modalities. On the national front we are finalizing the schedule of speakers and break-out programs for the Annual Conference scheduled in Boston on November 2nd through 4th. The title of the program is ?Evidence-based Medicine? and we have commitments from nationally-recognized researchers and clinicians to present at the conference. All in all, it has been very exciting year so far and we look to continue the good work on your behalf.
Leo J. Shea III, Ph.D.
Neuropsychological Evaluation
& Treatment Services, P.C.
212-951-4545 ? www.leoshea.com
Practicing Ethical Guidelines for ILADS Members
In 2010 the following Ethical guidelines were drafted by the ethics committee and presented to the membership at the Annual meeting. Since that time, our membership has grown substantially, and many of our new colleagues may not be aware of the specific points and practice parameters contained within the guidelines. The purpose of the document was not only to illustrate the core values of the ILADS philosophy, but additionally to safeguard the society against any unethical personal or professional behavior among the membership. Please take a moment to read through this list in its entirety. Andrea Gaito, MD, Chairperson, Ethics committee.
ILADS: Ethical Guidelines
The aim of these ethical guidelines is to promote excellence, respect and professionalism amongst academic and nonacademic members, in our dealings with each other, and with those to whom we provide services. We commit to following the core values of integrity, confidentiality, impartiality, accountability and honesty..
The term ?ethical? refers to matters involving moral principles or practices and matters of social policy involving issues of morality and character.
Each member shall uphold the standards of professionalism and be honest in all personal and professional interactions.
Each member shall respect the confidentiality of matters specific to ilads and refrain from distribution of any sensitive material to outside sources.
Each member shall respect the viewpoint of other members with courtesy and encourage productive debate when indicated.
Each member shall refrain from speaking ill of other colleagues or members.
Communication between members shall not contain derogatory, abusive or inflammatory material. The use of profanity will not be tolerated. This includes all verbal communications, emails, and statements made on internet sites.
Members shall not charge or collect an illegal or excessive fee from patients for their services.
A member shall abstain from voting on an issue in the event of a conflict of interest. A conflict of interest is deemed to exist when there is a substantial threat to independence of judgment created by personal interest.
A member may not speak as a representative of ilads without prior approval to do so by the Board or president.
A member shall not commit fraud or engage in other illegal activities.
Any complaints involving unethical behavior shall be reviewed by the ethics committee in a timely manner. If the complaint seems valid, the committee shall then present the information to the Board for discussion. The credibility of any association depends on the integrity of its leaders. The first response of an association must be to label the unethi
ILADS Announces Annual Meeting
in Boston
The Board of Directors of ILADS is happy to announce Pre-registration for the fall annual meeting to be held in Boston November 2-4, 2012. The program?s theme is Evidence Based Medicine.
Where: The Westin Boston Waterfront. The address is 425 Summer Street (between Viaduct St & C St) Boston, MA 02210. (617) 532-4600. The neighborhood is South Boston.
Getting There: The hotel is a ten minute drive from Logan International Airport. There is a silver line T stop very near by. The T is the Boston equivalent of the subway or metro. Additionally, the hotel is very conveniently located for those traveling by train to South Station.
Reservations: ILADS has negotiated a special room rate of $199 per night good until October 10, 2012. A link to the reservations is on our web site www.ilads.org This rate is good during the period October 30, 2012 to November 5, 2012. To book a room go to: www.starwoodmeeting.com/Book/Ilads2012
Grants: A special grants available for medical students and residents in accredited training programs as determined by the Board. There may also be limited grants available for first time attending physicians. Please inquire at lymedocs@aol.com
Conference Registration
Register online for the conference by clicking here. After completing registration online, delegates will be sent a ticket to the conference via email, which should be printed out and brought to the conference.
Conference Pricing Early Bird (until Oct. 10)
Member-Non-Physicians: $445
Member Professionals (CME included): $545
Medical students: $250
Non-Member Non-Physician: $520
Non-member Professionals (CME included): $620
One day rate: $400
Spouse registration (with paid professional registration): $350
Conference Pricing Regular (after Oct. 10)
Member-Non-Physicians: $545
Member Professionals (CME included): $620
Medical students: $325
Non-Member Non-Physician: $645
Non-member Professionals (CME included): $720
One day rate: $450
Spouse registration (with paid professional registration): $400
Conference Pricing At The Door
Member-Non-Physicians: $620
Member Professionals (CME included): $695
Medical students: $325
Non-Member Non-Physician: $720
Non-member Professionals (CME included): $770
One day rate: $500
Spouse registration (with paid professional registration): $450
CONFERENCE POLICY: Please note that the distribution of any materials or flyers during either the ILADS European Conference in Austria or the Annual Conference in Boston, must be cleared in advance by Barbara Buchman, Executive Director of ILADS. Additionally, ILADS expects those who attend to not solicit other members for commercial projects or profits. This type of activity does not align with the professional image and mission of ILADS. Thank you to all in advance for your cooperation.
ILADS PLATINUM DINNER
The ILADS Philanthropy dinner will be held on Thursday evening November 1, 2012 in Boston, Mass. The annual dinner honors guests who donate at the platinum level. This year those attending will have the opportunity to sample the cuisine at one of Boston?s finest restaurants while they enjoy the company of their colleagues and friends. For information on attending the dinner, please contact Barbara Buchman at Lymedocs@aol.com.
2012 Boston Exhibitors To Date
H. Buschkuhl GmbH
Researched Nutritionals
Xymogen
Advanced Laboratory Services, Inc
IGeneX
Doctor?s Data
Hopkinton Drug
Boulder Diagnostics Inc.
Infuserve America
Master Supplements
Lee Silsby Compounding
RESEARCH PUBLICATION
Dr. John D. Scott who spoke at the ILADS conference in Toronto, recently published his work, ?Widespread Dispersal of Borrelia-Burgdorferi-infected Ticks Collected from Songbirds across Canada,? in the Journal of Parasitology, 98(1) 2012. Dr. Scott points out that since migratory songbirds widely disperse infected ticks, that people do not have to go to endemic areas to contract Lyme disease. Congratulations to Dr. Scott on his publication.
LYME DISEASE PREVENTION GUIDE
Dr. Ron Hamlen recently published an article, ?Tick-Borne Infections-A Growing Public Health Threat to School-Age Children? in the National Association of School Nurses journal. The article reviews and offers guidance for preventative measures that schools can take to prevent tick-borne infections both on school property and residential areas. As Dr. Hamlen points out, school nurses are often the frontline for children infected at school. Please contact Ron Hamlen for more information on how your local school can benefit from this important document.
OUTSTANDING WOMAN AWARD
Dr . Andrea Gaito received the ?Outstanding Woman Award? given by the New Jersey Commission on the status of Women on March 23, 2012 for her work with Lyme disease and ILADS during their annual dinner as part of Women?s history month. Dr. Gaito received additional awards from NJ Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen, State Senator President Stephen Sweeney, and Governor Chris Christie, who recognized her as one of the founders of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society ?an organization which has made great strides in promoting awareness and research of Lyme disease.?
BECOME AN EXPERT REVIEWER
Dr. Ray Stricker has recently become an Expert Reviewer for the California Medical Board and feels that this may be a great opportunity for other ilads members to get involved at the state level. ?It?s a good way for ILADS physicians to identify potential problems and get our side heard?, said Dr. Stricker. He also added that working with the Medical Board ?affords some protection for the individual provider.? For specifics within your state, please contact your local Board of Medical Examiners.
ILADS DOCS FEATURED IN PREVENTION
Prevention Magazine recently interviewed Dr. Leo Shea and Dr. Andrea Gaito for their article on Lyme Disease, ?Is a Tick Bite Causing Your Depression??, as part of Lyme Disease awareness month. Author Leah Zerbe reviews the disease?s manifestations in pets as well as humans and offers many tips on preventing Lyme and strategies for early treatment and diagnosis.
To view the article in Prevention Magazine, click here.
Dr. Daniel Cameron and Dr. Jeffrey Greenfield were recently quoted in an article about Lyme disesase in the New Hampshire Sentinel newspaper based in Keene, NH.
To view the article in the New Hampshire Sentinel, click here.
ILADS MEMBERS VOLUNTEER
Would you like to get involved? We have several discreet projects for ILADS members who would like to help ILADS. The first is to provide outreach to an upstate New York camp for their educational efforts to prevent Lyme disease among campers. As it is a YMCA camp, your work could serve as a prototype for other similar camps. Secondly, we have pages on our web site which need to be updated. It is something that a Lyme doctor could do easily, but not a lay person. Thirdly, Dr. Cameron needs a volunteer to help him categorize research papers for the web site. Please contact lymedocs@aol.com if you would like to volunteer or have questions regarding any of the projects.
NJ STAR LEDGER REPORTS INCREASE IN TICK POPULATION
An recent article in the NJ Star Ledger entitled, ?Tick Hunters report New Jersey is ?Loaded?, chronicled the upswing of ticks in the region. ?Lots of ticks, lots of deer and lots of people,? was the comment made by Durland Fish, a principle investigator in this study which was funded by the CDC. Fish, an epidemiologist at Yale said most ticks were found in the Northeast and upper Midwest, but that the ticks were ?expanding their range and migrating to other areas such as Virginia. New Jersey reported 3,320 new cases in 2010.? Fish went on to say in the article that Lyme disease is often misdiagnosed because its symptoms are not that specific. Also reported in the article was a ?Lyme Disease Human Risk Map.? Fish said that he hopes that map will show people and the health community where the disease is most likely to be contracted.
To view the article in the NJ Star Ledger, click here.
Meet Our Webmaster, Laurie Martin
Laurie is based in Sonoma California. She is the back bone of ILADS, designing our website and marketing materials for ILADS Conferences and implementing all the changes to our web site in a timely fashion. Laurie has a background in marketing and sales for leading hi-tech media companies and currently has her own business in web development and print design. She is a creative thinker and also a stickler for details. We honor Laurie for her work ethic and her dedication to ILADS.
NEWSLETTER ADVERTISING POLICY
Due to the overwhelming requests received for advertising in the newsletter, we will now charge a small fee to advertise any event which is not sponsored by ILADS or given by a Non-ILADS member where a fee is required for attendance. We will continue to publish all lectures, community service programs and events which are nonprofit involving our members.
http://ilads.org/ilads_media/about-lyme-team/
ILADSilla on nyt myös borrelioosiryhmä, "Lymeteam", johon kuka tahansa voi liittyä. Sivuilla voi kertoa esim. oman borrelioositarinansa, tukea toimintaa yms. Varoja käytetään lääkäreiden borrelioosikoulutukseen, diagnostiikasta ja hoidoista, eri puolilla maailmaa.
ABOUT THE ILADS LYMETEAM
You may have Lyme. You may be a physician. A nurse. Or an activist. But whoever you are ? Get involved by becoming a LymeTeam Member.
By purchasing the LymeTeam Tee Shirt and telling your story, you raise funds to help train physicians while at the same time bringing awareness to the need for Lyme disease training for physicians worldwide. Let your voice matter.
It takes all of us doing what we can to make a difference. Without the support of people like you, the number of those suffering with undiagnosed Lyme disease will continue to grow.
ILADEF?s mission is to raise funds to train physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme and tick-borne disease and educate people in the battle against Lyme disease through international events each year. Lyme disease left untreated steals life and impacts far too many of our loved ones.
So get involved. Become A LymeTeam Member by purchasing a Tee Shirt and donate funds to ILADEF to train a doctor today. Take Your Picture wearing the TeeShirt and upload your photo and tell us about yourself here ⇒
Share Your Story
How has not having access to doctors knowledgeable about Lyme disease affected you, your family, or your friends? We want to hear from you.
Tell Your Story →
Get Your TeeShirt
Take a photo of you in your LymeTeam Tee Shirt and upload it to our gallery
Get TeeShirt →
Donate
Support ILADEF today and help train doctors in your hometown
Donate Now →
ILADS 2012 CONFERENCE UPDATES
Earn CME Credits For Attending ILADS Conference
This Live activity, International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society Thirteenth Annual Scientific Conference, with a beginning date of 11/02/12, has been reviewed and is acceptable for up to 16.75 Prescribed credit(s) by the American Academy of Family Physicians. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. Learn More ⇒
Register now for this 2 1/2 day Lyme Conference and receive 16.5 AAFP CME credits
The Westchester Academy of Medicine designates the ILADS Boston Lyme Disease Conference for a maximum of 17 AMA PRA Category I Credits?. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. Learn More ⇒
Register now for this 2 1/2 day Lyme Conference and receive 17 AMA CME credits
New! Medico-Legal Seminar: Lyme Disability Process
Saturday, November 3, 2012 Register Now ⇒
Moderator
Leo J. Shea III, PhD
President ILADS
Panel Discussion
Glenn Kantor, Esq.
Mala M. Rafik, Esq.
Scott Kilpatrick, Esq.
Scott Riemer, Esq.
Program
1:30-2:00pm - Disability Claims and Lyme Disease Part I:
The Process: How disability is defined and evaluated under the Social Security Disability system and under private insurance policies
2:00-2:30pm - Disability Claims and Lyme Disease Part II:
Making the Case: The medical and legal elements of making a claim for disability benefits for individuals suffering from chronic Lyme.
2:30-3:00pm - Disability Claims and Lyme Disease, Part III:
Overcoming the Hurdles: How to defend against the various justifications for denying coverage, including the mental illness defense and the claim that chronic Lyme does not exist or is not objectively verifiable
3:30-4:00pm - Disability Claims and Lyme Disease, Part IV:
Working Together: How providers and lawyers can collaborate to effectively represent their disabled patients
Space is limited and going fast!
Conference Supporters
Find out how to become an ILADS Conference Supporter. Learn More ⇒
ILADSilla on nyt myös borrelioosiryhmä, "Lymeteam", johon kuka tahansa voi liittyä. Sivuilla voi kertoa esim. oman borrelioositarinansa, tukea toimintaa yms. Varoja käytetään lääkäreiden borrelioosikoulutukseen, diagnostiikasta ja hoidoista, eri puolilla maailmaa.
ABOUT THE ILADS LYMETEAM
You may have Lyme. You may be a physician. A nurse. Or an activist. But whoever you are ? Get involved by becoming a LymeTeam Member.
By purchasing the LymeTeam Tee Shirt and telling your story, you raise funds to help train physicians while at the same time bringing awareness to the need for Lyme disease training for physicians worldwide. Let your voice matter.
It takes all of us doing what we can to make a difference. Without the support of people like you, the number of those suffering with undiagnosed Lyme disease will continue to grow.
ILADEF?s mission is to raise funds to train physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme and tick-borne disease and educate people in the battle against Lyme disease through international events each year. Lyme disease left untreated steals life and impacts far too many of our loved ones.
So get involved. Become A LymeTeam Member by purchasing a Tee Shirt and donate funds to ILADEF to train a doctor today. Take Your Picture wearing the TeeShirt and upload your photo and tell us about yourself here ⇒
Share Your Story
How has not having access to doctors knowledgeable about Lyme disease affected you, your family, or your friends? We want to hear from you.
Tell Your Story →
Get Your TeeShirt
Take a photo of you in your LymeTeam Tee Shirt and upload it to our gallery
Get TeeShirt →
Donate
Support ILADEF today and help train doctors in your hometown
Donate Now →
ILADS 2012 CONFERENCE UPDATES
Earn CME Credits For Attending ILADS Conference
This Live activity, International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society Thirteenth Annual Scientific Conference, with a beginning date of 11/02/12, has been reviewed and is acceptable for up to 16.75 Prescribed credit(s) by the American Academy of Family Physicians. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. Learn More ⇒
Register now for this 2 1/2 day Lyme Conference and receive 16.5 AAFP CME credits
The Westchester Academy of Medicine designates the ILADS Boston Lyme Disease Conference for a maximum of 17 AMA PRA Category I Credits?. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. Learn More ⇒
Register now for this 2 1/2 day Lyme Conference and receive 17 AMA CME credits
New! Medico-Legal Seminar: Lyme Disability Process
Saturday, November 3, 2012 Register Now ⇒
Moderator
Leo J. Shea III, PhD
President ILADS
Panel Discussion
Glenn Kantor, Esq.
Mala M. Rafik, Esq.
Scott Kilpatrick, Esq.
Scott Riemer, Esq.
Program
1:30-2:00pm - Disability Claims and Lyme Disease Part I:
The Process: How disability is defined and evaluated under the Social Security Disability system and under private insurance policies
2:00-2:30pm - Disability Claims and Lyme Disease Part II:
Making the Case: The medical and legal elements of making a claim for disability benefits for individuals suffering from chronic Lyme.
2:30-3:00pm - Disability Claims and Lyme Disease, Part III:
Overcoming the Hurdles: How to defend against the various justifications for denying coverage, including the mental illness defense and the claim that chronic Lyme does not exist or is not objectively verifiable
3:30-4:00pm - Disability Claims and Lyme Disease, Part IV:
Working Together: How providers and lawyers can collaborate to effectively represent their disabled patients
Space is limited and going fast!
Conference Supporters
Find out how to become an ILADS Conference Supporter. Learn More ⇒
Uutiskirje kesä 2012:
Dear ILADS Member,
Dear Member, Hope that everyone is having an enjoyable summer. We have had a lot of positive feedback regarding our new member website and welcome any further suggestions. Registration for the Boston conference has been especially vigorous due to the excitement this year's special meeting is generating. Please continue to send us any news between issues either directly or through our member website.
Editors: Andrea Gaito, MD, Barbara Buchman, Exec.Director ILADS
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Greetings Colleagues,
The Third Annual European- ILADS Conference-2012 was held at the University of Klagenfurt in southeast Austrian province of Carinthia on May 18-19. The conference, entitled Making a Difference in the Diagnosis and Appropriate Treatment of Lyme and Its Associated Diseases, was a resounding success with more than 130 professionals from 18 countries attending the two-day event. Supporters included the major hospitals in Carinthia, both KABEG and the Elisabethethinen as well as a number of private American and European exhibitors. Furthermore, the Governor of Carinthia, Gerhard Dorfler, and the Mayor of Klagenfurt, Christian Scheider sent welcoming messages to the attendees and had personal representatives on hand to demonstrate their commitment to finding better diagnosis and treatment for their Alpine citizens. At the opening ceremonies, Albin Oblitschnig, M.D., Conference Host and a highly-respected orthopedic surgeon from Klagenfurt joined Leo J. Shea III, Ph.D., President of ILADS in welcoming the attendees to the conference. The goals of the program were to: 1) share with our European counterparts the latest medical information on the diagnosis and treatment of tick-borne diseases, 2) explore the pathophysiological mechanisms that apply to the diseases and, 3) encourage greater research and clinical collaboration among university scientists, institutional researchers and community clinicians.
On the first morning Ann Corson, MD made two presentations related to biological medicine and Lyme and what is needed to understand pediatric Lyme. The enthusiasm of the audience was apparent in the multiple questions during the extended morning Q and A session. Following an authentic Austrian lunch with regional foods, the afternoon session convened. Carsten Nicolaus, M.D. spoke on naturopathic approach to Lyme and he was followed by Steven Harris M.D. who discussed non?antibiotic approaches to Lyme and later Lee Cowden, M.D. who spoke on the impact of neurological diseases and borreliosis. After a strudel and schalg break, the audience heard from Armin Schwarzbach, M.D. on the diagnostics of Lyme and then Ginger Savely, DNP on the use of CD57and NK cell count as marker for Lyme.
An elegant twilight reception for conference attendees and government officials was held in the Castle Maria Loretto in Lake Worther at the foot of the Alps in Klagenfurt- a perfect ending to a perfect day.
Following welcoming amenities the on the second day, Dr. Oblitschnig addressed the conference on peripheral nerve lesions and Lyme and this was followed by Joseph Burrascano, M.D. who provided the audience with a primer on the history of Lyme and its basics. After a refreshment break, Christine Green, M.D. lectured on stealth pathogens and Sam Shor, MD. presented information from his comparison study between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Lyme. During the morning Q and A session, the audience again demonstrated its sustained interest by asking the panel members so many questions that it extended into the scheduled lunch hour. Following lunch, Leo J. Shea III, Ph.D presented on the problems of neuropsychological misdiagnosis followed by Dr .Steve Harris on antibiotic treatment, Lyme and co-infections. After the strudel and schalg break, Dr. Green presented on Lyme/TBDs and the efficacious ways to treat them and Dr. Shea delivered the presentation of Robert Bransfield M.D., who was not able to attend the program. Closing remarks were offered by Dr Nicolaus. The audience expressed their enthusiastic appreciation to the speakers and organizers and had already begun asking about preparations for next year?s European conference. Presenters and organizers were pleased with the response and generally agreed that the conference was an unqualified success having met all the stated goals.
Jyotsna Shah, representing Nick Harris of IGeneX, generously and graciously hosted a post-conference dinner for all the speakers and their spouses.
As added benefit in having the ILADS conference at Klagenfurt! Our conference coincided with a conference at which the Dalai Lama was the keynote speaker. Thus, a number of the ILADS speakers had the opportunity to meet the Dalai Lama as he was staying in the same hotel as the speakers.
Leo J. Shea III, Ph.D.
President, ILADS
212-951-4545 ? www.leoshea.com
ILADS Boston Conference Updates
Free Live Streaming of the 2012 Boston ILADS Lyme Disease Conference
Watch ILADS Lyme disease conference LIVE as leading professionals examine the cutting edge research and state-of-the-art clinical applications in the treatment and diagnosis of Lyme disease. Much of this year?s conference, which takes place Friday through Sunday, November 2-4, 2012, will stream live online. This year's conference is the biggest ever, with 51 presentations in plenary and breakout sessions which will emphasize allopathic and integrative medicine innovations in patient treatment.
NEW! This year is a Breakout Session focused entirely on the Lyme Disease Disability Process.
Register online to be notified of the Live Streaming Schedule.
New Sponsorship Opportunities!
The 2012 Boston Conference exhibition gives ILADS meeting attendees the opportunity to learn about the latest developments in products and services to facilitate the health care providers' ability to offer the best to their patients.
By exhibiting at the 13th Annual Meeting, you will have face-to-face contact with leading researchers and practitioners of Lyme and tick- borne disease medicine. Participating as a sponsor provides an unmatched opportunity to introduce your organization to these professionals. This year we have new opportunties that enhance your visibility before, during and after the meeting with corporate support opportunities, marketing and promotional tools.
Boston ILADS Conference Sponsors
ILADS is pleased to announce that three exhibitors have gone above and beyond by sponsoring enhancements for our registrants.
IGeneX will be hosting a meet and greet networking event in the exhibit area on Friday night. There will be a cash bar and ample food.
Researched Nutritionals is hosting the Friday lunch. Take a box lunch and sit back in the scientific session room to hear Kenneth Bock, MD speak on "Immune Modulation & Clinical Applications of Transfer Factor".
Lee Silsby Compounding is sponsoring breakfast on Saturday morning. Take your coffee and bagel in to the scientific session to hear Tom Moorcroft, DO and Phillip DeMio, MD. They will have a short presentation of the results of a pilot study and biochemistry of how Lee Silsby's turmeric product works.
3rd European ILADS Conference at Klagenfurt, Austria, May 2012
The third ILADS European conference took place at the University of Klagenfurt, Austria on the 18th and 19th May 2012.
The setting was idyllic with much snow remaining in the surrounding mountains yet temperatures were high and the sun shone from dawn until dusk. The city was in festive mood and the town had the honour of being host to the Dalai Lama who was staying in the same hotel as many of the delegates of the ILADS conference.
The first day of the conference covered what was termed an ?integrative approach to Lyme disease?. Few would doubt that a good health practitioner will always act in a holistic manner. This involves giving consideration to a number of issues including patient lifestyle, psychological factors, social factors and nutrition. Taking into consideration a patient?s beliefs, religious or otherwise, will also be important. Any other approach is likely to leave a patient feeling undervalued and such a patient is not likely to have confidence in their healer. A surgeon who operates without communicating with his patient may be a good surgeon but not a good doctor. Similarly a doctor who provides only a prescription for a patient may be offering good treatment but factors impairing healing may be overlooked.
Our obsession with modern technology can lead us to ignore the experience of healers from past generations. This is recognised by Ann Corson MD who gave the first talk of the conference. Dr. Corson appreciates both the value and limitations of allopathic treatment for Lyme disease and has found benefit in applying an ancient Chinese healing approach for her Lyme disease patients. Dr. Corson also gave the second talk of the conference in which she shared her experience in working with children with Lyme disease. Young children are always challenging patients as they cannot effectively communicate information about their symptoms. Dr. Corson has noted that tick borne infections can result in highly disturbed behaviour in some children. Dr. Carsten Nicolaus is Medical Director of the Borreliose Centrum Ausberg (BCA) clinic in Ausberg, Germany and he described an approach to Lyme disease he has used inhis clinic for the last five years. The approach is holistic using physical therapies, herbal remedies and nutritional supplementation alongside traditional antibiotic therapy and medications for symptom control. Dr. Steven Harris MD detailed his approach to the diagnosis of tick borne diseases and noted the properties of numerous herbal remedies which he has found useful in their management. Dr. Harris alluded to the Cowden protocol which some patients with Lyme disease have found useful. Dr. Lee Cowden himself gave a presentation addressing the issue of whether tick borne pathogens could be a factor in the development of some neurological conditions. Dr. Armin Schwarzbach works as a laboratory specialist at BCA. He gave a talk reiterating the deficiencies of the current tests fort Lyme disease and estimates from his own data that 40% of patients with Lyme disease are sero-negative. Dr. Schwarzbach noted that the CDC has approved the Lymphocyte Transformation Test for the diagnosis of Tuberculosis and he believes the test should be approved for use in the diagnosis of Lyme disease. The final talk on day one was given by Ginger Savely DNP. Ginger Savely has collected data concerning CD 57+ NK cell counts in patients with Lyme disease. CD57 NK counts are known to be reduced in many patients with Lyme disease but Ginger Savely believes the test should not be carried out too
frequently, perhaps no more than six monthly, as the cell counts are highly variable for any given individual.
The second day of the conference began with Dr. Albin Obiltschnig, the conference organiser. Dr. Obiltschnig is a surgeon with an interest in peripheral nerve lesions. He has great experience decompressing nerves and notes that mechanical factors have long been considered to be the main underlying cause. His own data from patients who have had complications following decompression or have required multiple decompressions suggest Lyme disease could be a contributory factor in many and he concluded that in such cases decompression will be unsuccessful without concomitant treatment for Lyme disease. Dr. Joseph Burrascano Jr. gave a talk about the history of Lyme disease and his approach to treatment. Dr. Burrascano considers that the vast majority of Lyme disease patients will have co-infections and this theme was continued in the two talks given by Dr. Christine Green MD. Dr. Green believes a quiet revolution is taking place in the field of infectious diseases with Koch?s postulates having limited applicability in polymicrobial infections exemplified by Lyme disease. Future work will no doubt lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms of synergy which will hopefully lead to more effective treatments for Lyme disease patients.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a common debilitating condition and most CFS guidelines recommend excluding Lyme disease before the diagnosis is made. Dr. Samuel Shor MD presented his published findings which suggest that when extended criteria are used for diagnosis over 60% of patients with CFS in a Lyme endemic area had evidence of Lyme disease. Leo Shea PhD gave a talk stressing the need for an appropriate neuropsychological assessment in children and adults with Lyme disease. He pointed out that failure to recognise the cognitive dysfunction in these patients can have disastrous consequences for both the patients and their families. Leo Shea also gave the final presentation of the conference for Dr. Robert Bransfield MD concerning neuropsychiatric interventions.
ILADS is still quite new and relatively unknown in Europe. The 2012 conference in Klagenfurt should go some way to increasing awareness of the tick borne diseases and help ILADS achieve its? goals on the international stage.
Dr. David Owen
ILADS Member, Cardiff, UK. June 2012
ILADS AUSTRIA PHOTO GALLERY
Ginger Savely, DNP, and husband Hutch, enjoy an authentic Austrian meal.
Speakers Ann F. Corson, MD and Leo J. Shea, III, PhD, ILADS President in Klagenfurt, Austria
Dr. and Mrs. Carsten Nicolaus relax during the ILADS Klagenfurt conference.
ILADS President Leo J. Shea, III, PhD; Ann F. Corson, MD; Samuel Shor, MD; Christine Green, MD at the ILADS Klagenfurt meeting
Klagenfurt Program organizer, Albin Obiltschnig, MD and other registrants wait for the meeting to begin.
Jyotsna Shah, PhD and her husband represent IGeneX at the ILADS meeting in Klagenfurt.
Carsten Nicolaus, MD, PhD speaks at the ILADS Klagenfurt meeting.
Sam Shor, MD and Armin Schwarzbach, MD, PhD relax at a faculty gathering in Klagenfurt..
Recent ILADS Members
We welcome the following new members:
Jody Bowle-Evans, MD - Creemore, Ont.
Gregory Brown, MD - Franklin, WI
Gavin Chartier, MD - Vincennes, IN
Kristy Fassler, ND, DHANP - Portsmouth, NH
Mischa Grieder, ND - Redwood City, CA
Trish McCleary, Advocate - Sturbridge, MA
Thomas LaCava, MD - W. Boylston, MA
Jena Peterson ND - Seattle, WA
ILADS Platinum Dinner
The ILADS Philanthropy Dinner will be held this year on Thursday, November 1, 2012 in Boston, Mass. The annual dinner honors guests who have donated to ILADS at the platinum level. This year those attending will have the opportunity to sample cuisine at one of Boston?s finest restaurants while enjoying the company of their colleagues and friends. For information on attending the dinner, please contact Barbara Buchman at Lymedocs@aol.com.
Obituary
Dr. Gerald Weiss, 52, of Palm Desert Ca, passed away on Saturday, June 2, 2012 in a tragic bike accident in Indian Wells, Ca. He was a graduate of University of Pittsburgh Medical School and completed his residency at Albert Einstein School of Medicine in the Bronx. He was an extensive researcher, and practitioner in the field of Lyme disease. Dr. Weiss leaves behind his wife and two children.
Letter To The Editor:
I was pleased to see my research recognized in the ILADS newsletter. Migratory birds are bringing the infected ticks with them into Canada from the US and South America so it is an international problem, and the reason why patients do not have to go to an endemic area to contract Lyme disease. These immature infected ticks are dropped randomly here and there ready to get their next blood meal from an innocent person. Thanks again for the article.
John D. Scott , M.Sc Fergus, Ont.
Congressional Hearing: Global Challenges in Diagnosing and Managing Lyme Disease - Closing Knowledge Gaps
Recap of House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, & Human Rights held a hearing 2PM, on Tuesday, July 17, 2012 in 2172 Rayburn HOB in Washington, DC. The hearing, Global Challenges in Diagnosing and Managing Lyme Disease - Closing Knowledge Gaps.
WITNESSES:
Stephen W. Barthold, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor
Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology
Center of Comparative Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine University of California, Davis
Raphael Stricker, M.D.
Vice President
International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society
Mark Eshoo, Ph.D.
Director, New Technology Development
Abbott
Ms. Patricia Smith
President
Lyme Disease Association
Mr. Evan White
Lyme Disease Patient
Ms. Stella Huyshe-Shires
Chair
Lyme Disease Action
Approximately 50 people were in the audience. They appeared to be mostly Congressional staffers. The balance in attendance were Lyme patients. Notable guests included Barbara Buchman, Executive Director of ILADS; Lorraine Johnson Executive Director of lymedisease.org; and Monte Skall, Director of natcaplyme.org; and Susan Green, Lyme attorney.
Other than Congressman Smith, Karen Bass D-CA was the only other Committee member in attendance. Rep. Bass left after she gave her opening statement. Congressman Wolf R-VA and Congressman Gibson R-NY also attended the hearing and made supportive comments.
In his opening statement, Congressman Smith, D-NJ, Chair of the subcommittee, indicated that representatives from the IDSA, CDC and NIH were invited to participate but declined due to scheduling issues. Rep. Smith indicated that there were three controversial issues that needed to be addressed: persistence of Bb even after treatment, quality of diagnostics, and treatment guidelines. Representative concurred that her constituents in the central valley (CA) had communicated the seriousness of the chronic Lyme issue. Congressman Gibson added that this was a constituent driven issue and that his goal was to bring two communities together to find common ground. He also expressed concern that the right folks get the dollars for research. He said that $8.75 million has been allocated for research but that it needs the right oversight. Congressman Wolf reiterated that the Lyme challenge was a big issue for his constituents.
Stephen W. Barthold, Ph.D. re-capped his research showing persistent infection in monkeys despite antibiotic treatment, referring to metabolically viable organisms. He explained that researchers follow the money and that if enough incentives were given, there would be more research done. He underscored that people on both sides of the issue are ?good? people but that they just look at the issue from a different perspective.
Raphael Stricker, MD gave the ILADS point of view. He emphasized the fact that the IDSA clinical guidelines only address the immediate bite. He added that we need national protection for treating doctors, better diagnostics from NIH. He urged the group to look at the evidence of persistence of Bb. 70% of patients will respond to current treatment methods.
PRACTICING ETHICAL GUIDELINES FOR ILADS MEMBERS
In 2010 the following Ethical guidelines were drafted by the Ethics Committee and presented to the membership at the Annual meeting. Since that time, our membership has grown substantially, and many of our new colleagues may not be aware of the specific points and practice parameters contained within the guidelines. The purpose of the document was not only to illustrate the core values of the ILADS philosophy, but additionally to safeguard the society against any unethical personal or professional behavior among the membership. Please take a moment to read through this list in its entirety. Andrea Gaito, MD, Chairperson, Ethics Committee
ILADS: ETHICAL GUIDELINES
The aim of these ethical guidelines is to promote excellence, respect and professionalism amongst academic and nonacademic members, in our dealings with each other, and with those to whom we provide services. We commit to following the core values of integrity, confidentiality, impartiality, accountability and honesty.
The term ?ethical? refers to matters involving moral principles or practices and matters of social policy involving issues of morality and character.
Each member shall uphold the standards of professionalism and be honest in all personal and professional interactions.
Each member shall respect the confidentiality of matters specific to ilads and refrain from distribution of any sensitive material to outside sources.
Each member shall respect the viewpoint of other members with courtesy and encourage productive debate when indicated.
Each member shall refrain from speaking ill of other colleagues or members.
Communication between members shall not contain derogatory, abusive or inflammatory material. The use of profanity will not be tolerated. This includes all verbal communications, emails, and statements made on internet sites.
Members shall not charge or collect an illegal or excessive fee from patients for their services.
A member shall abstain from voting on an issue in the event of a conflict of interest. A conflict of interest is deemed to exist when there is a substantial threat to independence of judgment created by personal interest.
A member may not speak as a representative of ilads without prior approval to do so by the Board or president.
A member shall not commit fraud or engage in other illegal activities.
Any complaints involving unethical behavior shall be reviewed by the Ethics Committee in a timely manner. If the complaint seems valid, the committee shall then present the information to the Board for discussion. The credibility of any association depends on the integrity of its leaders. The first response of an association must be to label the unethical behavior for what it is and take appropriate action.
ILADS LYMETEAM - Help Train A Doctor
You may have Lyme. You may be a physician. A nurse. Or an activist. But whoever you are ? Get involved by becoming a LymeTeam Member.
By purchasing the LymeTeam Tee Shirt and telling your story, you raise funds to help train physicians while at the same time bringing awareness to the need for Lyme disease training for physicians worldwide. Let your voice matter.
It takes all of us doing what we can to make a difference. Without the support of people like you, the number of those suffering with undiagnosed Lyme disease will continue to grow.
?Lyme disease is a silent epidemic in America. We want to alert and educate consumers about this disease, which is often misdiagnosed. Left untreated, it will become chronic and debilitating,? said Leo J. Shea, III, PhD, President of the non-profit International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS). ?Tick-borne illnesses compromise your
Dear ILADS Member,
Dear Member, Hope that everyone is having an enjoyable summer. We have had a lot of positive feedback regarding our new member website and welcome any further suggestions. Registration for the Boston conference has been especially vigorous due to the excitement this year's special meeting is generating. Please continue to send us any news between issues either directly or through our member website.
Editors: Andrea Gaito, MD, Barbara Buchman, Exec.Director ILADS
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Greetings Colleagues,
The Third Annual European- ILADS Conference-2012 was held at the University of Klagenfurt in southeast Austrian province of Carinthia on May 18-19. The conference, entitled Making a Difference in the Diagnosis and Appropriate Treatment of Lyme and Its Associated Diseases, was a resounding success with more than 130 professionals from 18 countries attending the two-day event. Supporters included the major hospitals in Carinthia, both KABEG and the Elisabethethinen as well as a number of private American and European exhibitors. Furthermore, the Governor of Carinthia, Gerhard Dorfler, and the Mayor of Klagenfurt, Christian Scheider sent welcoming messages to the attendees and had personal representatives on hand to demonstrate their commitment to finding better diagnosis and treatment for their Alpine citizens. At the opening ceremonies, Albin Oblitschnig, M.D., Conference Host and a highly-respected orthopedic surgeon from Klagenfurt joined Leo J. Shea III, Ph.D., President of ILADS in welcoming the attendees to the conference. The goals of the program were to: 1) share with our European counterparts the latest medical information on the diagnosis and treatment of tick-borne diseases, 2) explore the pathophysiological mechanisms that apply to the diseases and, 3) encourage greater research and clinical collaboration among university scientists, institutional researchers and community clinicians.
On the first morning Ann Corson, MD made two presentations related to biological medicine and Lyme and what is needed to understand pediatric Lyme. The enthusiasm of the audience was apparent in the multiple questions during the extended morning Q and A session. Following an authentic Austrian lunch with regional foods, the afternoon session convened. Carsten Nicolaus, M.D. spoke on naturopathic approach to Lyme and he was followed by Steven Harris M.D. who discussed non?antibiotic approaches to Lyme and later Lee Cowden, M.D. who spoke on the impact of neurological diseases and borreliosis. After a strudel and schalg break, the audience heard from Armin Schwarzbach, M.D. on the diagnostics of Lyme and then Ginger Savely, DNP on the use of CD57and NK cell count as marker for Lyme.
An elegant twilight reception for conference attendees and government officials was held in the Castle Maria Loretto in Lake Worther at the foot of the Alps in Klagenfurt- a perfect ending to a perfect day.
Following welcoming amenities the on the second day, Dr. Oblitschnig addressed the conference on peripheral nerve lesions and Lyme and this was followed by Joseph Burrascano, M.D. who provided the audience with a primer on the history of Lyme and its basics. After a refreshment break, Christine Green, M.D. lectured on stealth pathogens and Sam Shor, MD. presented information from his comparison study between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Lyme. During the morning Q and A session, the audience again demonstrated its sustained interest by asking the panel members so many questions that it extended into the scheduled lunch hour. Following lunch, Leo J. Shea III, Ph.D presented on the problems of neuropsychological misdiagnosis followed by Dr .Steve Harris on antibiotic treatment, Lyme and co-infections. After the strudel and schalg break, Dr. Green presented on Lyme/TBDs and the efficacious ways to treat them and Dr. Shea delivered the presentation of Robert Bransfield M.D., who was not able to attend the program. Closing remarks were offered by Dr Nicolaus. The audience expressed their enthusiastic appreciation to the speakers and organizers and had already begun asking about preparations for next year?s European conference. Presenters and organizers were pleased with the response and generally agreed that the conference was an unqualified success having met all the stated goals.
Jyotsna Shah, representing Nick Harris of IGeneX, generously and graciously hosted a post-conference dinner for all the speakers and their spouses.
As added benefit in having the ILADS conference at Klagenfurt! Our conference coincided with a conference at which the Dalai Lama was the keynote speaker. Thus, a number of the ILADS speakers had the opportunity to meet the Dalai Lama as he was staying in the same hotel as the speakers.
Leo J. Shea III, Ph.D.
President, ILADS
212-951-4545 ? www.leoshea.com
ILADS Boston Conference Updates
Free Live Streaming of the 2012 Boston ILADS Lyme Disease Conference
Watch ILADS Lyme disease conference LIVE as leading professionals examine the cutting edge research and state-of-the-art clinical applications in the treatment and diagnosis of Lyme disease. Much of this year?s conference, which takes place Friday through Sunday, November 2-4, 2012, will stream live online. This year's conference is the biggest ever, with 51 presentations in plenary and breakout sessions which will emphasize allopathic and integrative medicine innovations in patient treatment.
NEW! This year is a Breakout Session focused entirely on the Lyme Disease Disability Process.
Register online to be notified of the Live Streaming Schedule.
New Sponsorship Opportunities!
The 2012 Boston Conference exhibition gives ILADS meeting attendees the opportunity to learn about the latest developments in products and services to facilitate the health care providers' ability to offer the best to their patients.
By exhibiting at the 13th Annual Meeting, you will have face-to-face contact with leading researchers and practitioners of Lyme and tick- borne disease medicine. Participating as a sponsor provides an unmatched opportunity to introduce your organization to these professionals. This year we have new opportunties that enhance your visibility before, during and after the meeting with corporate support opportunities, marketing and promotional tools.
Boston ILADS Conference Sponsors
ILADS is pleased to announce that three exhibitors have gone above and beyond by sponsoring enhancements for our registrants.
IGeneX will be hosting a meet and greet networking event in the exhibit area on Friday night. There will be a cash bar and ample food.
Researched Nutritionals is hosting the Friday lunch. Take a box lunch and sit back in the scientific session room to hear Kenneth Bock, MD speak on "Immune Modulation & Clinical Applications of Transfer Factor".
Lee Silsby Compounding is sponsoring breakfast on Saturday morning. Take your coffee and bagel in to the scientific session to hear Tom Moorcroft, DO and Phillip DeMio, MD. They will have a short presentation of the results of a pilot study and biochemistry of how Lee Silsby's turmeric product works.
3rd European ILADS Conference at Klagenfurt, Austria, May 2012
The third ILADS European conference took place at the University of Klagenfurt, Austria on the 18th and 19th May 2012.
The setting was idyllic with much snow remaining in the surrounding mountains yet temperatures were high and the sun shone from dawn until dusk. The city was in festive mood and the town had the honour of being host to the Dalai Lama who was staying in the same hotel as many of the delegates of the ILADS conference.
The first day of the conference covered what was termed an ?integrative approach to Lyme disease?. Few would doubt that a good health practitioner will always act in a holistic manner. This involves giving consideration to a number of issues including patient lifestyle, psychological factors, social factors and nutrition. Taking into consideration a patient?s beliefs, religious or otherwise, will also be important. Any other approach is likely to leave a patient feeling undervalued and such a patient is not likely to have confidence in their healer. A surgeon who operates without communicating with his patient may be a good surgeon but not a good doctor. Similarly a doctor who provides only a prescription for a patient may be offering good treatment but factors impairing healing may be overlooked.
Our obsession with modern technology can lead us to ignore the experience of healers from past generations. This is recognised by Ann Corson MD who gave the first talk of the conference. Dr. Corson appreciates both the value and limitations of allopathic treatment for Lyme disease and has found benefit in applying an ancient Chinese healing approach for her Lyme disease patients. Dr. Corson also gave the second talk of the conference in which she shared her experience in working with children with Lyme disease. Young children are always challenging patients as they cannot effectively communicate information about their symptoms. Dr. Corson has noted that tick borne infections can result in highly disturbed behaviour in some children. Dr. Carsten Nicolaus is Medical Director of the Borreliose Centrum Ausberg (BCA) clinic in Ausberg, Germany and he described an approach to Lyme disease he has used inhis clinic for the last five years. The approach is holistic using physical therapies, herbal remedies and nutritional supplementation alongside traditional antibiotic therapy and medications for symptom control. Dr. Steven Harris MD detailed his approach to the diagnosis of tick borne diseases and noted the properties of numerous herbal remedies which he has found useful in their management. Dr. Harris alluded to the Cowden protocol which some patients with Lyme disease have found useful. Dr. Lee Cowden himself gave a presentation addressing the issue of whether tick borne pathogens could be a factor in the development of some neurological conditions. Dr. Armin Schwarzbach works as a laboratory specialist at BCA. He gave a talk reiterating the deficiencies of the current tests fort Lyme disease and estimates from his own data that 40% of patients with Lyme disease are sero-negative. Dr. Schwarzbach noted that the CDC has approved the Lymphocyte Transformation Test for the diagnosis of Tuberculosis and he believes the test should be approved for use in the diagnosis of Lyme disease. The final talk on day one was given by Ginger Savely DNP. Ginger Savely has collected data concerning CD 57+ NK cell counts in patients with Lyme disease. CD57 NK counts are known to be reduced in many patients with Lyme disease but Ginger Savely believes the test should not be carried out too
frequently, perhaps no more than six monthly, as the cell counts are highly variable for any given individual.
The second day of the conference began with Dr. Albin Obiltschnig, the conference organiser. Dr. Obiltschnig is a surgeon with an interest in peripheral nerve lesions. He has great experience decompressing nerves and notes that mechanical factors have long been considered to be the main underlying cause. His own data from patients who have had complications following decompression or have required multiple decompressions suggest Lyme disease could be a contributory factor in many and he concluded that in such cases decompression will be unsuccessful without concomitant treatment for Lyme disease. Dr. Joseph Burrascano Jr. gave a talk about the history of Lyme disease and his approach to treatment. Dr. Burrascano considers that the vast majority of Lyme disease patients will have co-infections and this theme was continued in the two talks given by Dr. Christine Green MD. Dr. Green believes a quiet revolution is taking place in the field of infectious diseases with Koch?s postulates having limited applicability in polymicrobial infections exemplified by Lyme disease. Future work will no doubt lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms of synergy which will hopefully lead to more effective treatments for Lyme disease patients.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a common debilitating condition and most CFS guidelines recommend excluding Lyme disease before the diagnosis is made. Dr. Samuel Shor MD presented his published findings which suggest that when extended criteria are used for diagnosis over 60% of patients with CFS in a Lyme endemic area had evidence of Lyme disease. Leo Shea PhD gave a talk stressing the need for an appropriate neuropsychological assessment in children and adults with Lyme disease. He pointed out that failure to recognise the cognitive dysfunction in these patients can have disastrous consequences for both the patients and their families. Leo Shea also gave the final presentation of the conference for Dr. Robert Bransfield MD concerning neuropsychiatric interventions.
ILADS is still quite new and relatively unknown in Europe. The 2012 conference in Klagenfurt should go some way to increasing awareness of the tick borne diseases and help ILADS achieve its? goals on the international stage.
Dr. David Owen
ILADS Member, Cardiff, UK. June 2012
ILADS AUSTRIA PHOTO GALLERY
Ginger Savely, DNP, and husband Hutch, enjoy an authentic Austrian meal.
Speakers Ann F. Corson, MD and Leo J. Shea, III, PhD, ILADS President in Klagenfurt, Austria
Dr. and Mrs. Carsten Nicolaus relax during the ILADS Klagenfurt conference.
ILADS President Leo J. Shea, III, PhD; Ann F. Corson, MD; Samuel Shor, MD; Christine Green, MD at the ILADS Klagenfurt meeting
Klagenfurt Program organizer, Albin Obiltschnig, MD and other registrants wait for the meeting to begin.
Jyotsna Shah, PhD and her husband represent IGeneX at the ILADS meeting in Klagenfurt.
Carsten Nicolaus, MD, PhD speaks at the ILADS Klagenfurt meeting.
Sam Shor, MD and Armin Schwarzbach, MD, PhD relax at a faculty gathering in Klagenfurt..
Recent ILADS Members
We welcome the following new members:
Jody Bowle-Evans, MD - Creemore, Ont.
Gregory Brown, MD - Franklin, WI
Gavin Chartier, MD - Vincennes, IN
Kristy Fassler, ND, DHANP - Portsmouth, NH
Mischa Grieder, ND - Redwood City, CA
Trish McCleary, Advocate - Sturbridge, MA
Thomas LaCava, MD - W. Boylston, MA
Jena Peterson ND - Seattle, WA
ILADS Platinum Dinner
The ILADS Philanthropy Dinner will be held this year on Thursday, November 1, 2012 in Boston, Mass. The annual dinner honors guests who have donated to ILADS at the platinum level. This year those attending will have the opportunity to sample cuisine at one of Boston?s finest restaurants while enjoying the company of their colleagues and friends. For information on attending the dinner, please contact Barbara Buchman at Lymedocs@aol.com.
Obituary
Dr. Gerald Weiss, 52, of Palm Desert Ca, passed away on Saturday, June 2, 2012 in a tragic bike accident in Indian Wells, Ca. He was a graduate of University of Pittsburgh Medical School and completed his residency at Albert Einstein School of Medicine in the Bronx. He was an extensive researcher, and practitioner in the field of Lyme disease. Dr. Weiss leaves behind his wife and two children.
Letter To The Editor:
I was pleased to see my research recognized in the ILADS newsletter. Migratory birds are bringing the infected ticks with them into Canada from the US and South America so it is an international problem, and the reason why patients do not have to go to an endemic area to contract Lyme disease. These immature infected ticks are dropped randomly here and there ready to get their next blood meal from an innocent person. Thanks again for the article.
John D. Scott , M.Sc Fergus, Ont.
Congressional Hearing: Global Challenges in Diagnosing and Managing Lyme Disease - Closing Knowledge Gaps
Recap of House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, & Human Rights held a hearing 2PM, on Tuesday, July 17, 2012 in 2172 Rayburn HOB in Washington, DC. The hearing, Global Challenges in Diagnosing and Managing Lyme Disease - Closing Knowledge Gaps.
WITNESSES:
Stephen W. Barthold, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor
Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology
Center of Comparative Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine University of California, Davis
Raphael Stricker, M.D.
Vice President
International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society
Mark Eshoo, Ph.D.
Director, New Technology Development
Abbott
Ms. Patricia Smith
President
Lyme Disease Association
Mr. Evan White
Lyme Disease Patient
Ms. Stella Huyshe-Shires
Chair
Lyme Disease Action
Approximately 50 people were in the audience. They appeared to be mostly Congressional staffers. The balance in attendance were Lyme patients. Notable guests included Barbara Buchman, Executive Director of ILADS; Lorraine Johnson Executive Director of lymedisease.org; and Monte Skall, Director of natcaplyme.org; and Susan Green, Lyme attorney.
Other than Congressman Smith, Karen Bass D-CA was the only other Committee member in attendance. Rep. Bass left after she gave her opening statement. Congressman Wolf R-VA and Congressman Gibson R-NY also attended the hearing and made supportive comments.
In his opening statement, Congressman Smith, D-NJ, Chair of the subcommittee, indicated that representatives from the IDSA, CDC and NIH were invited to participate but declined due to scheduling issues. Rep. Smith indicated that there were three controversial issues that needed to be addressed: persistence of Bb even after treatment, quality of diagnostics, and treatment guidelines. Representative concurred that her constituents in the central valley (CA) had communicated the seriousness of the chronic Lyme issue. Congressman Gibson added that this was a constituent driven issue and that his goal was to bring two communities together to find common ground. He also expressed concern that the right folks get the dollars for research. He said that $8.75 million has been allocated for research but that it needs the right oversight. Congressman Wolf reiterated that the Lyme challenge was a big issue for his constituents.
Stephen W. Barthold, Ph.D. re-capped his research showing persistent infection in monkeys despite antibiotic treatment, referring to metabolically viable organisms. He explained that researchers follow the money and that if enough incentives were given, there would be more research done. He underscored that people on both sides of the issue are ?good? people but that they just look at the issue from a different perspective.
Raphael Stricker, MD gave the ILADS point of view. He emphasized the fact that the IDSA clinical guidelines only address the immediate bite. He added that we need national protection for treating doctors, better diagnostics from NIH. He urged the group to look at the evidence of persistence of Bb. 70% of patients will respond to current treatment methods.
PRACTICING ETHICAL GUIDELINES FOR ILADS MEMBERS
In 2010 the following Ethical guidelines were drafted by the Ethics Committee and presented to the membership at the Annual meeting. Since that time, our membership has grown substantially, and many of our new colleagues may not be aware of the specific points and practice parameters contained within the guidelines. The purpose of the document was not only to illustrate the core values of the ILADS philosophy, but additionally to safeguard the society against any unethical personal or professional behavior among the membership. Please take a moment to read through this list in its entirety. Andrea Gaito, MD, Chairperson, Ethics Committee
ILADS: ETHICAL GUIDELINES
The aim of these ethical guidelines is to promote excellence, respect and professionalism amongst academic and nonacademic members, in our dealings with each other, and with those to whom we provide services. We commit to following the core values of integrity, confidentiality, impartiality, accountability and honesty.
The term ?ethical? refers to matters involving moral principles or practices and matters of social policy involving issues of morality and character.
Each member shall uphold the standards of professionalism and be honest in all personal and professional interactions.
Each member shall respect the confidentiality of matters specific to ilads and refrain from distribution of any sensitive material to outside sources.
Each member shall respect the viewpoint of other members with courtesy and encourage productive debate when indicated.
Each member shall refrain from speaking ill of other colleagues or members.
Communication between members shall not contain derogatory, abusive or inflammatory material. The use of profanity will not be tolerated. This includes all verbal communications, emails, and statements made on internet sites.
Members shall not charge or collect an illegal or excessive fee from patients for their services.
A member shall abstain from voting on an issue in the event of a conflict of interest. A conflict of interest is deemed to exist when there is a substantial threat to independence of judgment created by personal interest.
A member may not speak as a representative of ilads without prior approval to do so by the Board or president.
A member shall not commit fraud or engage in other illegal activities.
Any complaints involving unethical behavior shall be reviewed by the Ethics Committee in a timely manner. If the complaint seems valid, the committee shall then present the information to the Board for discussion. The credibility of any association depends on the integrity of its leaders. The first response of an association must be to label the unethical behavior for what it is and take appropriate action.
ILADS LYMETEAM - Help Train A Doctor
You may have Lyme. You may be a physician. A nurse. Or an activist. But whoever you are ? Get involved by becoming a LymeTeam Member.
By purchasing the LymeTeam Tee Shirt and telling your story, you raise funds to help train physicians while at the same time bringing awareness to the need for Lyme disease training for physicians worldwide. Let your voice matter.
It takes all of us doing what we can to make a difference. Without the support of people like you, the number of those suffering with undiagnosed Lyme disease will continue to grow.
?Lyme disease is a silent epidemic in America. We want to alert and educate consumers about this disease, which is often misdiagnosed. Left untreated, it will become chronic and debilitating,? said Leo J. Shea, III, PhD, President of the non-profit International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS). ?Tick-borne illnesses compromise your
Re: TÄRKEÄ: ILADSin TIEDOTTEITA !
ILAD lyme disease Activism
Let Your Voice Be Heard
Urgent call to comment on Lyme Disease objectives to be added to Healthy People 2020
ILADS has submitted four objectives addressing chronic manifestations of Lyme disease to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for inclusion in their Healthy People 2020. Healthy People 2020 is an ambitious, yet achievable, 10-year agenda that could improve the Nation’s health for individuals with Lyme disease. It is important that your voice be heard.
This is time sensitive and we need your input today 11/7/2012.
Please take a minute and fill out the form online by clicking here.
Your comments will be sent directly to HHS. The more of you that let your voice be heard, the more likely it is that the objectives listed below will be added to the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy People 2020 objectives.
ILADS Lyme Disease Objectives:
1. Increase the proportion of persons with acute disease who are timely and accurately diagnosed.
2. Decrease the proportion of persons with chronic manifestations of Lyme disease.
3. Increase the proportion of persons with chronic manifestations of LD who are timely and accurately diagnosed.
4. Reduce the number of persons with a history of Lyme disease with subjective symptoms severe enough to result in a substantial reduction in previous levels of occupational, educational, social, or personal activities.
You can also send an email directly to Carter Blakey [hp2020@hhs.gov] at HHS. In your email please state that you support the ILADS Lyme Disease Objectives for inclusion in Healthy People 2020.
About Healthy People
For the past 30 years, Healthy People has been committed to improving the quality of our Nation’s health by producing a framework for public health prevention priorities and actions.
Healthy People 2020 strives to:
Identify nationwide health improvement priorities.
Increase public awareness and understanding of the determinants of health, disease, and disability and the opportunities for progress.
Provide measurable objectives and goals that are applicable at the national, State, and local levels.
Engage multiple sectors to take actions to strengthen policies and improve practices that are driven by the best available evidence and knowledge.
Identify critical research, evaluation, and data collection needs.
To view more information, go to: http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/default.aspx
Let Your Voice Be Heard
Urgent call to comment on Lyme Disease objectives to be added to Healthy People 2020
ILADS has submitted four objectives addressing chronic manifestations of Lyme disease to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for inclusion in their Healthy People 2020. Healthy People 2020 is an ambitious, yet achievable, 10-year agenda that could improve the Nation’s health for individuals with Lyme disease. It is important that your voice be heard.
This is time sensitive and we need your input today 11/7/2012.
Please take a minute and fill out the form online by clicking here.
Your comments will be sent directly to HHS. The more of you that let your voice be heard, the more likely it is that the objectives listed below will be added to the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy People 2020 objectives.
ILADS Lyme Disease Objectives:
1. Increase the proportion of persons with acute disease who are timely and accurately diagnosed.
2. Decrease the proportion of persons with chronic manifestations of Lyme disease.
3. Increase the proportion of persons with chronic manifestations of LD who are timely and accurately diagnosed.
4. Reduce the number of persons with a history of Lyme disease with subjective symptoms severe enough to result in a substantial reduction in previous levels of occupational, educational, social, or personal activities.
You can also send an email directly to Carter Blakey [hp2020@hhs.gov] at HHS. In your email please state that you support the ILADS Lyme Disease Objectives for inclusion in Healthy People 2020.
About Healthy People
For the past 30 years, Healthy People has been committed to improving the quality of our Nation’s health by producing a framework for public health prevention priorities and actions.
Healthy People 2020 strives to:
Identify nationwide health improvement priorities.
Increase public awareness and understanding of the determinants of health, disease, and disability and the opportunities for progress.
Provide measurable objectives and goals that are applicable at the national, State, and local levels.
Engage multiple sectors to take actions to strengthen policies and improve practices that are driven by the best available evidence and knowledge.
Identify critical research, evaluation, and data collection needs.
To view more information, go to: http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/default.aspx
Re: TÄRKEÄ: ILADSin TIEDOTTEITA !
1/2013
Happy New Year to all of our colleagues across the globe and a warm welcome to all of our new members who have joined since the Boston conference. Please send any news items between issues to us at Lymedocs@aol.com.
Editors: Andrea Gaito, MD, Barbara Buchman, Exec.Director ILADS
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Greetings Colleagues,
The Boston conference was the most successful conference of any Lyme organization in history. We achieved approximately a 100% increase in attendance over the Toronto conference and had an upsurge in new members and renewals that will invigorate and energize our membership for the year to come.
Our program based on evidence-based medicine was extremely well received both by those attending and by those who viewed our program worldwide. Through the efforts of our staff and select board members, our conference was viewed by thousands of people on web streams to the United States, Europe and Australia.
This year’s Platinum Dinner, which was overseen by Andrea Gaito, M.D., our Treasurer, produced dramatic revenues over last year’s dinner and will contribute to our ability to provide greater administrative services to the membership.
It is also exciting news that the ILADS Educational Foundation is the beneficiary of a major training grant by the IGeneX Corporation to train physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses. This compliments the work that we have done over a number of years in seeking to ensure that physicians interested in tick-borne illness were given the opportunity to train with ILADS physicians in the Physician Training Program and in doing so, improved their abilities to serve the affected patient population.
This year, we will have three conferences sponsored by ILADS: one in Hershey, PA in April, the European conference in Belgium in June and the annual conference in San Diego, CA in October.
Leo J. Shea III, Ph.D.
President, ILADS
Neuropsychological Evaluation & Treatment Services, P.C.
212-951-4545
www.leoshea.com
Pennsylvannia ILADS Members In Action
The Lyme Disease Association of Southeastern Pa has three ILADS members on its Board; Doug Fearn, Ron Hamlen, and Christa Vanderbilt. Between the three of them, they have given over 75 public talks, educating the community about tick-borne diseases. Their booklet,”Lyme Disease: The Basics” is about to go into its sixth edition. It is distributed to public health departments, schools, health care providers, and patients.
Additional work by this group include meeting with legislators at local, state and federal levels in many health forums. Doug Fearn, the group’s Chairman, will offer some suggestions in the next ILADS newsletter about effective ways to interface with local Board of Health officials in your community.
Australian Lyme Documentary Film
A new movie, an Australian documentary on Lyme disease and other stealth infections, has just been released. “Invisibly III:Part One-A Stealth Reality” explores the concept of stealth infections and the role they play in chronic infections and illness. The movie follows the journey of Australian Lyme disease patients through treatment as they battle the political and medical logistics of Lyme disease recognition in Australia. Click here to view more information.
Dr. Liegner Applauded
The ILADS community would like to thank Dr. Kenneth Liegner for all of his efforts in securing the CME credits for our past meetings. Dr. Liegner volunteered his time to travel to Westchester Medical Center, and successfully lobbied on behalf of our group. Thank you Dr. Liegner.
Richard I. Horowitz, MD, Author "Symptom Free"
ILADS member Richard Horowitz, MD has completed his Lyme book which will be released through St Martin’s press, in a hardcover edition, in the summer/fall. The name is Symptom Free: A Revolutionary Approach to Detecting Lyme and Chronic Illness and Restoring Health. The book will be hundreds of pages long also with hundreds of scientific references. It explains both classical and integrative approaches to the treatment of tick-borne disorders.
If that wasn’t enough, Dr. Horowitz is speaking at the IHS conference in NYC at the end of February. This time, it will be on Meditation, Mind Training and Medicine, a scientific overview of meditation techniques to bring balance into our lives, and to help deal with stress and anxiety.
Finally, Dr. Horowitz has been invited to speak in France in late September at a European Conference with Dr Christiane Perrone. He will be providing an overview of tick-borne disease diagnosis and treatment in french to the french speaking doctors there.
Author Katina Makris Encourages Release of Delayed Massachusetts Lyme Disease Commission
The Massachusetts Lyme Disease Commission was created by the Massachusetts State Legislature in April of 2011. The Lyme Disease Commission’s charge was to develop a report to help combat Lyme Disease, including options in regards to screening programs, the improvement of preventative measures and to explore the value of public health screening measures. The release of the report has been delayed as the result of numerous technical issues. Makris believes it is imperative that Massachusetts and other affected states take action as soon as possible.
“The Lyme disease situation in Massachusetts is yet another red ‘dashboard’ light screaming for action alert regarding this exploding infectious illness.
Many medical authorities consider Lyme disease to be the polio of the twenty first century, as it has now surpassed HIV in how quickly it is spreading” says Katina Makris, Lyme survivor and author of “Out of The Woods; Healing Lyme Disease, Body, Mind & Spirit”.
As Dr. Leo Shea III, International Lyme and Infectious Disease Society president states, “we watched too many thousands die when the medical community did not take HIV seriously. We cannot afford to lose another generation to Lyme disease.”
“The sooner Massachusetts and other states adopt Lyme disease awareness, prevention, diagnostic and adequate early treatment protocols, the better chance we have to arrest the epidemic.”
Training Funds Available
Due to the generosity of IGeneX, ILADS members with a MD or DO degree may now take advantage of our Physicians’ Training Program. An ILADS member may spend one to two weeks shadowing a designated training physician. There is a stipend available. We encourage all qualified members to take advantage of this program. Click here to find out more about The Physicians' Training Program.
Call For Papers
The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Annual Scientific Session October 18-20, 2013 is in San Diego. We are now accepting abstracts of 200 words or less in paragraph form. Please remit to lymedocs@aol.com. Deadline is February 15th 2013. We are also soliciting poster presentations.
Moregellons Disease: New Research
Congratulations to Marianne Middelveen, MSc, Mdes, Raphael Stricker, MD, Peter Mayne, MD and Doug Kahn on their new publication, “Characterization and evolution of dermal filaments in patients with Morgellons Disease.” This landmark paper will be discussed at the CEHF 6th Annual Conference in Austin, Texas on April 6-7, 2013.
Click here to find out more.
Dr. Bransfield Offers Two Seminars
Dr. Robert Bransfield, will be offering two interesting seminars in the upcoming months. “The Psychoimmunology of Tick Borne Diseases and its Association with Neuropsychiatric Symptoms” at Cooper Medical School, NJ on January 22, 2013 and “Newer Treatments for Major Psychiatric Disorders” at Saint Claire’s Hospital, NJ on Feb 21, 2013.
2013 Directory
We are going to be printing the 2013 ILADS Member Directory. Please update us with any changes in contact information. New address? New e-mail? Opened a second office? Closed an office? Do you speak multiple languages? We continually have patients who are trying to find a doctor with whom they are comfortable communicating. Update us at lymedocs@aol.com Only those members with paid dues will be included in this printed edition sent to all ILADS members.
Seeking New Lyme Doctor For Practice in Minnesota
Sentinel Medical Associates in St. Paul MN presently has 2 ILADS member physicians involved in the treatment of tick-related disease. Sentinel is interested in adding another such physician specialist to our organization. Interested practitioners can contact us at 651.287.8781.
Charles Burton, M.D., Medical Director
ILADS Upcoming Educational Opportunities
April 20, 2013, ILADS and Jefferson University Hospital, Myrna Brind Center for Integrative Medicine are co sponsoring a one day course on basic Lyme disease.Host: PA Lyme Resource Network…. This is an opportunity for medical providers to meet other like minded doctors interested in learning more about diagnosing and treating chronic Lyme and tick borne diseases. Up to nine CME Cat. 1 credit hours are available for this course. The program schedule follows below. To register, go to http://ilads.org/ilads_media/hershey-registration/. Researched Nutritionals has graciously agreed to host a dinner on Friday night for the faculty and all registered ILADS members.
Additionally, ILADS will be headed back over to Europe. Thursday and Friday, June 6-7, 2013, ILADS is sponsoring a Lyme program in Brussels, Belgium. ILADS member Kenny deMeirleir, MD is organizing the sessions. More information to follow as soon as it is available.
Finally, ILADS will be returning to the West Coast in fall, 2013. The Fourteenth Annual Scientific Session will be held October 18-20, 2013 at Paradise Point Resort & Spa just a ten minute cab ride from San Diego International Airport. Room reservations are now available by calling 800 344 2626 or online by clicking here. If you make a reservation by September 22, 2013, you may take advantage of the group rate of $199 plus tax for a Lenai Garden room. Parking is complimentary. Once more information is available, we will be notifying you.
PA Lyme & Tick-Borne Disease Conference Program
The Hershey Lodge, Hershey, PA
Friday, April 19, 2013
ILADS MEMBERS NETWORKING and SPEAKERS FUNCTION
6:00 pm – Networking reception
7:00 pm – Dinner
Dinner Speaker: Updates on Research and Testing on Bartonella
B. Robert Mozayeni, MD
Dinner Sponsored by Researched Nutritionals
View Bio
7pm-9pm – Exhibitor Set up
Saturday, April 20, 2013
6:45 am - Registration Opens
7:00-7:45am – Breakfast With Optional Presentation
Optional Breakfast Presentation: Results of a twenty patient study of the use of Curcumin and its effects on Immunologic and Cognitive/Metabolic Disorders
Philip DeMio, MD
Breakfast underwritten by Lee Silsby Pharmacy
View Bio
8:00-8:05am
Welcome
Julia Wagner, MBA, President PA Lyme Resource Network
8:05-8:10am
Welcome
Daniel J. Cameron, MD, MPH, ILADS Moderator
View Bio
8:10-8:40am
Keynote: The Role of Biofilms in Chronic Infections
Garth Ehrlich, PhD
View Bio
8:40-9:40am
Lyme Disease History and Evolution of Tick Borne Disease
Joseph J. Burrascano, Jr., MD
View Bio
9:40-10:00am – Networking Break
10:00-10:30am
ILADS Treatment Guidelines
Daniel J. Cameron, MD, MPH
View Bio
10:30-11:00am
An Objective Analysis of Testing and Treatment Studies
Harold Smith, MD
View Bio
11:00-11:10am – Networking Break
11:10-11:45am
Complicating Factors – Co-infections
B. Robert Mozayeni, MD
View Bio
11:45am-12:15pm
Question and Answer for Morning Presenters
Dr. Jingduan Yang, MD, Jefferson Moderator
View Bio
12:15-1:15pm – Lunch – Networking Tables by Topic (included in registration)
1:15-2:15pm
Tick Borne Diseases in Pediatric Patients
Ann F. Corson, MD
View Bio
2:15-3:00pm
Neuropsychiatric Manifestations of Tick-Borne Disease in Pediatric and Adult Patients with Cases – What is going on?
Robert C. Bransfield, MD
View Bio
3:00-3:15pm – Networking Break
Breakout Case Study Presentations and Discussions
3:15-4:15pm
BREAKOUT A:
Treating Lyme: Practical Considerations with selected case studies
Panel Discussion:
Daniel Cameron, MD, MPH
View Bio
Harold Smith, MD
View Bio
Joseph Burrascano, Jr., MD
View Bio
BREAKOUT B:
Cases of Lyme in Pregnancy and Pediatrics
Panel Discussion:
Ann F. Corson, MD
View Bio
Rita Rhoads, MPH, CRNP, CNM
View Bio
BREAKOUT C:
Neurological/Psychiatric Cases
Panel Discussion:
Behzad Maghsoudlou, MD
View Bio
Robert C. Bransfield, MD
View Bio
4:15-4:45pm – Final Q&A Panel of ILADS Experts
Q&A Panel:
Robert C. Bransfield, MD
View Bio
Daniel Cameron, MD, MPH
View Bio
Ann F. Corson, MD
View Bio
Behzad Maghsoudlou, MD
View Bio
Harold Smith, MD
View Bio
4:45-5:00pm – Summary of best take-aways from the day
Happy New Year to all of our colleagues across the globe and a warm welcome to all of our new members who have joined since the Boston conference. Please send any news items between issues to us at Lymedocs@aol.com.
Editors: Andrea Gaito, MD, Barbara Buchman, Exec.Director ILADS
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Greetings Colleagues,
The Boston conference was the most successful conference of any Lyme organization in history. We achieved approximately a 100% increase in attendance over the Toronto conference and had an upsurge in new members and renewals that will invigorate and energize our membership for the year to come.
Our program based on evidence-based medicine was extremely well received both by those attending and by those who viewed our program worldwide. Through the efforts of our staff and select board members, our conference was viewed by thousands of people on web streams to the United States, Europe and Australia.
This year’s Platinum Dinner, which was overseen by Andrea Gaito, M.D., our Treasurer, produced dramatic revenues over last year’s dinner and will contribute to our ability to provide greater administrative services to the membership.
It is also exciting news that the ILADS Educational Foundation is the beneficiary of a major training grant by the IGeneX Corporation to train physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses. This compliments the work that we have done over a number of years in seeking to ensure that physicians interested in tick-borne illness were given the opportunity to train with ILADS physicians in the Physician Training Program and in doing so, improved their abilities to serve the affected patient population.
This year, we will have three conferences sponsored by ILADS: one in Hershey, PA in April, the European conference in Belgium in June and the annual conference in San Diego, CA in October.
Leo J. Shea III, Ph.D.
President, ILADS
Neuropsychological Evaluation & Treatment Services, P.C.
212-951-4545
www.leoshea.com
Pennsylvannia ILADS Members In Action
The Lyme Disease Association of Southeastern Pa has three ILADS members on its Board; Doug Fearn, Ron Hamlen, and Christa Vanderbilt. Between the three of them, they have given over 75 public talks, educating the community about tick-borne diseases. Their booklet,”Lyme Disease: The Basics” is about to go into its sixth edition. It is distributed to public health departments, schools, health care providers, and patients.
Additional work by this group include meeting with legislators at local, state and federal levels in many health forums. Doug Fearn, the group’s Chairman, will offer some suggestions in the next ILADS newsletter about effective ways to interface with local Board of Health officials in your community.
Australian Lyme Documentary Film
A new movie, an Australian documentary on Lyme disease and other stealth infections, has just been released. “Invisibly III:Part One-A Stealth Reality” explores the concept of stealth infections and the role they play in chronic infections and illness. The movie follows the journey of Australian Lyme disease patients through treatment as they battle the political and medical logistics of Lyme disease recognition in Australia. Click here to view more information.
Dr. Liegner Applauded
The ILADS community would like to thank Dr. Kenneth Liegner for all of his efforts in securing the CME credits for our past meetings. Dr. Liegner volunteered his time to travel to Westchester Medical Center, and successfully lobbied on behalf of our group. Thank you Dr. Liegner.
Richard I. Horowitz, MD, Author "Symptom Free"
ILADS member Richard Horowitz, MD has completed his Lyme book which will be released through St Martin’s press, in a hardcover edition, in the summer/fall. The name is Symptom Free: A Revolutionary Approach to Detecting Lyme and Chronic Illness and Restoring Health. The book will be hundreds of pages long also with hundreds of scientific references. It explains both classical and integrative approaches to the treatment of tick-borne disorders.
If that wasn’t enough, Dr. Horowitz is speaking at the IHS conference in NYC at the end of February. This time, it will be on Meditation, Mind Training and Medicine, a scientific overview of meditation techniques to bring balance into our lives, and to help deal with stress and anxiety.
Finally, Dr. Horowitz has been invited to speak in France in late September at a European Conference with Dr Christiane Perrone. He will be providing an overview of tick-borne disease diagnosis and treatment in french to the french speaking doctors there.
Author Katina Makris Encourages Release of Delayed Massachusetts Lyme Disease Commission
The Massachusetts Lyme Disease Commission was created by the Massachusetts State Legislature in April of 2011. The Lyme Disease Commission’s charge was to develop a report to help combat Lyme Disease, including options in regards to screening programs, the improvement of preventative measures and to explore the value of public health screening measures. The release of the report has been delayed as the result of numerous technical issues. Makris believes it is imperative that Massachusetts and other affected states take action as soon as possible.
“The Lyme disease situation in Massachusetts is yet another red ‘dashboard’ light screaming for action alert regarding this exploding infectious illness.
Many medical authorities consider Lyme disease to be the polio of the twenty first century, as it has now surpassed HIV in how quickly it is spreading” says Katina Makris, Lyme survivor and author of “Out of The Woods; Healing Lyme Disease, Body, Mind & Spirit”.
As Dr. Leo Shea III, International Lyme and Infectious Disease Society president states, “we watched too many thousands die when the medical community did not take HIV seriously. We cannot afford to lose another generation to Lyme disease.”
“The sooner Massachusetts and other states adopt Lyme disease awareness, prevention, diagnostic and adequate early treatment protocols, the better chance we have to arrest the epidemic.”
Training Funds Available
Due to the generosity of IGeneX, ILADS members with a MD or DO degree may now take advantage of our Physicians’ Training Program. An ILADS member may spend one to two weeks shadowing a designated training physician. There is a stipend available. We encourage all qualified members to take advantage of this program. Click here to find out more about The Physicians' Training Program.
Call For Papers
The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Annual Scientific Session October 18-20, 2013 is in San Diego. We are now accepting abstracts of 200 words or less in paragraph form. Please remit to lymedocs@aol.com. Deadline is February 15th 2013. We are also soliciting poster presentations.
Moregellons Disease: New Research
Congratulations to Marianne Middelveen, MSc, Mdes, Raphael Stricker, MD, Peter Mayne, MD and Doug Kahn on their new publication, “Characterization and evolution of dermal filaments in patients with Morgellons Disease.” This landmark paper will be discussed at the CEHF 6th Annual Conference in Austin, Texas on April 6-7, 2013.
Click here to find out more.
Dr. Bransfield Offers Two Seminars
Dr. Robert Bransfield, will be offering two interesting seminars in the upcoming months. “The Psychoimmunology of Tick Borne Diseases and its Association with Neuropsychiatric Symptoms” at Cooper Medical School, NJ on January 22, 2013 and “Newer Treatments for Major Psychiatric Disorders” at Saint Claire’s Hospital, NJ on Feb 21, 2013.
2013 Directory
We are going to be printing the 2013 ILADS Member Directory. Please update us with any changes in contact information. New address? New e-mail? Opened a second office? Closed an office? Do you speak multiple languages? We continually have patients who are trying to find a doctor with whom they are comfortable communicating. Update us at lymedocs@aol.com Only those members with paid dues will be included in this printed edition sent to all ILADS members.
Seeking New Lyme Doctor For Practice in Minnesota
Sentinel Medical Associates in St. Paul MN presently has 2 ILADS member physicians involved in the treatment of tick-related disease. Sentinel is interested in adding another such physician specialist to our organization. Interested practitioners can contact us at 651.287.8781.
Charles Burton, M.D., Medical Director
ILADS Upcoming Educational Opportunities
April 20, 2013, ILADS and Jefferson University Hospital, Myrna Brind Center for Integrative Medicine are co sponsoring a one day course on basic Lyme disease.Host: PA Lyme Resource Network…. This is an opportunity for medical providers to meet other like minded doctors interested in learning more about diagnosing and treating chronic Lyme and tick borne diseases. Up to nine CME Cat. 1 credit hours are available for this course. The program schedule follows below. To register, go to http://ilads.org/ilads_media/hershey-registration/. Researched Nutritionals has graciously agreed to host a dinner on Friday night for the faculty and all registered ILADS members.
Additionally, ILADS will be headed back over to Europe. Thursday and Friday, June 6-7, 2013, ILADS is sponsoring a Lyme program in Brussels, Belgium. ILADS member Kenny deMeirleir, MD is organizing the sessions. More information to follow as soon as it is available.
Finally, ILADS will be returning to the West Coast in fall, 2013. The Fourteenth Annual Scientific Session will be held October 18-20, 2013 at Paradise Point Resort & Spa just a ten minute cab ride from San Diego International Airport. Room reservations are now available by calling 800 344 2626 or online by clicking here. If you make a reservation by September 22, 2013, you may take advantage of the group rate of $199 plus tax for a Lenai Garden room. Parking is complimentary. Once more information is available, we will be notifying you.
PA Lyme & Tick-Borne Disease Conference Program
The Hershey Lodge, Hershey, PA
Friday, April 19, 2013
ILADS MEMBERS NETWORKING and SPEAKERS FUNCTION
6:00 pm – Networking reception
7:00 pm – Dinner
Dinner Speaker: Updates on Research and Testing on Bartonella
B. Robert Mozayeni, MD
Dinner Sponsored by Researched Nutritionals
View Bio
7pm-9pm – Exhibitor Set up
Saturday, April 20, 2013
6:45 am - Registration Opens
7:00-7:45am – Breakfast With Optional Presentation
Optional Breakfast Presentation: Results of a twenty patient study of the use of Curcumin and its effects on Immunologic and Cognitive/Metabolic Disorders
Philip DeMio, MD
Breakfast underwritten by Lee Silsby Pharmacy
View Bio
8:00-8:05am
Welcome
Julia Wagner, MBA, President PA Lyme Resource Network
8:05-8:10am
Welcome
Daniel J. Cameron, MD, MPH, ILADS Moderator
View Bio
8:10-8:40am
Keynote: The Role of Biofilms in Chronic Infections
Garth Ehrlich, PhD
View Bio
8:40-9:40am
Lyme Disease History and Evolution of Tick Borne Disease
Joseph J. Burrascano, Jr., MD
View Bio
9:40-10:00am – Networking Break
10:00-10:30am
ILADS Treatment Guidelines
Daniel J. Cameron, MD, MPH
View Bio
10:30-11:00am
An Objective Analysis of Testing and Treatment Studies
Harold Smith, MD
View Bio
11:00-11:10am – Networking Break
11:10-11:45am
Complicating Factors – Co-infections
B. Robert Mozayeni, MD
View Bio
11:45am-12:15pm
Question and Answer for Morning Presenters
Dr. Jingduan Yang, MD, Jefferson Moderator
View Bio
12:15-1:15pm – Lunch – Networking Tables by Topic (included in registration)
1:15-2:15pm
Tick Borne Diseases in Pediatric Patients
Ann F. Corson, MD
View Bio
2:15-3:00pm
Neuropsychiatric Manifestations of Tick-Borne Disease in Pediatric and Adult Patients with Cases – What is going on?
Robert C. Bransfield, MD
View Bio
3:00-3:15pm – Networking Break
Breakout Case Study Presentations and Discussions
3:15-4:15pm
BREAKOUT A:
Treating Lyme: Practical Considerations with selected case studies
Panel Discussion:
Daniel Cameron, MD, MPH
View Bio
Harold Smith, MD
View Bio
Joseph Burrascano, Jr., MD
View Bio
BREAKOUT B:
Cases of Lyme in Pregnancy and Pediatrics
Panel Discussion:
Ann F. Corson, MD
View Bio
Rita Rhoads, MPH, CRNP, CNM
View Bio
BREAKOUT C:
Neurological/Psychiatric Cases
Panel Discussion:
Behzad Maghsoudlou, MD
View Bio
Robert C. Bransfield, MD
View Bio
4:15-4:45pm – Final Q&A Panel of ILADS Experts
Q&A Panel:
Robert C. Bransfield, MD
View Bio
Daniel Cameron, MD, MPH
View Bio
Ann F. Corson, MD
View Bio
Behzad Maghsoudlou, MD
View Bio
Harold Smith, MD
View Bio
4:45-5:00pm – Summary of best take-aways from the day
Re: TÄRKEÄ: ILADSin TIEDOTTEITA !
Kesä 2013 vol.4
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Greetings Colleagues,
It has been my pleasure over the last two years to serve the ILADS community. I wish to express my thanks to the members of the Board of Directors, the ILADS national staff and all ILADS members who have participated in special projects to advance the mission and goals of ILADS.
During the last two years, our membership has grown significantly, attendance at the conferences has doubled, and our revenues have increased sufficiently so that we have been able to hire additional staff to keep up with the demands of thousands of patients across the country who access our services on an annual basis.
We have also been instrumental in providing speakers to advance legislation in various states focused on protecting
Lyme-literate physicians. Their earnest and dedicated work on behalf of suffering Lyme patients is often jeopardized by the entrenched medical establishment that seeks to limit patient information to one set of guidelines.
When I leave the Presidency in October, I will take some measure of satisfaction in having overseen the maturation of the organization during the last two years. The improved structure of ILADS will serve the incoming president, Dan Cameron, well and will allow for an expansion of services to all Lyme and other tick-borne disease patients.
I thank you for your support and continue to look forward to the day when we have a gold standard irrefutable diagnostic test for Lyme and curative treatments for all patients.
Leo J. Shea III, Ph.D.
President, ILADS
Neuropsychological Evaluation & Treatment Services, P.C.
212-951-4545
www.leoshea.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
In May 2012, a team of veterinary and human medical scientists published in the CDC's Journal , Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID May 2012), the largest ever case series of Bartonella spp. bacteremic patients in the human medical literature.
These patients were examined and selected for testing by a single rheumatologist (Dr. Robert Mozayeni) due to concerns about Lyme disease, however, distinct clinical features associated with Bartonella were observed. Bartonella appears to be an important co-infection of in humans with Borreliosis, however, Bartonella sp. can be transmitted by a broad range of vectors that harbor these bacteria.
In addition, a broad range of animal hosts serve as persistently infected reservoirs for human infection. Awareness is emerging regarding Bartonella infections in domestic and wild animals and humans. Importantly, bartonellosis appears to share a high degree of overlap with the clinical manifestations of Lyme disease.
Beginning in September 2013, Ed Breitschwerdt, DVM, Professor of Veterinary Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases at North Carolina State University, and B. Robert Mozayeni, MD, founder of the Translational Medicine Group, P.C., Rockville, MD will present a two-part webinar series for health professionals (CME's are being applied for, awaiting approval) regarding the biology, diagnosis and treatment of bartonellosis. These two hour sessions will be offered at Introductory and Advanced Levels.
There will also be a webinar regarding Bartonella sp. and bartonellosis for the general public to be held in October.
The webinar series will be sponsored by the Center for Translational Medicine, a 501c(3) research and educational organization co-founded by Dr. Mozayeni.
Dr. Breitschwerdt is a co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Galaxy Diagnostics, LLC. and Dr. Mozayeni is the Chief Medical Officer of Galaxy Diagnostics, LLC.
To register and reserve your seat for a Bartonella webinar, please visit: c4tm.org/center/edu
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOT OFF THE PRESSES:
ILADS member Richard Horowitz, MD announces the arrival of his long awaited book on Lyme disease.
The title is SOLVING THE MYSTERY OF LYME AND CHRONIC DISEASE. St Martin's press is the publisher. The tentative release date is November 2013. The book is a 520 page hardcover edition covering Lyme and associated co-infections in detail, with hundreds of scientific references.
The book also contains patient histories, and explains differential diagnoses for complex cases. It is written for the lay public with and an addendum for health care providers in the back.
Richard Horowitz, MD is offering to personalized autograph copies of his soon to be released Lyme book to ILADS San Diego attendees. His book will be available for sale at the ILADS San Diego conference in advance of the November release date. Write to contact@ilads.org to reserve your copy of the book for purchase and pick up in San Diego.
If you prefer an on line purchase click here.
----------------------------------------------------------
Ceres Nanosciences Improved Lyme Disease Test, Market Launch Planned for 2014
A team of Ceres Nanosciences and George Mason University researchers are pleased to announce that they have accelerated the development of their novel Nanotrap? based Lyme Antigen Test by adding a new patient enrollment site to their clinical study. The new site will provide valuable patient samples needed for the development and delivery of the test to clinical labs. The addition of this new site was made possible through the support of Virginia Delegate, David Ramadan.
The new site, Internal Medicine of Northern Virginia, in Reston, VA, is led by Dr. Samuel Shor. As chair of the Loudoun County Lyme Commission and member of the Virginia Governor's Task Force on Lyme disease, Dr. Shor is a leading voice in the national discussion about Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment. "With the increasingVirginia Delegate, David Ramadan, has been a great supporter of Ceres' approach and was responsible for connecting Ceres with Dr. Shor's practice. Del. Ramadan said, "I'm very excited about this great advancement in early detection of Lyme and looking forward to 2014 when this test becomes available to the public. Further I'm proud of the hard work of the scientists at my alma mater George Mason University and thankful that Dr. Shor agreed to participate in this effort based on my request. Detecting Lyme at an early stage will help thousands of our friends and neighbors avoid years of pain and sufferinThe Ceres/Mason team plans to submit the results of the clinical study to a peer-reviewed scientific journal by the end of 2013, and hopes to identify a partner for a local market deployment by early 2014. "The test is being developed in adherence to very strict clinical guidelines so that it will be highly reliable and reproducible across labs," says Ceres' CEO, Ross Dunlap. "We hope to deliver this in partnership with an established health care provider so that it can reach patients and provide benefit as soon as possible."
Raw Data Contradict CDC's Lyme Position
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been presented with well-documented cases of treatment failure with currently recommended regimens, as in the case of Vicki Logan ( "Rallies to raise awareness of Lyme disease, challenge CDC treatment guidelines" May 5), as well as instances of the dismal failure of the CDC's highly-touted "2-Tier" system of Lyme diseDespite these cases, which are representative of many others, Dr. Lyle Petersen turns a deaf ear to the experience of the patients ( "Valley View: Long-term antibiotics not warranted for Lyme treatment" June 16). Dr. Petersen implies short-term antibiotic treatment is invariably curative for Lyme disease and that chronic and seronegative cases of Lyme disease do not exist. I challenge Dr. Petersen to make public the raw data from CDC-funded research on cerebrospinal fluid from persons with Lyme disease conducted in three collaborating university research laboratories. These data appear to have been "deep-sixed," likely because results contradict the CDC's preconceived bias against the existence of chronic and seronegative Lyme diseases.nt of 140 frozen spinal fluid specimens from my patients tested positive on standard assays for Lyme disease whereas 62 percent tested positive on one or more of the four research assays used in the CDC-funded research: two antigen detection assays and two assays for borrelia-specific immune complexes, all in cerebrospinal fluid.
Unfortunately, many persons with Lyme disease fail to get diagnosed early or treated adequately, resulting in incalculable suffering, general and neurological deterioration, and sometimes death.
Kenneth B. Liegner, M.D.
Pawling, New York, USA
ALEXIS CHESNEY, ND
Best Practices in the Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Lyme Disease New York Association of Naturopathic Physicians (NYANP) Conference
October 6, 2013
3 West Club, 3 West 51st Street,
New York, NY
Register at www.nyanp.org
Best wishes to Eboni Smith, MD
of Internal Medicine of Northern Virginia who is just married and
now to be known as
Eboni S. Cornish, MD
Looking for Lyme-open, and/or Lyme-literate doctor to help
1-2 days a week in a busy Lyme practice
in Stevensville, MD.
Please contact Barbara at
contact@ilads.org
ILADEF PSA/Press Release - LymePowerOfUs
ILADEF has produced a thirty second and sixty second PSA for distribution to create awareness about Lyme Disease and to engage the community through the LymePowerOfUs campaign. Please visit the Press page on LymePowerOfUs to download the PSAs if you would like access to the PSAs for your radio contacts.
You may also download the press release and other downloads that may be helpful when contacting the press.
We Need Your Help. 20 days left to launch our message viral.
Thunderclap is a new crowdspeaking platform that helps people be heard by saying something together. It just takes a minute. You simply pledge a tweet and once enough tweets have been "stockpiled", they are unleashed simultaneously.
We only need 29 more pledges in the next 20 days. If we dont reach our goal, our message will not go out. Please take a minute and join us in getting the message out "Put An End To The Lyme Disease Epidemic".
Educational Course Offered
By Dr. Betty Maloney
Dr. Betty Maloney continues to offer a half day course on Lyme Disease that is accredited for 4.0 credits through the American Academy of Family Physicians. The goal of the course is to provide a thorough and non-biased discussion of the science surrounding Lyme disease and enable attendees to be better prepared to diagnose the disease. Please contact Dr. Maloney directly at md@phhmd.com if you know a cluster of physicians looking for this kind of opportunity.
Dr. Corson's Office Change
Dr. Ann Corson New Office Address:
404 McFarlan Rd., Suite 201
Kennett Square, PA. 19348
Telephone: 610 444 8901
Lyme Literate Physician in the Twin Cities, MN Looking for PA, NP, or ND
Global Rehabilitation, LLC is an new integrative Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation clinic in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. Dayna Wolfe, M.D., an ILADS member is the owner and Chief Medical Officer of this practice with a growing case load of patients with Lyme disease and co-infections. The mission of Global Rehabilitation is to strive to enhance the quality of life for people with chronic medical conditions and disabilities.
We are interested in hiring a full-time PA, NP, or ND, who is motivated and shows an interest in helping the practice to grow through the years. Dr. Wolfe would like to hire an integrative/functional medicine practitioner. If you are interested in discussing this opportunity further, please email your resume and brief letter of interest to globalrehabllc@gmail.com. Thank you and best regards, Dayna Lorraine Wolfe, M.D. (612) 360-2041.
Dr. Steven Phillips To Reopen Office
Dr. Steven Phillips will be reopening his office practice on September 1, at 944 Danbury Road, Wilton, Ct., Telephone: 203 544 0005. Dr Phillips was one of the founding members of ILADS and served a President from 2004-2006. He will be accepting new patients.
Clongen Laboratories Moving To New Location
Clongen Laboratories, LLC will be hosting an open house at its new location at 211 Perry Parkway, Gaithersburg, Maryland on September 2, 2013. The new facility is needed due to the increased demand for the 250 DNA and RNA tests for infectious diseases that it offers, which includes testing for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. Learn More.
ILADS Launches One Day Basic Lyme Course
ILADS is proud to announce a one day Basic Lyme course in San Diego, Thursday October 17, 2013. This course targets medical professionals who are new to the treatment of tick-borne diseases, or would like a refresher course on the basics of diagnosis and treatment. It will also serve as a primer for physician assistants and nurse practitioners who are practicing in the offices of Lyme literate physicians. The course is limited in size so that participants will have ample opportunity for interaction with the highly regarded faculty.
ILADS exhibitors will be on site to help newly treating doctors choose the products to complement their budding Lyme practices. The annual scientific conference will follow at the same venue, Paradise Point Resort, Friday-Sunday, October 18-20, 2013.
GRANT AVAILABLE
Grant available for first-time attendee up to $150.00 out-of-pocket expenses for any U.S. actively practicing MD, DO, ND, NP or PA. Download Grant Application ⇒
Registration available for Healthcare Professionals only.
CME CREDITS AVAILABLE
7 AMA PRA Category I Credits
7.5 AAFP Prescribed Credits
7 AOA
Category 2-A Credits
Lyme Basics Program Highlights
8:10-9:00am
Lyme Disease History and Evolution of Tick Borne Disease
Joseph J. Burrascano, Jr., MD
View Bio
9:00-10:15am
Clinical Presentation of Lyme
Chris Green, MD
View Bio
10:45am-12:00pm
Co-infections: Presentation and Diagnosis
Richard I. Horowitz, MD
View Bio
1:00-2:00pm
Laboratory Analysis of Tick Borne Disease
Daniel J. Cameron, MD, MPH
View Bio
2:00-3:00pm
Treatment of Tick Borne Disease
Joseph J. Burrascano, Jr., MD
View Bio
3:30-4:30pm
Building an Evidence Based Lyme Practice
Daniel J. Cameron, MD, MPH
View Bio
Combine Learning and Earning CME Credits,
With a Beautiful Vacation in San Diego
Paradise Point - San Diego's Island Resort is a private 44-acre island tucked away on gentle Mission Bay, minutes from the heart of downtown San Diego and adjacent to the famous SeaWorld Adventure Park. This San Diego Resort features comfortable, California beach bungalow-style guest rooms amidst lush, tropical gardens and meandering lagoons.
ILADS has negotiated a special room rate of $199 per night from October 14, 2013 until October 23, 2013. Click here to book a room online or call 800.344.2626 and use our group code: ILADS2013 to get the special rate. Rate is good until September 23, assuming room availability.
ILADS GALA AWARDS DINNER
Gala Chairs Richard Horowitz, MD and Raphael Stricker, MD are planning some fun for you. At the same time we are raising funds to support the ILADEF physicians' training program and the Lyme TAP program. Nick S. Harris, PhD, an inspiration to all will be awarded the ILADS Pioneer Award for his innovations in Lyme disease testing, his commitment to people suffering with Lyme disease, and his generous donations to people in need.
Saturday October 19, 2013 at the Paradise Point hotel, gala guests will be transported to the atmosphere of the Haawaiian Islands. Polynesian Dancers will greet each guest with a lei. A fire-knife performer and Polynesian dancers will wow the crowd. Then after dinner, Dr. Horowitz intends to entertain everyone with his latest Lyme inspired song. Come join the fun.
Click Here To Find Our More About The ILADS Gala Awards Dinner.
ILADS Gala Program - Add Your Voice
Show your gratitude to Nick Harris, PhD by buying a listing in the gala program. For $100 you may include a tile ad listing (2.528" x 1.847"). For $50 you may add up to 100 words of congratulations to Dr. Harris' Tribute Page within the Program.
If you would like to express your message in a big way here are additional options
AD SIZES
1 page (6 x 9): $1,600
1/2 page (6 x 4.5): $1,050
Inside Front Cover: $3,500
Inside Back Cover: $3,000
Back Cover: $3,250.00
Click Here To Purchase Your Listing, Text Congratulations or Ad.
ILADS LAUNCHES LYMEPOWEROFUS CAMPAIGN
ILADS Marketing Consultant and Web Developer, Laurie Martin has developed a a cutting-edge call-to-action social media campaign that emphasizes the power of people around the world unified with one voice to communicate the importance of Lyme disease awareness.
LymePowerOfUs offers simple tools to individuals to tell their story, restore their voice, and come together under a unified message: "The Power Of Us To Bring About Change. Join The Roar."
The Campaign was created in honor of Dr. Nick Harris who will be awarded the 2013 Pioneer Lyme Disease Award on October 19, 2013 at the ILADS Gala Awards Dinner in San Diego, California
Help us realize our vision of a world where no one is denied appropriate diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease, where families aren't ruined financially, and where no one lives a life of suffering from chronic Lyme disease.
Click Here To Learn More About LymePowerOfUs
ILADS Scientific Session Goes West
Annual Scientific Session is October Friday 18 through Sunday October 20th, 2013 at the Paradise Point Resort in San Diego, CA. The goal this year is presenting evidence-based medicine which will define medical and mental health issues more clearly, inform treatment and increase professional and patient understanding of the scientific underpinnings of Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment. Each day will have a morning plenary session for all attendees. Friday and Saturday afternoons, registrants may choose from several breakout sessions. Sunday is plenary only with the presentation of the John Drulle Memorial Lectureship for the speaker who has given new hope to patients through his or her clinical research.
Some program highlights include Amiram Katz, MD speaking on IVIG in the Treatment for Autoimmune Issues in
Lyme Disease. Benjamin Asher, MD will be speaking on Ear, Nose and Throat Manifestations of Lyme and Daniel J. Cameron, MD, MPH will address Goal Directed Therapy of Lyme and Tick Borne Diseases.
New this year, Dr. Horowitz and Dr. Burrascano will lead a break out on Beyond Basics for those in the intermediary level of their tick borne disease diagnostic and treatment care. Continental breakfast, lunch and all networking breaks are included with the registration fee.
The beautiful hotel campus is 44 acres of lush vegetation on an island surrounded by Mission Bay. Relax for a few days and learn about the newest in Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment. Come join us.
ILADS Annual
Members' Meeting
ILADS Members join us in the Mission Bay Room of the Paradise Point Resort at 5:30pm on Friday October 18 to discuss important member business. The Nominating Committee headed by Robert Bransfield, MD is soliciting nominations for Board positions. Anyone interested in serving should email contact@ilads.org Please include a short bio.
Did You Get A Chance To Ask That Last Question?
ILADS will be offering the popular hosted tables at the upcoming annual meeting for the Friday lunch for all registrants. Speakers and other Lyme leaders will be leading a discussion at their table. Any registrant may sit at the table, first come first served and join the conversation. As is the custom, the conversation will be general in nature. No personal health issues may be addressed. A list of tables/hosts will be in the final program.
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Greetings Colleagues,
It has been my pleasure over the last two years to serve the ILADS community. I wish to express my thanks to the members of the Board of Directors, the ILADS national staff and all ILADS members who have participated in special projects to advance the mission and goals of ILADS.
During the last two years, our membership has grown significantly, attendance at the conferences has doubled, and our revenues have increased sufficiently so that we have been able to hire additional staff to keep up with the demands of thousands of patients across the country who access our services on an annual basis.
We have also been instrumental in providing speakers to advance legislation in various states focused on protecting
Lyme-literate physicians. Their earnest and dedicated work on behalf of suffering Lyme patients is often jeopardized by the entrenched medical establishment that seeks to limit patient information to one set of guidelines.
When I leave the Presidency in October, I will take some measure of satisfaction in having overseen the maturation of the organization during the last two years. The improved structure of ILADS will serve the incoming president, Dan Cameron, well and will allow for an expansion of services to all Lyme and other tick-borne disease patients.
I thank you for your support and continue to look forward to the day when we have a gold standard irrefutable diagnostic test for Lyme and curative treatments for all patients.
Leo J. Shea III, Ph.D.
President, ILADS
Neuropsychological Evaluation & Treatment Services, P.C.
212-951-4545
www.leoshea.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
In May 2012, a team of veterinary and human medical scientists published in the CDC's Journal , Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID May 2012), the largest ever case series of Bartonella spp. bacteremic patients in the human medical literature.
These patients were examined and selected for testing by a single rheumatologist (Dr. Robert Mozayeni) due to concerns about Lyme disease, however, distinct clinical features associated with Bartonella were observed. Bartonella appears to be an important co-infection of in humans with Borreliosis, however, Bartonella sp. can be transmitted by a broad range of vectors that harbor these bacteria.
In addition, a broad range of animal hosts serve as persistently infected reservoirs for human infection. Awareness is emerging regarding Bartonella infections in domestic and wild animals and humans. Importantly, bartonellosis appears to share a high degree of overlap with the clinical manifestations of Lyme disease.
Beginning in September 2013, Ed Breitschwerdt, DVM, Professor of Veterinary Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases at North Carolina State University, and B. Robert Mozayeni, MD, founder of the Translational Medicine Group, P.C., Rockville, MD will present a two-part webinar series for health professionals (CME's are being applied for, awaiting approval) regarding the biology, diagnosis and treatment of bartonellosis. These two hour sessions will be offered at Introductory and Advanced Levels.
There will also be a webinar regarding Bartonella sp. and bartonellosis for the general public to be held in October.
The webinar series will be sponsored by the Center for Translational Medicine, a 501c(3) research and educational organization co-founded by Dr. Mozayeni.
Dr. Breitschwerdt is a co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Galaxy Diagnostics, LLC. and Dr. Mozayeni is the Chief Medical Officer of Galaxy Diagnostics, LLC.
To register and reserve your seat for a Bartonella webinar, please visit: c4tm.org/center/edu
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOT OFF THE PRESSES:
ILADS member Richard Horowitz, MD announces the arrival of his long awaited book on Lyme disease.
The title is SOLVING THE MYSTERY OF LYME AND CHRONIC DISEASE. St Martin's press is the publisher. The tentative release date is November 2013. The book is a 520 page hardcover edition covering Lyme and associated co-infections in detail, with hundreds of scientific references.
The book also contains patient histories, and explains differential diagnoses for complex cases. It is written for the lay public with and an addendum for health care providers in the back.
Richard Horowitz, MD is offering to personalized autograph copies of his soon to be released Lyme book to ILADS San Diego attendees. His book will be available for sale at the ILADS San Diego conference in advance of the November release date. Write to contact@ilads.org to reserve your copy of the book for purchase and pick up in San Diego.
If you prefer an on line purchase click here.
----------------------------------------------------------
Ceres Nanosciences Improved Lyme Disease Test, Market Launch Planned for 2014
A team of Ceres Nanosciences and George Mason University researchers are pleased to announce that they have accelerated the development of their novel Nanotrap? based Lyme Antigen Test by adding a new patient enrollment site to their clinical study. The new site will provide valuable patient samples needed for the development and delivery of the test to clinical labs. The addition of this new site was made possible through the support of Virginia Delegate, David Ramadan.
The new site, Internal Medicine of Northern Virginia, in Reston, VA, is led by Dr. Samuel Shor. As chair of the Loudoun County Lyme Commission and member of the Virginia Governor's Task Force on Lyme disease, Dr. Shor is a leading voice in the national discussion about Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment. "With the increasingVirginia Delegate, David Ramadan, has been a great supporter of Ceres' approach and was responsible for connecting Ceres with Dr. Shor's practice. Del. Ramadan said, "I'm very excited about this great advancement in early detection of Lyme and looking forward to 2014 when this test becomes available to the public. Further I'm proud of the hard work of the scientists at my alma mater George Mason University and thankful that Dr. Shor agreed to participate in this effort based on my request. Detecting Lyme at an early stage will help thousands of our friends and neighbors avoid years of pain and sufferinThe Ceres/Mason team plans to submit the results of the clinical study to a peer-reviewed scientific journal by the end of 2013, and hopes to identify a partner for a local market deployment by early 2014. "The test is being developed in adherence to very strict clinical guidelines so that it will be highly reliable and reproducible across labs," says Ceres' CEO, Ross Dunlap. "We hope to deliver this in partnership with an established health care provider so that it can reach patients and provide benefit as soon as possible."
Raw Data Contradict CDC's Lyme Position
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been presented with well-documented cases of treatment failure with currently recommended regimens, as in the case of Vicki Logan ( "Rallies to raise awareness of Lyme disease, challenge CDC treatment guidelines" May 5), as well as instances of the dismal failure of the CDC's highly-touted "2-Tier" system of Lyme diseDespite these cases, which are representative of many others, Dr. Lyle Petersen turns a deaf ear to the experience of the patients ( "Valley View: Long-term antibiotics not warranted for Lyme treatment" June 16). Dr. Petersen implies short-term antibiotic treatment is invariably curative for Lyme disease and that chronic and seronegative cases of Lyme disease do not exist. I challenge Dr. Petersen to make public the raw data from CDC-funded research on cerebrospinal fluid from persons with Lyme disease conducted in three collaborating university research laboratories. These data appear to have been "deep-sixed," likely because results contradict the CDC's preconceived bias against the existence of chronic and seronegative Lyme diseases.nt of 140 frozen spinal fluid specimens from my patients tested positive on standard assays for Lyme disease whereas 62 percent tested positive on one or more of the four research assays used in the CDC-funded research: two antigen detection assays and two assays for borrelia-specific immune complexes, all in cerebrospinal fluid.
Unfortunately, many persons with Lyme disease fail to get diagnosed early or treated adequately, resulting in incalculable suffering, general and neurological deterioration, and sometimes death.
Kenneth B. Liegner, M.D.
Pawling, New York, USA
ALEXIS CHESNEY, ND
Best Practices in the Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Lyme Disease New York Association of Naturopathic Physicians (NYANP) Conference
October 6, 2013
3 West Club, 3 West 51st Street,
New York, NY
Register at www.nyanp.org
Best wishes to Eboni Smith, MD
of Internal Medicine of Northern Virginia who is just married and
now to be known as
Eboni S. Cornish, MD
Looking for Lyme-open, and/or Lyme-literate doctor to help
1-2 days a week in a busy Lyme practice
in Stevensville, MD.
Please contact Barbara at
contact@ilads.org
ILADEF PSA/Press Release - LymePowerOfUs
ILADEF has produced a thirty second and sixty second PSA for distribution to create awareness about Lyme Disease and to engage the community through the LymePowerOfUs campaign. Please visit the Press page on LymePowerOfUs to download the PSAs if you would like access to the PSAs for your radio contacts.
You may also download the press release and other downloads that may be helpful when contacting the press.
We Need Your Help. 20 days left to launch our message viral.
Thunderclap is a new crowdspeaking platform that helps people be heard by saying something together. It just takes a minute. You simply pledge a tweet and once enough tweets have been "stockpiled", they are unleashed simultaneously.
We only need 29 more pledges in the next 20 days. If we dont reach our goal, our message will not go out. Please take a minute and join us in getting the message out "Put An End To The Lyme Disease Epidemic".
Educational Course Offered
By Dr. Betty Maloney
Dr. Betty Maloney continues to offer a half day course on Lyme Disease that is accredited for 4.0 credits through the American Academy of Family Physicians. The goal of the course is to provide a thorough and non-biased discussion of the science surrounding Lyme disease and enable attendees to be better prepared to diagnose the disease. Please contact Dr. Maloney directly at md@phhmd.com if you know a cluster of physicians looking for this kind of opportunity.
Dr. Corson's Office Change
Dr. Ann Corson New Office Address:
404 McFarlan Rd., Suite 201
Kennett Square, PA. 19348
Telephone: 610 444 8901
Lyme Literate Physician in the Twin Cities, MN Looking for PA, NP, or ND
Global Rehabilitation, LLC is an new integrative Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation clinic in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. Dayna Wolfe, M.D., an ILADS member is the owner and Chief Medical Officer of this practice with a growing case load of patients with Lyme disease and co-infections. The mission of Global Rehabilitation is to strive to enhance the quality of life for people with chronic medical conditions and disabilities.
We are interested in hiring a full-time PA, NP, or ND, who is motivated and shows an interest in helping the practice to grow through the years. Dr. Wolfe would like to hire an integrative/functional medicine practitioner. If you are interested in discussing this opportunity further, please email your resume and brief letter of interest to globalrehabllc@gmail.com. Thank you and best regards, Dayna Lorraine Wolfe, M.D. (612) 360-2041.
Dr. Steven Phillips To Reopen Office
Dr. Steven Phillips will be reopening his office practice on September 1, at 944 Danbury Road, Wilton, Ct., Telephone: 203 544 0005. Dr Phillips was one of the founding members of ILADS and served a President from 2004-2006. He will be accepting new patients.
Clongen Laboratories Moving To New Location
Clongen Laboratories, LLC will be hosting an open house at its new location at 211 Perry Parkway, Gaithersburg, Maryland on September 2, 2013. The new facility is needed due to the increased demand for the 250 DNA and RNA tests for infectious diseases that it offers, which includes testing for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. Learn More.
ILADS Launches One Day Basic Lyme Course
ILADS is proud to announce a one day Basic Lyme course in San Diego, Thursday October 17, 2013. This course targets medical professionals who are new to the treatment of tick-borne diseases, or would like a refresher course on the basics of diagnosis and treatment. It will also serve as a primer for physician assistants and nurse practitioners who are practicing in the offices of Lyme literate physicians. The course is limited in size so that participants will have ample opportunity for interaction with the highly regarded faculty.
ILADS exhibitors will be on site to help newly treating doctors choose the products to complement their budding Lyme practices. The annual scientific conference will follow at the same venue, Paradise Point Resort, Friday-Sunday, October 18-20, 2013.
GRANT AVAILABLE
Grant available for first-time attendee up to $150.00 out-of-pocket expenses for any U.S. actively practicing MD, DO, ND, NP or PA. Download Grant Application ⇒
Registration available for Healthcare Professionals only.
CME CREDITS AVAILABLE
7 AMA PRA Category I Credits
7.5 AAFP Prescribed Credits
7 AOA
Category 2-A Credits
Lyme Basics Program Highlights
8:10-9:00am
Lyme Disease History and Evolution of Tick Borne Disease
Joseph J. Burrascano, Jr., MD
View Bio
9:00-10:15am
Clinical Presentation of Lyme
Chris Green, MD
View Bio
10:45am-12:00pm
Co-infections: Presentation and Diagnosis
Richard I. Horowitz, MD
View Bio
1:00-2:00pm
Laboratory Analysis of Tick Borne Disease
Daniel J. Cameron, MD, MPH
View Bio
2:00-3:00pm
Treatment of Tick Borne Disease
Joseph J. Burrascano, Jr., MD
View Bio
3:30-4:30pm
Building an Evidence Based Lyme Practice
Daniel J. Cameron, MD, MPH
View Bio
Combine Learning and Earning CME Credits,
With a Beautiful Vacation in San Diego
Paradise Point - San Diego's Island Resort is a private 44-acre island tucked away on gentle Mission Bay, minutes from the heart of downtown San Diego and adjacent to the famous SeaWorld Adventure Park. This San Diego Resort features comfortable, California beach bungalow-style guest rooms amidst lush, tropical gardens and meandering lagoons.
ILADS has negotiated a special room rate of $199 per night from October 14, 2013 until October 23, 2013. Click here to book a room online or call 800.344.2626 and use our group code: ILADS2013 to get the special rate. Rate is good until September 23, assuming room availability.
ILADS GALA AWARDS DINNER
Gala Chairs Richard Horowitz, MD and Raphael Stricker, MD are planning some fun for you. At the same time we are raising funds to support the ILADEF physicians' training program and the Lyme TAP program. Nick S. Harris, PhD, an inspiration to all will be awarded the ILADS Pioneer Award for his innovations in Lyme disease testing, his commitment to people suffering with Lyme disease, and his generous donations to people in need.
Saturday October 19, 2013 at the Paradise Point hotel, gala guests will be transported to the atmosphere of the Haawaiian Islands. Polynesian Dancers will greet each guest with a lei. A fire-knife performer and Polynesian dancers will wow the crowd. Then after dinner, Dr. Horowitz intends to entertain everyone with his latest Lyme inspired song. Come join the fun.
Click Here To Find Our More About The ILADS Gala Awards Dinner.
ILADS Gala Program - Add Your Voice
Show your gratitude to Nick Harris, PhD by buying a listing in the gala program. For $100 you may include a tile ad listing (2.528" x 1.847"). For $50 you may add up to 100 words of congratulations to Dr. Harris' Tribute Page within the Program.
If you would like to express your message in a big way here are additional options
AD SIZES
1 page (6 x 9): $1,600
1/2 page (6 x 4.5): $1,050
Inside Front Cover: $3,500
Inside Back Cover: $3,000
Back Cover: $3,250.00
Click Here To Purchase Your Listing, Text Congratulations or Ad.
ILADS LAUNCHES LYMEPOWEROFUS CAMPAIGN
ILADS Marketing Consultant and Web Developer, Laurie Martin has developed a a cutting-edge call-to-action social media campaign that emphasizes the power of people around the world unified with one voice to communicate the importance of Lyme disease awareness.
LymePowerOfUs offers simple tools to individuals to tell their story, restore their voice, and come together under a unified message: "The Power Of Us To Bring About Change. Join The Roar."
The Campaign was created in honor of Dr. Nick Harris who will be awarded the 2013 Pioneer Lyme Disease Award on October 19, 2013 at the ILADS Gala Awards Dinner in San Diego, California
Help us realize our vision of a world where no one is denied appropriate diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease, where families aren't ruined financially, and where no one lives a life of suffering from chronic Lyme disease.
Click Here To Learn More About LymePowerOfUs
ILADS Scientific Session Goes West
Annual Scientific Session is October Friday 18 through Sunday October 20th, 2013 at the Paradise Point Resort in San Diego, CA. The goal this year is presenting evidence-based medicine which will define medical and mental health issues more clearly, inform treatment and increase professional and patient understanding of the scientific underpinnings of Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment. Each day will have a morning plenary session for all attendees. Friday and Saturday afternoons, registrants may choose from several breakout sessions. Sunday is plenary only with the presentation of the John Drulle Memorial Lectureship for the speaker who has given new hope to patients through his or her clinical research.
Some program highlights include Amiram Katz, MD speaking on IVIG in the Treatment for Autoimmune Issues in
Lyme Disease. Benjamin Asher, MD will be speaking on Ear, Nose and Throat Manifestations of Lyme and Daniel J. Cameron, MD, MPH will address Goal Directed Therapy of Lyme and Tick Borne Diseases.
New this year, Dr. Horowitz and Dr. Burrascano will lead a break out on Beyond Basics for those in the intermediary level of their tick borne disease diagnostic and treatment care. Continental breakfast, lunch and all networking breaks are included with the registration fee.
The beautiful hotel campus is 44 acres of lush vegetation on an island surrounded by Mission Bay. Relax for a few days and learn about the newest in Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment. Come join us.
ILADS Annual
Members' Meeting
ILADS Members join us in the Mission Bay Room of the Paradise Point Resort at 5:30pm on Friday October 18 to discuss important member business. The Nominating Committee headed by Robert Bransfield, MD is soliciting nominations for Board positions. Anyone interested in serving should email contact@ilads.org Please include a short bio.
Did You Get A Chance To Ask That Last Question?
ILADS will be offering the popular hosted tables at the upcoming annual meeting for the Friday lunch for all registrants. Speakers and other Lyme leaders will be leading a discussion at their table. Any registrant may sit at the table, first come first served and join the conversation. As is the custom, the conversation will be general in nature. No personal health issues may be addressed. A list of tables/hosts will be in the final program.
Re: TÄRKEÄ: ILADSin TIEDOTTEITA !
JOIN US FOR ILADS LIVE STREAMING CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS SHOW!
TUNE IN ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 8PM – 11PM EST!
The LIVE show will feature taped highlights of selected presentations, promotional segments discussing the Physician Training Program and LIVE interviews with leading scientists and physicians.
Chat with us LIVE and ask the experts your questions!
Learn more about the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Educational Foundation (ILADEF) and its efforts to recruit more physicians into the training program.
Help us recruit physicians in your region and make an online donation during the show!
All proceeds from ILADS Gala Awards Dinner and donations received during the live streaming event will benefit the Physician Training Program. Find out more about The Physician Training Program.
To View Show on Saturday, October 19, 8pm – 11pm EST go to:
http://ilads.org/lyme_programs/sandiego ... eaming.php
TUNE IN ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 8PM – 11PM EST!
The LIVE show will feature taped highlights of selected presentations, promotional segments discussing the Physician Training Program and LIVE interviews with leading scientists and physicians.
Chat with us LIVE and ask the experts your questions!
Learn more about the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Educational Foundation (ILADEF) and its efforts to recruit more physicians into the training program.
Help us recruit physicians in your region and make an online donation during the show!
All proceeds from ILADS Gala Awards Dinner and donations received during the live streaming event will benefit the Physician Training Program. Find out more about The Physician Training Program.
To View Show on Saturday, October 19, 8pm – 11pm EST go to:
http://ilads.org/lyme_programs/sandiego ... eaming.php
Re: TÄRKEÄ: ILADSin TIEDOTTEITA !
Dear ILADS Member,
Dear Member, A sincere thank you to all that made the Annual Conference in San Diego a huge success. As always, the camaraderie was infectious, even among so many new acquaintances. Please check the ILADS website for our upcoming regional and international conferences in the coming new year.
Editors: Andrea Gaito, MD, Barbara Buchman, Exec.Director ILADS
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
As the newly installed president of ILADS, I look forward to working with you over the next two years as we seek to continue our organization’s growth and to develop and enrich both our educational training programs and medical advocacy programs. Our goals are challenging and we often confronted by a scientific and medical subsector that is myopic and powerfully resistant to our efforts. I take heart however in the ILADS role as David confronting Goliath… and we know how that story ended. I am encouraged by the enthusiasm present at our ILADS Annual Meeting San Diego where we were graced with presentations by both national and international experts who addressed the 400 attendees. A noteworthy success was the preconference “Basics” workshop attended by 150 individuals. While many of the participants were new to the field of tick-borne disease even professionals with experience in treating Lyme disease patients appreciated the quality of the course. A very special thanks to Dr. Dan Kinderlehrer for chairing this workshop and contributing hundreds of hours of his professional time in organizing the speakers and materials that so enriched the process.
At the Member’s meeting several new changes were enacted to the bylaws to help in the growth of the organization. One of these was the passage of the term limits which allows voting members greater opportunities to
participate in the life of the organization. In keeping with this change, three long-standing members of our Board who have worked tirelessly for the organization, Lorraine Johnson, and Drs. Robert Bransfield and Andrea Gaito, stepped down to facilitate the election of three new ILADS directors. I welcome the newly elected members; Drs. Ken Liegner, Dan Kinderlehrer, and Carsten Nicolaus, all committed to the tradition of dedicated service.
This year we inaugurated the ILADEF “Pioneer Award” which was established to recognize individuals who have made seminal contributions in the field of tick-borne illnesses. The first recipient of this award was Dr. Nick Harris founder and Chairman of IGeneX. His work in this field is known and respected by medical professionals, scientific researchers and patients around the world.
A special note of thanks to Dr. Shea who dedicated his efforts during the past two year to increase the professional visibility and statue of ILADS. Under his direction ILADS membership and revenues have grown by more than 50%. I look forward to his continuing service on the Board as immediate past president and as the newly elected Chair of the ILADEF. I also wish to applaud the work of our Executive Director, Barbara Buchman and her national staff who did such an outstanding along with Dr. Shea in the planning, organization and management of this year’s ILADS conference in Dan Diego.
Daniel J. Cameron, MD, MPH
President, ILADS
ILADS Salutes Dr. Shea
Dr. Leo Shea was presented a congratulatory award by Dr.Daniel Cameron at the San Diego conference to recognize his outstanding accomplishments as ILADS President during the last two years. Under Dr. Shea’s diplomatic guidance, ILADS greatly enhanced its national recognition and increased membership dramatically. He was also instrumental in expanding ILADS educational conferences and outlining a long term strategy for the organization’s growth. Our sincere thanks to Dr. Shea for his dedication and effort.
Lyme Book Launched
Dr. Richard Horowitz’s groundbreaking new book, WHY CAN’T I GET BETTER? about diagnosing, healing and treating Lyme and chronic illness, goes on sale today! Please spread the word to your friends, colleagues and organizational members and put this book on the bestseller list. It will really advance our cause. The book is on sale everywhere books are sold and on Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/Why-Cant-Get-Bett ... 1250019400.
Editor's Correction
In the last issue of ILADS NEWS, there was a story in which Dr. Kenneth Liegner was quoted. It was not made clear that this was an excerpt from the letters to the editor section of the Poughkeepsie Journal.
The San Diego Lyme Conference
The 2013 ILADS fall annual meeting was an incredible success on many levels. The day before the meeting, ILADS offered the first ever Lyme Basics course designed for practitioners who do not yet have experience treating Lyme. The full day course played to a sold out audience of 150 attendees, who gave us outstanding feedback. The conference itself had exceptional speakers, including Dr. Amram Katz on IVIg, Dr. Joe Brewer on mycotoxins, and Dr. Hassan Abdullah on POTS. Thirty-six new practitioners applied for membership by the end of the meeting. To view photos from the conference, click here.
We are already planning the next meeting in DC on October 10-12, 2014. If you want to recommend any speakers whom you believe would make excellent contributions to the conference, please contact Dan Cameron or Dan Kinderlehrer. To learn more about upcoming conferences, click here.
Vitamin D For Diego Was Strong
The exhibitors at the recent San Diego ILADS conference were very encouraged by the enthusiastic medical professionals in attendance. In total, there were 27 booths. ILADS adopted a new incentive for the attendees this year. Using a blank bingo card, we inserted the names of the companies onto the sheet and asked the exhibitors to stamp each attendees card as they visited their booth. Once the attendee had all booths filled in, they would then be entered into a drawing. The grand prize was a three night hotel stay at Paradise Point Resort. It was a great success and Rita Rhoads, CRNP claimed the reward! Look for new incentives in the upcoming conference!
The John Druille Award
After his death, this unique award was started to memorialize the work of John Drulle, MD, husband of ILADS’ member Emilia Eiras, MD. Dr. Drulle was an inquisitive doctor who tried all kinds of unconventional and creative ways to help his patients beat chronic Lyme disease. The John Drulle Award is given to a speaker at the ILADS meeting who shows the spirit of John Drulle in treating patients. This year’s award was given to Daniel Cameron, MD, MPH.
Lyme Loonies Limited Edition Prints Raise Funds For Physician Training Program
These are two of eight limited edition signed and numbered prints sold at the 2013 ILADS Gala Awards Dinner to raise funds for the ILADS Physician Training Program. These make great gifts or can be used to hang in waiting rooms or patient exam rooms. Print size: 12" x 14.5". To find out more about owning your own Lyme Loonies Limited Edition Prints, e-mail contact@ilads.org. These will be available in the online store for holiday giving shortly.
A Conversation with Robert C. Bransfield, MD, Past President, ILADS & ILADEF
What significant or positive progress has been made in last 15 years for Lyme disease?
As a psychiatrist throughout my entire career I have found myself treating many patients with poorly understood diseases that were considered imaginary because there has been difficulty for many to understand the true nature of their conditions and the high level of complexity of Lyme disease invites confusion and intense controversy.
I was surprised and puzzled at the rigidity and demeaning attitude I saw in some of my colleagues surrounding this condition and have attempted to understand this better. Without understanding to cause for this narrow and rigid definition of Lyme disease, many of us saw the need to better organized physicians, other clinicians, patients and advocates.
In the fifteen years the Finnish Lyme Borreliosis Association and other groups have existed and become stronger we have had an impact and the significance of Lyme disease has become increasingly apparent to the public and to the medical community. Collectively we have had a strong global impact.
I was still puzzled by the resistance that prevented the advancement of medicine and science in regard to Lyme disease. The reason for the resistance became apparent in a scene in the middle of the movie “Under Our Skin” when Dr. Willie Burgdorfer, who discovered Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochete causing Lyme, stated—“The controversy in the Lyme disease research is a shameful affair and I say this because the whole thing is politically tainted. Money goes to the same people who have for the last 30 years produced the same thing—nothing.”
After some additional research it all made sense. A highly influential group was highly invested in defining this disease by antibody testing regardless of clinical realities. Those invested with the immune based definition were mostly a series of US National Institute of Health microbiologists, the bench scientists and research physicians who received grant money from them and many well intentioned physicians who viewed their research with authority. On the other side were physicians and other clinicians who valued clinical judgment and had the long term responsibility of caring for Lyme patients.
The Lyme disease controversy is now reaching a tipping point. After many years the US Center for Disease Control is beginning to recognize the magnitude of the Lyme disease epidemic and also recognize most patients receive longer courses of antibiotic treatment. Thanks to all in Finland and everywhere around the world for being a part of this effort!
What do you think is the biggest problem in LD patients and what are you hoping to happen?
The biggest problem with Lyme disease is a movement to replace traditional medicine that emphasizes the patient physician relationship, listening carefully to the patient, a thorough exam and individualized clinical judgment with a centralized power healthcare system that instead empowers a rigid significance of certain tests and guidelines.
Technology and the medical industrial complex helps us advance science and medicine but it must serve and empower the physician patient relationship and not compete and detract from it.
I am hoping the flaws of much of the current immune based testing is becoming increasingly obvious and will be eventually replaced with more reliance upon DNA, microarray testing and culturing. I would also hope the current cooperative efforts will continue to advance our knowledge of tick-borne diseases throughout the world.
Experiences of a Lyme Literate LCSW
by Nancy Baumgartner
Obtaining a correct diagnosis for tick-borne infections is a precarious process, even in apparently clear-cut cases. Teenagers, particularly those who have experienced trauma and loss, face special complications in this process.
A disseminated infection that undergirds primarily neurocognitive and/or psychiatric symptoms such as: mood swings, insomnia, fragmented sleep, panic/anxiety, depression, problems with memory and focus, headache, inertia, migrating pains, etc… are usually attributed to mere stress and grief marinated in teenage hormones. If the inflammation producing infection goes undetected and untreated, therapeutic work will prove to be an exercise in futility. It will ultimately increase a sense of resignation at best, and incite hopelessness and despair at worst. I am delighted to say that this was not the case for a bright high school student named Beth.
Her mother reported that Beth- then a freshman- would not attend school because of grief over her father’s death only months prior. Beth would spend hours on the couch, often in the dark, fiercely guarding her solitude. My visit to the lovely rural home, situated near a peaceful stream and surrounded by lush woods, yielded a brief peek at a somber, silent figure huddled in a dark room, fully folded into a gray hoodie sweatshirt. I did not make Beth come out and talk.
A conversation with Beth’s mother revealed that Beth had been experiencing symptoms long before her father’s death, and that he had helped her with the insomnia and panic attacks that began when she was eleven years old. After further discussion and information gathering, I provided Beth’s mother with a few articles on tick-borne infections along with the ILADS psychiatric brochure. These materials informed her decision to make an appointment with a lyme-literate doctor for Beth.
Toward the end of the last school year, Beth’s mother told me that Beth had been diagnosed with and was being treated for borrelia and bartonella. The most recent update came happily bounding into my office last month: all glorious, glowing, and hugging, now-sophomore Beth, who reported that she “has returned to the land of the living”, and wants to help other kids with lyme “any way she can”. There is no way anything in life can feel as good as moments like these!
Beth is now free to grow, grieve her father, live life, and actually benefit from our counseling sessions because she can fully participate in the process without being waylaid by an inflamed brain. Too often what we think we know obscures what we need to know. Looking at Beth through a narrow lens that allowed only for some truth to be identified would likely have left her with a greatly diminished life. The recognition and treatment of Beth’s infection has resulted in a life restored, and ignited a desire in her to help restore the lives of others. If that doesn’t ripple joyfully through eternity, what does?
Help Wanted!
If you know of a practitioner in the San Francisco Bay area wanting to join a busy Lyme practice, please contact bbuchman@ilads.org for an introduction.
Kevin Green, MD
Dr. Green has opened a functional medicine practice in Osh Kosh, WI. Green Medical Practice
can be reached at
920-651-3600.
Dr. Kinderlehrer Featured In Expert Beacon News
Daniel A. Kinderlehrer, M.D. is a nationally recognized holistic physician with expertise in the fields of nutrition, allergy, environmental medicine, Lyme disease and the healing of mind-body-spirit as a unified whole. Dr. Kinderlehrer co-founded The New England Center for Holistic Medicine in Newbury MA, and has taught extensively, including practitioner training courses at the National Institute of Behavioral Medicine and The Omega Institute. He coauthored The Antioxidant Save-Your-Life Cookbook and is the author of several review articles in medical journals and the Lyme Times. His integrated medical practice in Boulder, CO focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of tick-borne disease.
To view online, click here.
CQ Researcher Addresses Lyme
The CQ Researcher published an article today on Lyme disease. In the Pro’s and Con’s section, they used Sheila Statlender's, PhD recent legislative testimony and that of a local IDSA “authority”, Dr. Robert Pinsky. Both of which can be found by clicking here.
Dr. Pinsky’s testimony is primarily negative opinion regarding ILADS. This publication is widely used by “students” of current news items - the students are often attorneys and congressional leaders looking for background information. Unfortunately, one must purchase the article.
ILADEF News
ILADEF has produced a thirty second and sixty second PSA for distribution and to create awareness about Lyme Disease and to engage the community to The Power Of US. Please email contact@ilads.org if you would like access to the PSA for your radio contacts.
Huffington Post Goes Global To Spearhead Lyme Disease Awareness
The 300,000: In the Huff Post “Ticks” Part 14
Written By C.M. Rubin
Today in Part 14 of "Ticks," I have invited two leading Lyme disease doctors to comment on some of these major issues. Fresh off his recent appearance on the Katie Couric show, it's my pleasure to welcome clinician and author Dr. Richard Horowitz (Why Can't I Get Better? Solving the Mystery of Lyme and Chronic Disease, St. Martin's Press). Additionally, I asked Dr. Daniel Cameron to weigh in. Dan just began a reprise of his presidency of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS). He has testified as an expert on Lyme disease for legislation in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, and been featured as a Lyme expert on national media, including NBC's Today Show and ABC's Good Morning America. Read Entire Article.
Read Parts 1 to 13 of The Global Search for Education: “Ticks”:
Written By C.M. Rubin
More Research - Read Article
The Guidelines - Read Article
Prevention - Read Article
Research - Read Article
France - Read Article
Germany - Read Article
Norway - Read Article
In Search of Solutions - Read Article
Canada - Read Article
Australia - Read Article
UK - Read Article
Finland - Read Article
The Netherlands - Read Article
We hope you will encourage others to engage
in our global conversation on Tick Borne Illnesses.
Task Force Testifies In Favor Of Lyme Bill
The Massachusetts Lyme Legislative Task Force, a group of patient advocates from throughout the Commonwealth, testified on Wednesday, November 13 before the Joint Committee on Financial Services, with an overflow crowd in attendance. The hearing concerned the passage of H.989, a bill that would require insurance companies to cover antibiotic treatment for Lyme as prescribed by a physician. The bill, authored by Rep. Theodore C. Speliotis (D-Danvers) is co-sponsored by 36 state legislators in the House and Senate.
Currently, there are conflicting treatment guidelines in the medical literature: some limit antibiotic treatment to 28 days, while others treat according to patient response. Although legislation enacted in 2011 (General Law section 67, Chap. 112, Section 12DD) enabled physicians to treat Lyme disease for longer than a month without censure, insurance companies often refuse to cover the expense of such treatment, citing the more restrictive guidelines. As a result, many patients have been unable to afford the treatment prescribed for them.
“H.989 is a patient protection bill that closes the gap between the physician’s recommended treatment plan and the patient’s ability to pay for it,” said Dr. Sheila Statlender, a psychologist practicing in Newton and a member of the Task Force. “Having seen so many lives ruined by Lyme disease, I know how important it is to have Lyme patients get adequate treatment as soon as possible.” Dr. Statlender also served on Governor Patrick’s Lyme Disease Commission last year. The Commission’s report recommended this legislation.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported 5,050 total cases of Lyme disease in 2012. However, a recent CDC study reported that the actual cases are ten times higher, bringing cases in Massachusetts to over 50,000. Lyme disease is pervasive throughout the Commonwealth. The loss in productivity can be costly to families: a 2011 survey by LymeDisease.org noted that 44% of Lyme patients nationwide had to stop working during their illness, and 28% of those were debilitated for over a year. In the MA Lyme Commission Report, it notes that chronic illness accounts for 84% of healthcare costs. Only 21% of this figure is due to the cost of treatment, while 79% is due to lost economic output or productivity loss.
Additional members of the Massachusetts Lyme Legislative Task Force include Helen Brown of Whitman, Donna Castle of Groton, Janice Dey of Westport, Susan Fairbank-Pitzer of Danvers, Sharon Hawkes of Lenox, Jayme Kulesz of Groton, Patricia McCleary of Sturbridge, and Michelle Treseler of Newton.
The Task Force would like to acknowledge the contribution of LymeDisease.org Executive Director Lorraine Johnson, JD, MBA in analyzing the financial cost of illness of Lyme disease, and would also like to thank the following for providing written testimonies for the hearing: Pat Smith, President, Lyme Disease Association; Brian Fallon, MD, PhD, Director of the Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center of Columbia University Medical Center; Leo Shea, PhD, immediate past president of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society; and Steven Phillips, MD, past president of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society.
ILADEF Honors The Top Social Ambassadors
Did you know that there are Social Ambassadors who work tirelessly to advocate on behalf Lyme Awareness and the ILADEF physician training program? Neither Vicki Petsy nor Annie Labrie were present to receive their round of applause from the doctors attending the recent gala in San Diego. However, Dr. Horowitz did a shout out to each of them as well as to the other Ambassadors. Congratulations from ILADS to you and your peers. We are so very appreciative of your efforts to spread the word about chronic Lyme and ILADS doctors. View All Social Ambassadors.
VICKI PETSY
I am interested in becoming an ILADS Social Ambassador because I believe so many of us already are. We work together through the social medias to raise awareness. We may be just passing the same information back and forth to each other but it\’s all worth it when it’s intercepted by just one new patient who may have been struggling for weeks or even years, not knowing what was wrong with them until one of our posts crosses their path.I had been busy myself taking care of my very sick 18 year old son. He had been struggling for some time to get treatment when I knew it was Lyme but I couldn\’t get a doctor in KY to listen to me. After finally finding an excellent LLMD, I was so busy in caring for him that I neglected myself and was bit in 2012. It is what brought me down. It turns out that I actually had it most of my life and had no idea. I had odd illnesses and surgeries, never connecting them to Lyme until I became educated about Lyme and talked to our LLMD. We are pretty sure I gave it to my kids as well. I cannot sit idly by and watch what was happening around us. I am now a board member & webmaster for the Kentuckiana Lyme Support Group. I take care of our Facebook page and our website. Coxs Creek, KY, US
TRISH MCCLEARY
Years of misdiagnosis left me paralyzed and unable to speak in June of 2006. Thanks to Lyme specialists and my family who helped me regain quality of life I’ve gone from patient to advocate and now legislative advocate. Actively working in MA to bring the change we need and am a Governor appointed member of the MA Lyme Commission. I am founder of S.L.A.M. (Sturbridge Lyme Awareness of MA) and the “Ribbons Across America” campaign you may have heard about. It’s time we talk about Lyme and it’s time we insist on the care we deserve. Education and awareness are key. When I know my children have access to their meds without having to self pay I will rest. Until then there’s work to be done. Together we can make a difference! Sturbridge, MA, US
ANNIE LABRIE
I am currently facing my second battle with Lyme Disease. After being diagnosed with Lyme Meningitis in August of 2012, I received a second diagnosis of Lyme Disease with associated Bannwarth’s Syndrome on July 29, 2013. In both cases, I’ve had to fight, along with Lyme-Literate Physicians to get the appropriate, individualized care that I’ve needed, which has included a PICC line with ceftriaxone after failed attempts with oral doxycycline. After poor experiences with two hospitals and their Infectious Disease staff, I am left with a passion to serve the community as an educator and an advocate. There is a huge need for the truth to be made known about this dangerous epidemic. The CDC & IDSA are attempting to limit individualized, patient care, preventing those battling Lyme Disease from receiving treatment based on their symptoms, as with any other infectious diease or illness. Experience has shown me that if I had been left in the hands of Infectious Disease alone, I could now be dead. My son, who is 8 years old, had Lyme disease in June. His only symptoms were a low grade fever and headaches. My husband & I pushed to have him tested because of our history. His Western Blot was +. He was treated early. However, he has recently had joint pain & swelling and is undergoing another 3 week treatment of oral doxycycline. Lyme patients should be treated individually, based on their symptoms. I am honored to be serving for ILADS as a Social Ambassador and hope to do what I can to help educate and advocate in my community and beyond. Rehoboth, MA, US
JULIE CONRAD
ILADS also honors Julie Conrad who jumped to the top of the social ambassador program just after the deadline for the competition.
Letters to the Editor:
November 11,2013
Dear Fellow ILADS Members,
Upon my return to the Philadelphia area from San Diego, I wrote this letter to share some insights in to the recent annual scientific meeting of ILADS in that lovely California city. First, Barbara Buchman, our Executive Director, and her entire team gave us a sterling performance on how to organize an incredibly complex venture-moving our cornucopia of speakers, support, equipment, literature etc., offering personal guidance and welcoming material for each speaker and guest - across an entire continent, landing them on their feet ready for action.
And, action there was! The fast paced program skipped no beats, was universally helpful and very often enjoyable. The entire meeting was void of any negatives and it was fun. lt represented an opportunity to meet and talk with colleagues about mutual interests and concerns.
I hope all members will consider attending next year's meeting in Washington, DC.
With my best wishes,
Virginia T. Sherr, MD
Dear Member, A sincere thank you to all that made the Annual Conference in San Diego a huge success. As always, the camaraderie was infectious, even among so many new acquaintances. Please check the ILADS website for our upcoming regional and international conferences in the coming new year.
Editors: Andrea Gaito, MD, Barbara Buchman, Exec.Director ILADS
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
As the newly installed president of ILADS, I look forward to working with you over the next two years as we seek to continue our organization’s growth and to develop and enrich both our educational training programs and medical advocacy programs. Our goals are challenging and we often confronted by a scientific and medical subsector that is myopic and powerfully resistant to our efforts. I take heart however in the ILADS role as David confronting Goliath… and we know how that story ended. I am encouraged by the enthusiasm present at our ILADS Annual Meeting San Diego where we were graced with presentations by both national and international experts who addressed the 400 attendees. A noteworthy success was the preconference “Basics” workshop attended by 150 individuals. While many of the participants were new to the field of tick-borne disease even professionals with experience in treating Lyme disease patients appreciated the quality of the course. A very special thanks to Dr. Dan Kinderlehrer for chairing this workshop and contributing hundreds of hours of his professional time in organizing the speakers and materials that so enriched the process.
At the Member’s meeting several new changes were enacted to the bylaws to help in the growth of the organization. One of these was the passage of the term limits which allows voting members greater opportunities to
participate in the life of the organization. In keeping with this change, three long-standing members of our Board who have worked tirelessly for the organization, Lorraine Johnson, and Drs. Robert Bransfield and Andrea Gaito, stepped down to facilitate the election of three new ILADS directors. I welcome the newly elected members; Drs. Ken Liegner, Dan Kinderlehrer, and Carsten Nicolaus, all committed to the tradition of dedicated service.
This year we inaugurated the ILADEF “Pioneer Award” which was established to recognize individuals who have made seminal contributions in the field of tick-borne illnesses. The first recipient of this award was Dr. Nick Harris founder and Chairman of IGeneX. His work in this field is known and respected by medical professionals, scientific researchers and patients around the world.
A special note of thanks to Dr. Shea who dedicated his efforts during the past two year to increase the professional visibility and statue of ILADS. Under his direction ILADS membership and revenues have grown by more than 50%. I look forward to his continuing service on the Board as immediate past president and as the newly elected Chair of the ILADEF. I also wish to applaud the work of our Executive Director, Barbara Buchman and her national staff who did such an outstanding along with Dr. Shea in the planning, organization and management of this year’s ILADS conference in Dan Diego.
Daniel J. Cameron, MD, MPH
President, ILADS
ILADS Salutes Dr. Shea
Dr. Leo Shea was presented a congratulatory award by Dr.Daniel Cameron at the San Diego conference to recognize his outstanding accomplishments as ILADS President during the last two years. Under Dr. Shea’s diplomatic guidance, ILADS greatly enhanced its national recognition and increased membership dramatically. He was also instrumental in expanding ILADS educational conferences and outlining a long term strategy for the organization’s growth. Our sincere thanks to Dr. Shea for his dedication and effort.
Lyme Book Launched
Dr. Richard Horowitz’s groundbreaking new book, WHY CAN’T I GET BETTER? about diagnosing, healing and treating Lyme and chronic illness, goes on sale today! Please spread the word to your friends, colleagues and organizational members and put this book on the bestseller list. It will really advance our cause. The book is on sale everywhere books are sold and on Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/Why-Cant-Get-Bett ... 1250019400.
Editor's Correction
In the last issue of ILADS NEWS, there was a story in which Dr. Kenneth Liegner was quoted. It was not made clear that this was an excerpt from the letters to the editor section of the Poughkeepsie Journal.
The San Diego Lyme Conference
The 2013 ILADS fall annual meeting was an incredible success on many levels. The day before the meeting, ILADS offered the first ever Lyme Basics course designed for practitioners who do not yet have experience treating Lyme. The full day course played to a sold out audience of 150 attendees, who gave us outstanding feedback. The conference itself had exceptional speakers, including Dr. Amram Katz on IVIg, Dr. Joe Brewer on mycotoxins, and Dr. Hassan Abdullah on POTS. Thirty-six new practitioners applied for membership by the end of the meeting. To view photos from the conference, click here.
We are already planning the next meeting in DC on October 10-12, 2014. If you want to recommend any speakers whom you believe would make excellent contributions to the conference, please contact Dan Cameron or Dan Kinderlehrer. To learn more about upcoming conferences, click here.
Vitamin D For Diego Was Strong
The exhibitors at the recent San Diego ILADS conference were very encouraged by the enthusiastic medical professionals in attendance. In total, there were 27 booths. ILADS adopted a new incentive for the attendees this year. Using a blank bingo card, we inserted the names of the companies onto the sheet and asked the exhibitors to stamp each attendees card as they visited their booth. Once the attendee had all booths filled in, they would then be entered into a drawing. The grand prize was a three night hotel stay at Paradise Point Resort. It was a great success and Rita Rhoads, CRNP claimed the reward! Look for new incentives in the upcoming conference!
The John Druille Award
After his death, this unique award was started to memorialize the work of John Drulle, MD, husband of ILADS’ member Emilia Eiras, MD. Dr. Drulle was an inquisitive doctor who tried all kinds of unconventional and creative ways to help his patients beat chronic Lyme disease. The John Drulle Award is given to a speaker at the ILADS meeting who shows the spirit of John Drulle in treating patients. This year’s award was given to Daniel Cameron, MD, MPH.
Lyme Loonies Limited Edition Prints Raise Funds For Physician Training Program
These are two of eight limited edition signed and numbered prints sold at the 2013 ILADS Gala Awards Dinner to raise funds for the ILADS Physician Training Program. These make great gifts or can be used to hang in waiting rooms or patient exam rooms. Print size: 12" x 14.5". To find out more about owning your own Lyme Loonies Limited Edition Prints, e-mail contact@ilads.org. These will be available in the online store for holiday giving shortly.
A Conversation with Robert C. Bransfield, MD, Past President, ILADS & ILADEF
What significant or positive progress has been made in last 15 years for Lyme disease?
As a psychiatrist throughout my entire career I have found myself treating many patients with poorly understood diseases that were considered imaginary because there has been difficulty for many to understand the true nature of their conditions and the high level of complexity of Lyme disease invites confusion and intense controversy.
I was surprised and puzzled at the rigidity and demeaning attitude I saw in some of my colleagues surrounding this condition and have attempted to understand this better. Without understanding to cause for this narrow and rigid definition of Lyme disease, many of us saw the need to better organized physicians, other clinicians, patients and advocates.
In the fifteen years the Finnish Lyme Borreliosis Association and other groups have existed and become stronger we have had an impact and the significance of Lyme disease has become increasingly apparent to the public and to the medical community. Collectively we have had a strong global impact.
I was still puzzled by the resistance that prevented the advancement of medicine and science in regard to Lyme disease. The reason for the resistance became apparent in a scene in the middle of the movie “Under Our Skin” when Dr. Willie Burgdorfer, who discovered Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochete causing Lyme, stated—“The controversy in the Lyme disease research is a shameful affair and I say this because the whole thing is politically tainted. Money goes to the same people who have for the last 30 years produced the same thing—nothing.”
After some additional research it all made sense. A highly influential group was highly invested in defining this disease by antibody testing regardless of clinical realities. Those invested with the immune based definition were mostly a series of US National Institute of Health microbiologists, the bench scientists and research physicians who received grant money from them and many well intentioned physicians who viewed their research with authority. On the other side were physicians and other clinicians who valued clinical judgment and had the long term responsibility of caring for Lyme patients.
The Lyme disease controversy is now reaching a tipping point. After many years the US Center for Disease Control is beginning to recognize the magnitude of the Lyme disease epidemic and also recognize most patients receive longer courses of antibiotic treatment. Thanks to all in Finland and everywhere around the world for being a part of this effort!
What do you think is the biggest problem in LD patients and what are you hoping to happen?
The biggest problem with Lyme disease is a movement to replace traditional medicine that emphasizes the patient physician relationship, listening carefully to the patient, a thorough exam and individualized clinical judgment with a centralized power healthcare system that instead empowers a rigid significance of certain tests and guidelines.
Technology and the medical industrial complex helps us advance science and medicine but it must serve and empower the physician patient relationship and not compete and detract from it.
I am hoping the flaws of much of the current immune based testing is becoming increasingly obvious and will be eventually replaced with more reliance upon DNA, microarray testing and culturing. I would also hope the current cooperative efforts will continue to advance our knowledge of tick-borne diseases throughout the world.
Experiences of a Lyme Literate LCSW
by Nancy Baumgartner
Obtaining a correct diagnosis for tick-borne infections is a precarious process, even in apparently clear-cut cases. Teenagers, particularly those who have experienced trauma and loss, face special complications in this process.
A disseminated infection that undergirds primarily neurocognitive and/or psychiatric symptoms such as: mood swings, insomnia, fragmented sleep, panic/anxiety, depression, problems with memory and focus, headache, inertia, migrating pains, etc… are usually attributed to mere stress and grief marinated in teenage hormones. If the inflammation producing infection goes undetected and untreated, therapeutic work will prove to be an exercise in futility. It will ultimately increase a sense of resignation at best, and incite hopelessness and despair at worst. I am delighted to say that this was not the case for a bright high school student named Beth.
Her mother reported that Beth- then a freshman- would not attend school because of grief over her father’s death only months prior. Beth would spend hours on the couch, often in the dark, fiercely guarding her solitude. My visit to the lovely rural home, situated near a peaceful stream and surrounded by lush woods, yielded a brief peek at a somber, silent figure huddled in a dark room, fully folded into a gray hoodie sweatshirt. I did not make Beth come out and talk.
A conversation with Beth’s mother revealed that Beth had been experiencing symptoms long before her father’s death, and that he had helped her with the insomnia and panic attacks that began when she was eleven years old. After further discussion and information gathering, I provided Beth’s mother with a few articles on tick-borne infections along with the ILADS psychiatric brochure. These materials informed her decision to make an appointment with a lyme-literate doctor for Beth.
Toward the end of the last school year, Beth’s mother told me that Beth had been diagnosed with and was being treated for borrelia and bartonella. The most recent update came happily bounding into my office last month: all glorious, glowing, and hugging, now-sophomore Beth, who reported that she “has returned to the land of the living”, and wants to help other kids with lyme “any way she can”. There is no way anything in life can feel as good as moments like these!
Beth is now free to grow, grieve her father, live life, and actually benefit from our counseling sessions because she can fully participate in the process without being waylaid by an inflamed brain. Too often what we think we know obscures what we need to know. Looking at Beth through a narrow lens that allowed only for some truth to be identified would likely have left her with a greatly diminished life. The recognition and treatment of Beth’s infection has resulted in a life restored, and ignited a desire in her to help restore the lives of others. If that doesn’t ripple joyfully through eternity, what does?
Help Wanted!
If you know of a practitioner in the San Francisco Bay area wanting to join a busy Lyme practice, please contact bbuchman@ilads.org for an introduction.
Kevin Green, MD
Dr. Green has opened a functional medicine practice in Osh Kosh, WI. Green Medical Practice
can be reached at
920-651-3600.
Dr. Kinderlehrer Featured In Expert Beacon News
Daniel A. Kinderlehrer, M.D. is a nationally recognized holistic physician with expertise in the fields of nutrition, allergy, environmental medicine, Lyme disease and the healing of mind-body-spirit as a unified whole. Dr. Kinderlehrer co-founded The New England Center for Holistic Medicine in Newbury MA, and has taught extensively, including practitioner training courses at the National Institute of Behavioral Medicine and The Omega Institute. He coauthored The Antioxidant Save-Your-Life Cookbook and is the author of several review articles in medical journals and the Lyme Times. His integrated medical practice in Boulder, CO focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of tick-borne disease.
To view online, click here.
CQ Researcher Addresses Lyme
The CQ Researcher published an article today on Lyme disease. In the Pro’s and Con’s section, they used Sheila Statlender's, PhD recent legislative testimony and that of a local IDSA “authority”, Dr. Robert Pinsky. Both of which can be found by clicking here.
Dr. Pinsky’s testimony is primarily negative opinion regarding ILADS. This publication is widely used by “students” of current news items - the students are often attorneys and congressional leaders looking for background information. Unfortunately, one must purchase the article.
ILADEF News
ILADEF has produced a thirty second and sixty second PSA for distribution and to create awareness about Lyme Disease and to engage the community to The Power Of US. Please email contact@ilads.org if you would like access to the PSA for your radio contacts.
Huffington Post Goes Global To Spearhead Lyme Disease Awareness
The 300,000: In the Huff Post “Ticks” Part 14
Written By C.M. Rubin
Today in Part 14 of "Ticks," I have invited two leading Lyme disease doctors to comment on some of these major issues. Fresh off his recent appearance on the Katie Couric show, it's my pleasure to welcome clinician and author Dr. Richard Horowitz (Why Can't I Get Better? Solving the Mystery of Lyme and Chronic Disease, St. Martin's Press). Additionally, I asked Dr. Daniel Cameron to weigh in. Dan just began a reprise of his presidency of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS). He has testified as an expert on Lyme disease for legislation in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, and been featured as a Lyme expert on national media, including NBC's Today Show and ABC's Good Morning America. Read Entire Article.
Read Parts 1 to 13 of The Global Search for Education: “Ticks”:
Written By C.M. Rubin
More Research - Read Article
The Guidelines - Read Article
Prevention - Read Article
Research - Read Article
France - Read Article
Germany - Read Article
Norway - Read Article
In Search of Solutions - Read Article
Canada - Read Article
Australia - Read Article
UK - Read Article
Finland - Read Article
The Netherlands - Read Article
We hope you will encourage others to engage
in our global conversation on Tick Borne Illnesses.
Task Force Testifies In Favor Of Lyme Bill
The Massachusetts Lyme Legislative Task Force, a group of patient advocates from throughout the Commonwealth, testified on Wednesday, November 13 before the Joint Committee on Financial Services, with an overflow crowd in attendance. The hearing concerned the passage of H.989, a bill that would require insurance companies to cover antibiotic treatment for Lyme as prescribed by a physician. The bill, authored by Rep. Theodore C. Speliotis (D-Danvers) is co-sponsored by 36 state legislators in the House and Senate.
Currently, there are conflicting treatment guidelines in the medical literature: some limit antibiotic treatment to 28 days, while others treat according to patient response. Although legislation enacted in 2011 (General Law section 67, Chap. 112, Section 12DD) enabled physicians to treat Lyme disease for longer than a month without censure, insurance companies often refuse to cover the expense of such treatment, citing the more restrictive guidelines. As a result, many patients have been unable to afford the treatment prescribed for them.
“H.989 is a patient protection bill that closes the gap between the physician’s recommended treatment plan and the patient’s ability to pay for it,” said Dr. Sheila Statlender, a psychologist practicing in Newton and a member of the Task Force. “Having seen so many lives ruined by Lyme disease, I know how important it is to have Lyme patients get adequate treatment as soon as possible.” Dr. Statlender also served on Governor Patrick’s Lyme Disease Commission last year. The Commission’s report recommended this legislation.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported 5,050 total cases of Lyme disease in 2012. However, a recent CDC study reported that the actual cases are ten times higher, bringing cases in Massachusetts to over 50,000. Lyme disease is pervasive throughout the Commonwealth. The loss in productivity can be costly to families: a 2011 survey by LymeDisease.org noted that 44% of Lyme patients nationwide had to stop working during their illness, and 28% of those were debilitated for over a year. In the MA Lyme Commission Report, it notes that chronic illness accounts for 84% of healthcare costs. Only 21% of this figure is due to the cost of treatment, while 79% is due to lost economic output or productivity loss.
Additional members of the Massachusetts Lyme Legislative Task Force include Helen Brown of Whitman, Donna Castle of Groton, Janice Dey of Westport, Susan Fairbank-Pitzer of Danvers, Sharon Hawkes of Lenox, Jayme Kulesz of Groton, Patricia McCleary of Sturbridge, and Michelle Treseler of Newton.
The Task Force would like to acknowledge the contribution of LymeDisease.org Executive Director Lorraine Johnson, JD, MBA in analyzing the financial cost of illness of Lyme disease, and would also like to thank the following for providing written testimonies for the hearing: Pat Smith, President, Lyme Disease Association; Brian Fallon, MD, PhD, Director of the Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center of Columbia University Medical Center; Leo Shea, PhD, immediate past president of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society; and Steven Phillips, MD, past president of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society.
ILADEF Honors The Top Social Ambassadors
Did you know that there are Social Ambassadors who work tirelessly to advocate on behalf Lyme Awareness and the ILADEF physician training program? Neither Vicki Petsy nor Annie Labrie were present to receive their round of applause from the doctors attending the recent gala in San Diego. However, Dr. Horowitz did a shout out to each of them as well as to the other Ambassadors. Congratulations from ILADS to you and your peers. We are so very appreciative of your efforts to spread the word about chronic Lyme and ILADS doctors. View All Social Ambassadors.
VICKI PETSY
I am interested in becoming an ILADS Social Ambassador because I believe so many of us already are. We work together through the social medias to raise awareness. We may be just passing the same information back and forth to each other but it\’s all worth it when it’s intercepted by just one new patient who may have been struggling for weeks or even years, not knowing what was wrong with them until one of our posts crosses their path.I had been busy myself taking care of my very sick 18 year old son. He had been struggling for some time to get treatment when I knew it was Lyme but I couldn\’t get a doctor in KY to listen to me. After finally finding an excellent LLMD, I was so busy in caring for him that I neglected myself and was bit in 2012. It is what brought me down. It turns out that I actually had it most of my life and had no idea. I had odd illnesses and surgeries, never connecting them to Lyme until I became educated about Lyme and talked to our LLMD. We are pretty sure I gave it to my kids as well. I cannot sit idly by and watch what was happening around us. I am now a board member & webmaster for the Kentuckiana Lyme Support Group. I take care of our Facebook page and our website. Coxs Creek, KY, US
TRISH MCCLEARY
Years of misdiagnosis left me paralyzed and unable to speak in June of 2006. Thanks to Lyme specialists and my family who helped me regain quality of life I’ve gone from patient to advocate and now legislative advocate. Actively working in MA to bring the change we need and am a Governor appointed member of the MA Lyme Commission. I am founder of S.L.A.M. (Sturbridge Lyme Awareness of MA) and the “Ribbons Across America” campaign you may have heard about. It’s time we talk about Lyme and it’s time we insist on the care we deserve. Education and awareness are key. When I know my children have access to their meds without having to self pay I will rest. Until then there’s work to be done. Together we can make a difference! Sturbridge, MA, US
ANNIE LABRIE
I am currently facing my second battle with Lyme Disease. After being diagnosed with Lyme Meningitis in August of 2012, I received a second diagnosis of Lyme Disease with associated Bannwarth’s Syndrome on July 29, 2013. In both cases, I’ve had to fight, along with Lyme-Literate Physicians to get the appropriate, individualized care that I’ve needed, which has included a PICC line with ceftriaxone after failed attempts with oral doxycycline. After poor experiences with two hospitals and their Infectious Disease staff, I am left with a passion to serve the community as an educator and an advocate. There is a huge need for the truth to be made known about this dangerous epidemic. The CDC & IDSA are attempting to limit individualized, patient care, preventing those battling Lyme Disease from receiving treatment based on their symptoms, as with any other infectious diease or illness. Experience has shown me that if I had been left in the hands of Infectious Disease alone, I could now be dead. My son, who is 8 years old, had Lyme disease in June. His only symptoms were a low grade fever and headaches. My husband & I pushed to have him tested because of our history. His Western Blot was +. He was treated early. However, he has recently had joint pain & swelling and is undergoing another 3 week treatment of oral doxycycline. Lyme patients should be treated individually, based on their symptoms. I am honored to be serving for ILADS as a Social Ambassador and hope to do what I can to help educate and advocate in my community and beyond. Rehoboth, MA, US
JULIE CONRAD
ILADS also honors Julie Conrad who jumped to the top of the social ambassador program just after the deadline for the competition.
Letters to the Editor:
November 11,2013
Dear Fellow ILADS Members,
Upon my return to the Philadelphia area from San Diego, I wrote this letter to share some insights in to the recent annual scientific meeting of ILADS in that lovely California city. First, Barbara Buchman, our Executive Director, and her entire team gave us a sterling performance on how to organize an incredibly complex venture-moving our cornucopia of speakers, support, equipment, literature etc., offering personal guidance and welcoming material for each speaker and guest - across an entire continent, landing them on their feet ready for action.
And, action there was! The fast paced program skipped no beats, was universally helpful and very often enjoyable. The entire meeting was void of any negatives and it was fun. lt represented an opportunity to meet and talk with colleagues about mutual interests and concerns.
I hope all members will consider attending next year's meeting in Washington, DC.
With my best wishes,
Virginia T. Sherr, MD
Re: TÄRKEÄ: ILADSin TIEDOTTEITA !
7/2014
Dear ILADS Member,
Hope that you are all “braving the storm” for what has turned out to be a rough winter across the country. We have seen a nice increase in emails between issues with notifications of the many varied and interesting events and news among our group. Please as always feel free to contact us at any time.
Thank you. Editors: Andrea Gaito, MD, Barbara Buchman, Exec. Director ILADS
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Greetings Colleagues,
I am excited to moderate the upcoming April 12, 2014 ILADS regional conference in Hershey Pennsylvania. We have been working with Julia Wagner and her associates with PA LymeResource Network to organize our second regional conference for education and networking on tick borne diseases in Hershey. Last year we sold out with more than 150 professionals attending.
This Hershey meeting will include a basic curriculum covered by Drs. Burrascano, Dr. Horowitz and myself, a format that was quite successful in San Diego even for professionals experienced in treating Lyme disease. We have added a roundtable format at lunch to allow attendees to meet network with regional and national leaders. Judy Leventhal will share her work with Encephalopathy in
Children with Tick Borne Diseases and implications for Development and Learning. Stewart J. Greenleaf, PA State Senator will also join us. CME credits are available.
For those coming to the Hershey Workshop early, I will be speaking Friday evening during dinner on evidencebased treatment following Jane Hoffman, PhD presentation on Changing Ecology and Vector Borne Diseases: The Wildlife Perspective.
Also save the dates for the April 25th and 26th Augsburg, Germany conference, October 9, 2014 Overview of Lyme and Tick Borne Diseases, and October 10-12, 2014 Annual Scientific Session in Washington DC. If you would like to present a poster or case study at the annual meeting, contact us. I will be attending both conferences and am looking forward to meeting you.
Daniel J. Cameron, MD, MPH
President, ILADS
Ridgefield, CT Spring Seminar - By Sandra Berenbaum, LCSW
As an advisor to the Ridgefield (CT) Lyme Disease Task Force, as well as a member of the Program Committee for the Ridgefield Spring Seminar, I’m pleased to let my fellow ILADS members know about the Seminar we have planned for this year. This Seminar will take place on Tuesday, May 13th, at Western CT State University, Westside Campus, in Danbury, CT. It is free and open to the public.
Now in its eighth year, the Spring Seminar draws a crowd of to 300 and 400 people. While attendance is largely from CT and surrounding states, we have also had attendees come from around the country and Canada.
This year’s Seminar is entitled “Lyme Disease: Body, Mind and Spirit”. The speakers, all ILADS members, are former ILADS president and leading Lyme disease physician Steven Phillips, MD, former ILADS president and leading Lyme knowledgeable psychiatrist and psychopharmacologist Robert Bransfield, MD, and Sandy Berenbaum, LCSW, BCD, a leading Lyme-literate mental health practitioner.
The program begins at 6:00pm, with a Health Fair focused on presenting information from laboratories specializing in testing for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, Naturopathic Physicians and other ancillary professionals, specialists in the field of supplemental treatment as well as tick control products and many other services.
The speakers will start at 7:00pm and run to 9:30pm. In addition to the presentations, we will be honoring Mary Beth Pfeiffer, for her “Courage in Journalism.” Ms. Pfeiffer has researched and written a landmark series of articles on tick-borne diseases for the Poughkeepsie (NY) Journal. Her articles are read and appreciated by professionals and patients throughout the country.
This excellent program is sponsored by the Ridgefield Lyme Disease Task Force, an organization founded 11 years ago by Karen Gaudian and Jennifer Reid, together with Ridgefield’s First Selectman, Rudy Marconi. Known for their commitment to collaboration within the community, Karen and Jennifer have formed alliances with Town of Ridgefield, Western CT State University, the Ridgefield Visiting Nurse Associaton, the Leir Foundation, and others, to develop programs that have had an influence far beyond the community in which they are located.
For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/RidgefieldLymeResource
Ellie Hynote, MD Passes
(1957-2013)
Dr. Eleanor Hynote died Dec. 17, 2013, in Napa. She was born in Brookline, Mass., to Francis and Rita Dimento on June 21, 1957.
Hynote graduated from Brookline High School, Vassar College and UC Irvine School of Medicine. She opened her internal medicine and clinical nutrition practice in Napa in 1989. She enjoyed snow skiing, travel, the beach at Martha’s Vineyard and, most of all, her family. She devoted her professional life to the practice of medicine from which she received great gratification.
Hynote is survived by her husband, Robert Hynote of Napa; daughters, Caroline, Julia and Olivia Hynote, all of Napa; parents, Francis and Rita Dimento of Boston; and brothers, James and Francis Dimento, and sister, Melissa Lang, all of Boston.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Hynote’s memory to organizations dedicated to infectious disease research. ILADEF has received several donations in Dr. Hynote’s memory.
Report on Misdiagnosed Patients in Irish News
An Irish Newspaper, The Independent.ie/Irish News had a feature story on Lyme disease November 22, 2013 reporting on a government Lyme hearing.
“There have been 19 cases of Lyme Disease reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre of the Health Service Executive (HSE) to date this year, more than double the eight cases reported in 2012.
Yet the actual number is likely to be hundreds, due to the lack of public awareness of the disease as well as among GPs and even consultants,University College Cork Zoology Professor Dr Eoin Healy told the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children yesterday.
Describing the disease as “endemic” in Ireland, he said the bacterial infection transmitted to humans and animals from the bites of ticks feeding on deer, sheep, cattle and goats, was first identified here in 1982.
It often attacks the nervous system and can result in arthritis, joint and muscle pain as well as cardiac complications, with 40pc of Lyme patients developing long-term health problems...”
ILADS mission is global education about Lyme disease.
Increased Effort To Combat Lyme Disease in 2014 Omnibus
From Congressman Frank Wolf’s office
Washington, D.C. (January 27, 2014) – Efforts to combat Lyme disease get a much-needed boost in the FY 2014 Omnibus spending bill recently signed into law, according to Rep. Frank Wolf, one the leading champions to find a cure to the debilitating disease.
In addition to providing $9 million to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to help to combat Lyme, the bill directs the CDC to develop better diagnostic testing and national surveillance systems. The measure also directs the National Institute of Sciences to continue its efforts to more accurately assess the presence of acute and chronic Lyme disease and encourages the National Science Foundation to continue to support Lyme research efforts.
The four research agencies within the Department of Agriculture are also directed to build on ways to protect humans and livestock from tick-borne illnesses and to consider how such diseases impact the local economy.
The increased effort comes in the wake of recent news reports that suggest Lyme disease affects nearly 300,000 people each year, up to 10 times more than previously thought.
“I know that many are suffering from this devastating disease,” Wolf said. “My approach to Lyme disease always has been two-fold: help those who are sick get the treatment they need; and help prevent healthy people from becoming sick. This Omnibus continues these efforts.”
Wolf has hosted a number of forums in Virginia’s 10th District to help educate residents and medical professionals about the dangers of Lyme. In addition, he is cosponsoring two bills with Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Rep. Chris Gibson (R-NY) that would change permanent law.
One measure, H.R. 610, would require the secretary of Health and Human Services create a federal Tick-Borne Diseases Advisory Committee charged with coordinating research and advising federal agencies on priorities related to Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, while also recognizing that patients can provide valuable and needed feedback. The other, H.R. 611, builds on H.R. 610 but further increases authorized funding for Lyme disease research.
Lyme is the most prevalent vector-borne disease in the U.S. today. If not diagnosed and treated early, Lyme can lead to disseminated infection and can affect every system in the body, including the central nervous system. Later symptoms of Lyme disease include arthritis of weight-bearing joints; neurological problems such as facial paralysis, encephalopathy, memory problems and weakness of the extremities; and heart symptoms, such as blockages and inflammation.
Seeking Lyme Doctor
Ron Gangemi of Lyme Awareness of Cape Cod has purchased a building out of his own funds for the purposes of opening a Lyme Center this Spring.
Walls are coming down and we have an architect drawing up plans and patients lining up but unfortunately we have no LLMD yet to treat them.
If you have any ideas we are most happy to listen. Center will be located in Mashpee Mass just off Route 28 which is a well traveled location.
If interested in working here please contact Lisa Freeman BSN, Nurse advocate and liaison, Lyme Awareness of Cape Cod 508-896-3299 phone and fax
French Event and Conference on Lyme Disease
The French Lyme Association is organizing 3 independent events to mark World Lyme Day, also known as the World Wide Lyme Disease Project. First, there will be a gathering in the morning at La Place Montparnasse, followed by lunch in a restaurant near the Montparnasse Station. A large conference regarding Lyme disease will be held at Montrouge, featuring specialists on both ticks and Lyme disease. Among the speakers will be Prof. Perrone, Dr. Teulieres, Dr. Bransten, Dr. Boucher and Mme. Vayssier-Taussar. The conference fee for members is 9 euros if purchased before before 3/15/14, and 15 euros for nonmembers.
For more information, visit
http://francelyme.fr/wwlp2014-inscription/ or contact contact@francelyme.fr.
ILADS Offers CME Programs This Spring
The conference, geared towards medical professionals, will feature some of the best well known mentors in the Lyme community: Drs. Cameron, Burrascano and Horowitz. The meeting begins with a dinner lecture on Friday night (optional) and then a full day of lectures Saturday. There is a special hotel rate of $179 per night is good until March 10th. Register now and bring the family to enjoy the lovely Hershey Lodge. To view the full schedule and register go to http://ilads.org/lyme_programs/hershey/ ... ershey.php.
ILADS will be returning to Augsburg, Germany April 11-12, 2014 for two days of intensive Lyme training for medical professionals. The first day’s course is aimed to teach a Lyme overview of the basics. The second day delves in to more comprehensive subject matter. The European ILADS meetings are smaller than the annual scientific meetings. So, there is ample opportunity to get to know your European peers. All talks will be given in English with simultaneous translation to German. To view the full schedule and register go to http://ilads.org/lyme_programs/augsburg ... gsburg.php.
ILADS Announces Lyme and Tick Borne Disease Conference in Hershey, PA
Objective
To provide physicians and other medical practitioners with insight into recent developments in the understanding of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, and to provide basic tools and strategies for counseling prevention, and for diagnosing and treating these diseases.
Location: Hershey, PA; Date: April 11-12, 2014
Highlights of Hershey Program
7:00pm - Dinner Speaker - April 11, 2014
Evidence Based Lyme Treatment
Daniel J. Cameron, MD, MPH, ILADS Moderator
8:00-8:45am - April 12, 2014
Clinical Presentation of Lyme
Joseph J. Burrascano, Jr., MD
8:45-9:45am - April 12, 2014
Lyme-MSIDS Part I: Treating the 3 I's: Infection, Inflammation and Immune Dysfunction
Richard I. Horowitz, MD
11:45am-12:00pm - April 12, 2014
Lyme Disease in Pennyslvannia
Stewart J. Greenleaf, PA State Senator
1:00-2:00pm - April 12, 2014
Lunch Speaker (Magnolia Room) - Encephalopathy in Children with Tick Borne Diseases: Implications for Development and Learning
Judith G. Leventhal, PhD
ILADS Announces 2014 Annual European Lyme Disease Conference
Objective
The Annual European ILADS Lyme Disease Conference will provide updates in clinical knowledge and treatment techniques for tick-borne diseases with an emphasis on the European experience.
Location: Augsburg, Germany; Date: April 25-26, 2014
Highlights of European Program
8:30am-9:15am - April 25, 2014
Lyme Disease History and Evolution of Tick Borne Disease
Raphael Stricker, MD
10:30am-11:15am - April 25, 2014
Interpreting and Using Laboratory Tests in Practice
Armin Schwarzbach, MD, PhD
1:30pm-2:15pm - April 25, 2014
Co-infections: Presentation, Diagnosis and Treatment
Carsten Nicolaus, MD, PhD
2:15pm-3:00pm - April 25, 2014
Lyme Disease, Neuropsychlogical Challenges for Children and Families
Leo Shea, III, PhD
9:15am-10:00am - April 26, 2014
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in the Management of Lyme Disease
Samuel Shor, MD, FACP
3:00pm-3:30pm - April 26, 2014
Lyme Treatment in ALS and MS Patients
David Martz, MD
4:00pm-4:30pm - April 26, 2014
Morgellon's Disease: The Newest Lyme Co-infection?
Ginger Savely, DNP, FNP
Download registration form at:
https://www.facebook.com/events/517940644944670/.
Lyme Disease: Call for a "Manhattan Project" to Combat the Epidemic
Raphael B. Stricker, Lorraine Johnson
PLoS Pathog 10(1): e1003796. - January 2, 2014 Opinion
Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in the world today. Until recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported an average of only 30,000 cases of Lyme disease per year in the United States. Three preliminary CDC studies, however, have indicated that the true incidence of Lyme disease may be greater than 300,000 cases and as high as one million cases per year in the United States. A majority of these cases occur in women and children. Based on this new information, Lyme disease should be recognized as a virulent epidemic that is at least six times more common than HIV/AIDS. In response to these alarming statistics, we review the ongoing problems with diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease. We propose the need for an HIV/AIDS-style “Manhattan project” to combat this serious epidemic that threatens the physical and mental health of millions of people around the world.
Free, full text: http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1003796.
NJ State Dept of Health Issues Warning On Lyme Carditis CARDITIS
The NJ State Department of Health distributed a special report in December to all medical practitioners in the state, warning of 3 cases of fatal Lyme carditis involving patients ages 26-38 years old. In all 3 cases, the diagnosis of Lyme carditis was made by tissue harvesting for organ donation. Donated corneas from two of the patients were transplanted into three recipients before the diagnosis was made. The special bulletin included an alert to monitor all patients with unexplained cardiac symptoms for Lyme disease and encouraged reporting of all cases.
Congratulations to ILADS Member
GINGER SAVELY, DNP
for being awarded the 2014
AANP State Award for Excellence NP
Lyme Disease May Be Sexually Transmitted, Study Suggests.
CONTACT: Guinnevere Stevens - 415-399-1035
FOR RELEASE: January 25, 2014
Carmel, CA - A new study suggests that Lyme disease may be sexually transmitted. The study was presented at the annual Western Regional Meeting of the American Federation for Medical Research, and an abstract of the research was published in the January issue of the Journal of Investigative Medicine.
Lyme disease is a tickborne infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a type of corkscrewshaped bacteria known as a spirochete (pronounced spiro’keet). The Lyme spirochete resembles the agent of syphilis, long recognized as the epitome of sexually transmitted diseases. Last summer the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that Lyme disease is much more common than previously thought, with over 300,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the United States. That makes Lyme disease almost twice as common as breast cancer and six times more common than HIV/AIDS.
“Our findings will change the way Lyme disease is viewed by doctors and patients,” said Marianne Middelveen, lead author of the study presented in Carmel. “It explains why the disease is more common than one would think if only ticks were involved in transmission.”
The present study was a collaborative effort by an international team of scientists. In addition to Middelveen, a veterinary microbiologist from Canada, researchers included molecular biologists Jennie Burke, Augustin Franco and Yean Wang and dermatologist Peter Mayne from Australia working with molecular biologists Eva Sapi and Cheryl Bandoski, family practitioner Hilary Schlinger and internist Raphael Stricker from the United States.
Dear ILADS Member,
Hope that you are all “braving the storm” for what has turned out to be a rough winter across the country. We have seen a nice increase in emails between issues with notifications of the many varied and interesting events and news among our group. Please as always feel free to contact us at any time.
Thank you. Editors: Andrea Gaito, MD, Barbara Buchman, Exec. Director ILADS
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Greetings Colleagues,
I am excited to moderate the upcoming April 12, 2014 ILADS regional conference in Hershey Pennsylvania. We have been working with Julia Wagner and her associates with PA LymeResource Network to organize our second regional conference for education and networking on tick borne diseases in Hershey. Last year we sold out with more than 150 professionals attending.
This Hershey meeting will include a basic curriculum covered by Drs. Burrascano, Dr. Horowitz and myself, a format that was quite successful in San Diego even for professionals experienced in treating Lyme disease. We have added a roundtable format at lunch to allow attendees to meet network with regional and national leaders. Judy Leventhal will share her work with Encephalopathy in
Children with Tick Borne Diseases and implications for Development and Learning. Stewart J. Greenleaf, PA State Senator will also join us. CME credits are available.
For those coming to the Hershey Workshop early, I will be speaking Friday evening during dinner on evidencebased treatment following Jane Hoffman, PhD presentation on Changing Ecology and Vector Borne Diseases: The Wildlife Perspective.
Also save the dates for the April 25th and 26th Augsburg, Germany conference, October 9, 2014 Overview of Lyme and Tick Borne Diseases, and October 10-12, 2014 Annual Scientific Session in Washington DC. If you would like to present a poster or case study at the annual meeting, contact us. I will be attending both conferences and am looking forward to meeting you.
Daniel J. Cameron, MD, MPH
President, ILADS
Ridgefield, CT Spring Seminar - By Sandra Berenbaum, LCSW
As an advisor to the Ridgefield (CT) Lyme Disease Task Force, as well as a member of the Program Committee for the Ridgefield Spring Seminar, I’m pleased to let my fellow ILADS members know about the Seminar we have planned for this year. This Seminar will take place on Tuesday, May 13th, at Western CT State University, Westside Campus, in Danbury, CT. It is free and open to the public.
Now in its eighth year, the Spring Seminar draws a crowd of to 300 and 400 people. While attendance is largely from CT and surrounding states, we have also had attendees come from around the country and Canada.
This year’s Seminar is entitled “Lyme Disease: Body, Mind and Spirit”. The speakers, all ILADS members, are former ILADS president and leading Lyme disease physician Steven Phillips, MD, former ILADS president and leading Lyme knowledgeable psychiatrist and psychopharmacologist Robert Bransfield, MD, and Sandy Berenbaum, LCSW, BCD, a leading Lyme-literate mental health practitioner.
The program begins at 6:00pm, with a Health Fair focused on presenting information from laboratories specializing in testing for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, Naturopathic Physicians and other ancillary professionals, specialists in the field of supplemental treatment as well as tick control products and many other services.
The speakers will start at 7:00pm and run to 9:30pm. In addition to the presentations, we will be honoring Mary Beth Pfeiffer, for her “Courage in Journalism.” Ms. Pfeiffer has researched and written a landmark series of articles on tick-borne diseases for the Poughkeepsie (NY) Journal. Her articles are read and appreciated by professionals and patients throughout the country.
This excellent program is sponsored by the Ridgefield Lyme Disease Task Force, an organization founded 11 years ago by Karen Gaudian and Jennifer Reid, together with Ridgefield’s First Selectman, Rudy Marconi. Known for their commitment to collaboration within the community, Karen and Jennifer have formed alliances with Town of Ridgefield, Western CT State University, the Ridgefield Visiting Nurse Associaton, the Leir Foundation, and others, to develop programs that have had an influence far beyond the community in which they are located.
For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/RidgefieldLymeResource
Ellie Hynote, MD Passes
(1957-2013)
Dr. Eleanor Hynote died Dec. 17, 2013, in Napa. She was born in Brookline, Mass., to Francis and Rita Dimento on June 21, 1957.
Hynote graduated from Brookline High School, Vassar College and UC Irvine School of Medicine. She opened her internal medicine and clinical nutrition practice in Napa in 1989. She enjoyed snow skiing, travel, the beach at Martha’s Vineyard and, most of all, her family. She devoted her professional life to the practice of medicine from which she received great gratification.
Hynote is survived by her husband, Robert Hynote of Napa; daughters, Caroline, Julia and Olivia Hynote, all of Napa; parents, Francis and Rita Dimento of Boston; and brothers, James and Francis Dimento, and sister, Melissa Lang, all of Boston.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Hynote’s memory to organizations dedicated to infectious disease research. ILADEF has received several donations in Dr. Hynote’s memory.
Report on Misdiagnosed Patients in Irish News
An Irish Newspaper, The Independent.ie/Irish News had a feature story on Lyme disease November 22, 2013 reporting on a government Lyme hearing.
“There have been 19 cases of Lyme Disease reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre of the Health Service Executive (HSE) to date this year, more than double the eight cases reported in 2012.
Yet the actual number is likely to be hundreds, due to the lack of public awareness of the disease as well as among GPs and even consultants,University College Cork Zoology Professor Dr Eoin Healy told the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children yesterday.
Describing the disease as “endemic” in Ireland, he said the bacterial infection transmitted to humans and animals from the bites of ticks feeding on deer, sheep, cattle and goats, was first identified here in 1982.
It often attacks the nervous system and can result in arthritis, joint and muscle pain as well as cardiac complications, with 40pc of Lyme patients developing long-term health problems...”
ILADS mission is global education about Lyme disease.
Increased Effort To Combat Lyme Disease in 2014 Omnibus
From Congressman Frank Wolf’s office
Washington, D.C. (January 27, 2014) – Efforts to combat Lyme disease get a much-needed boost in the FY 2014 Omnibus spending bill recently signed into law, according to Rep. Frank Wolf, one the leading champions to find a cure to the debilitating disease.
In addition to providing $9 million to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to help to combat Lyme, the bill directs the CDC to develop better diagnostic testing and national surveillance systems. The measure also directs the National Institute of Sciences to continue its efforts to more accurately assess the presence of acute and chronic Lyme disease and encourages the National Science Foundation to continue to support Lyme research efforts.
The four research agencies within the Department of Agriculture are also directed to build on ways to protect humans and livestock from tick-borne illnesses and to consider how such diseases impact the local economy.
The increased effort comes in the wake of recent news reports that suggest Lyme disease affects nearly 300,000 people each year, up to 10 times more than previously thought.
“I know that many are suffering from this devastating disease,” Wolf said. “My approach to Lyme disease always has been two-fold: help those who are sick get the treatment they need; and help prevent healthy people from becoming sick. This Omnibus continues these efforts.”
Wolf has hosted a number of forums in Virginia’s 10th District to help educate residents and medical professionals about the dangers of Lyme. In addition, he is cosponsoring two bills with Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Rep. Chris Gibson (R-NY) that would change permanent law.
One measure, H.R. 610, would require the secretary of Health and Human Services create a federal Tick-Borne Diseases Advisory Committee charged with coordinating research and advising federal agencies on priorities related to Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, while also recognizing that patients can provide valuable and needed feedback. The other, H.R. 611, builds on H.R. 610 but further increases authorized funding for Lyme disease research.
Lyme is the most prevalent vector-borne disease in the U.S. today. If not diagnosed and treated early, Lyme can lead to disseminated infection and can affect every system in the body, including the central nervous system. Later symptoms of Lyme disease include arthritis of weight-bearing joints; neurological problems such as facial paralysis, encephalopathy, memory problems and weakness of the extremities; and heart symptoms, such as blockages and inflammation.
Seeking Lyme Doctor
Ron Gangemi of Lyme Awareness of Cape Cod has purchased a building out of his own funds for the purposes of opening a Lyme Center this Spring.
Walls are coming down and we have an architect drawing up plans and patients lining up but unfortunately we have no LLMD yet to treat them.
If you have any ideas we are most happy to listen. Center will be located in Mashpee Mass just off Route 28 which is a well traveled location.
If interested in working here please contact Lisa Freeman BSN, Nurse advocate and liaison, Lyme Awareness of Cape Cod 508-896-3299 phone and fax
French Event and Conference on Lyme Disease
The French Lyme Association is organizing 3 independent events to mark World Lyme Day, also known as the World Wide Lyme Disease Project. First, there will be a gathering in the morning at La Place Montparnasse, followed by lunch in a restaurant near the Montparnasse Station. A large conference regarding Lyme disease will be held at Montrouge, featuring specialists on both ticks and Lyme disease. Among the speakers will be Prof. Perrone, Dr. Teulieres, Dr. Bransten, Dr. Boucher and Mme. Vayssier-Taussar. The conference fee for members is 9 euros if purchased before before 3/15/14, and 15 euros for nonmembers.
For more information, visit
http://francelyme.fr/wwlp2014-inscription/ or contact contact@francelyme.fr.
ILADS Offers CME Programs This Spring
The conference, geared towards medical professionals, will feature some of the best well known mentors in the Lyme community: Drs. Cameron, Burrascano and Horowitz. The meeting begins with a dinner lecture on Friday night (optional) and then a full day of lectures Saturday. There is a special hotel rate of $179 per night is good until March 10th. Register now and bring the family to enjoy the lovely Hershey Lodge. To view the full schedule and register go to http://ilads.org/lyme_programs/hershey/ ... ershey.php.
ILADS will be returning to Augsburg, Germany April 11-12, 2014 for two days of intensive Lyme training for medical professionals. The first day’s course is aimed to teach a Lyme overview of the basics. The second day delves in to more comprehensive subject matter. The European ILADS meetings are smaller than the annual scientific meetings. So, there is ample opportunity to get to know your European peers. All talks will be given in English with simultaneous translation to German. To view the full schedule and register go to http://ilads.org/lyme_programs/augsburg ... gsburg.php.
ILADS Announces Lyme and Tick Borne Disease Conference in Hershey, PA
Objective
To provide physicians and other medical practitioners with insight into recent developments in the understanding of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, and to provide basic tools and strategies for counseling prevention, and for diagnosing and treating these diseases.
Location: Hershey, PA; Date: April 11-12, 2014
Highlights of Hershey Program
7:00pm - Dinner Speaker - April 11, 2014
Evidence Based Lyme Treatment
Daniel J. Cameron, MD, MPH, ILADS Moderator
8:00-8:45am - April 12, 2014
Clinical Presentation of Lyme
Joseph J. Burrascano, Jr., MD
8:45-9:45am - April 12, 2014
Lyme-MSIDS Part I: Treating the 3 I's: Infection, Inflammation and Immune Dysfunction
Richard I. Horowitz, MD
11:45am-12:00pm - April 12, 2014
Lyme Disease in Pennyslvannia
Stewart J. Greenleaf, PA State Senator
1:00-2:00pm - April 12, 2014
Lunch Speaker (Magnolia Room) - Encephalopathy in Children with Tick Borne Diseases: Implications for Development and Learning
Judith G. Leventhal, PhD
ILADS Announces 2014 Annual European Lyme Disease Conference
Objective
The Annual European ILADS Lyme Disease Conference will provide updates in clinical knowledge and treatment techniques for tick-borne diseases with an emphasis on the European experience.
Location: Augsburg, Germany; Date: April 25-26, 2014
Highlights of European Program
8:30am-9:15am - April 25, 2014
Lyme Disease History and Evolution of Tick Borne Disease
Raphael Stricker, MD
10:30am-11:15am - April 25, 2014
Interpreting and Using Laboratory Tests in Practice
Armin Schwarzbach, MD, PhD
1:30pm-2:15pm - April 25, 2014
Co-infections: Presentation, Diagnosis and Treatment
Carsten Nicolaus, MD, PhD
2:15pm-3:00pm - April 25, 2014
Lyme Disease, Neuropsychlogical Challenges for Children and Families
Leo Shea, III, PhD
9:15am-10:00am - April 26, 2014
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in the Management of Lyme Disease
Samuel Shor, MD, FACP
3:00pm-3:30pm - April 26, 2014
Lyme Treatment in ALS and MS Patients
David Martz, MD
4:00pm-4:30pm - April 26, 2014
Morgellon's Disease: The Newest Lyme Co-infection?
Ginger Savely, DNP, FNP
Download registration form at:
https://www.facebook.com/events/517940644944670/.
Lyme Disease: Call for a "Manhattan Project" to Combat the Epidemic
Raphael B. Stricker, Lorraine Johnson
PLoS Pathog 10(1): e1003796. - January 2, 2014 Opinion
Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in the world today. Until recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported an average of only 30,000 cases of Lyme disease per year in the United States. Three preliminary CDC studies, however, have indicated that the true incidence of Lyme disease may be greater than 300,000 cases and as high as one million cases per year in the United States. A majority of these cases occur in women and children. Based on this new information, Lyme disease should be recognized as a virulent epidemic that is at least six times more common than HIV/AIDS. In response to these alarming statistics, we review the ongoing problems with diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease. We propose the need for an HIV/AIDS-style “Manhattan project” to combat this serious epidemic that threatens the physical and mental health of millions of people around the world.
Free, full text: http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1003796.
NJ State Dept of Health Issues Warning On Lyme Carditis CARDITIS
The NJ State Department of Health distributed a special report in December to all medical practitioners in the state, warning of 3 cases of fatal Lyme carditis involving patients ages 26-38 years old. In all 3 cases, the diagnosis of Lyme carditis was made by tissue harvesting for organ donation. Donated corneas from two of the patients were transplanted into three recipients before the diagnosis was made. The special bulletin included an alert to monitor all patients with unexplained cardiac symptoms for Lyme disease and encouraged reporting of all cases.
Congratulations to ILADS Member
GINGER SAVELY, DNP
for being awarded the 2014
AANP State Award for Excellence NP
Lyme Disease May Be Sexually Transmitted, Study Suggests.
CONTACT: Guinnevere Stevens - 415-399-1035
FOR RELEASE: January 25, 2014
Carmel, CA - A new study suggests that Lyme disease may be sexually transmitted. The study was presented at the annual Western Regional Meeting of the American Federation for Medical Research, and an abstract of the research was published in the January issue of the Journal of Investigative Medicine.
Lyme disease is a tickborne infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a type of corkscrewshaped bacteria known as a spirochete (pronounced spiro’keet). The Lyme spirochete resembles the agent of syphilis, long recognized as the epitome of sexually transmitted diseases. Last summer the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that Lyme disease is much more common than previously thought, with over 300,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the United States. That makes Lyme disease almost twice as common as breast cancer and six times more common than HIV/AIDS.
“Our findings will change the way Lyme disease is viewed by doctors and patients,” said Marianne Middelveen, lead author of the study presented in Carmel. “It explains why the disease is more common than one would think if only ticks were involved in transmission.”
The present study was a collaborative effort by an international team of scientists. In addition to Middelveen, a veterinary microbiologist from Canada, researchers included molecular biologists Jennie Burke, Augustin Franco and Yean Wang and dermatologist Peter Mayne from Australia working with molecular biologists Eva Sapi and Cheryl Bandoski, family practitioner Hilary Schlinger and internist Raphael Stricker from the United States.
Re: TÄRKEÄ: ILADSin TIEDOTTEITA !
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Greetings Colleagues,
ILADS continues to grow as evidenced by our spring conferences in Hershey, Pennsylvania and Augsburg, Germany. I was encouraged by the ever-growing number of professionals that attended these conferences that are new to the field. Their interest in the field was clearly demonstrated by the numbers that applied to be members of ILADS and expressed an interest in ILADS physician training program.
ILADS messaging is coming through loud and clear in the media. Recent coverage in the Wall Street Journal, National Geographic, Prevention Magazine and the Huffington Post
continued to encourage the dialogue we need to solve the Lyme disease problem.
The ILADS Board of Directors and staff are eagerly preparing for what should be the best professional conference yet in Washington October 10-12, 2014. The conference will continue its leadership in professional education and training. The basics course that was so well received in San Diego in 2013 will be repeated in Washington, October 9, 2014.
We always like to hear from our stakeholders, you! Please feel free to reach out to us at contact@ilads.org We always appreciate your suggestions as we continue to enhance member benefits.
Daniel J. Cameron, MD, MPH
President, ILADS
Ever Wondered How ILADS Is Governed?
ILADS Board of Directors consists of 10 members who are each responsible for a different aspect of ILADS work. This year, we will be replacing two current Board members whose terms are expiring at the annual meeting.
The Board meets on a monthly basis, currently the second Wednesday of each month via telephone call. In between Board members schedule evening meetings with their committees and respond to e-mails of general interest to the Board. All agree the satisfaction of service is rewarding. Each Board member has a term of three years with the possibility of one renewal. The By Laws states that all Board members need to be voting members of ILADS.
If you are interested in exploring the possibility of serving on the Board of Directors of ILADS, please contact Leo J. Shea, III, PhD, Chairman of Nominating at contact@ilads.org.
ILADS Elections
ILADS Elections will be held at the annual member meeting in October 2014 in Washington DC. We are seeking individuals who would like to be considered for board positions and help to advance the mission and goals of ILADS.
Board members are expected to participate actively in the ongoing work of the board by:
1.Attending monthly telephonic board meetings of approximately 2 hours in duration,
2.Chairing or participating in specific committees defined to advance the goals of ILADS with a monthly commitment of 5-10 hours of committee time,
3.Attendance at twice-annual offsite organizational meetings of 1 day in duration and
4.Willingness to participate in other activities as requested by the National Director.
Candidates should be voting members and have a history of development and management of organizations and have an understanding of financial and fundraising activity. Please submit a statement to contact@ilads.org of no more than 500 words indicating why you wish to be a member of the board of directors and what contributions you would bring to it.
NEW! Member's Presentations & Papers on ILADS' Website
Recent Member Postings
Advances in Pleomorphic Forms of Borrelia
Leona Gibert’s Presentation on 26 April 2014, ILADS European Conference, Augsburg, Germany.
The Establishment of a Blacklegged Tick Population by Migratory Songbirds in Ontario, Canada
John D. Scott, Lyme Disease Association of Ontario
If you are an ILADS member, and you would like to include papers you have written in the new public Members' Presentations & Papers section on the ILADS website, please send your paper to contact@ilads.org for consideration.
ILADS PRESENTS: Half Day Lyme Fundamentals Course
Registration will up shortly. If you would like to stay updated on course information, please fill out our "Stay Updated" form by cicking here
The Fundamentals of Diagnosis and Treatment of Lyme Disease & Coinfections : Implications for Adult and Pediatric Neuropsychiatric Issues
An Evidenced Based Course for Health Care Professionals. This half day course is designed to teach the practitioner how to recognize signs and symptoms in the differential diagnosis of early and late stage Lyme disease and common co-infections. Various testing techniques and treatment options will be discussed with neuropsychiatric implications for adults as well as children. The course will provide ample opportunity for Q & A and open discussions with nationally known speakers.
Location: Monmouth University,
400 Cedar Avenue,
West Long Branch, NJ 07764-1898;
Date: September, 13, 2014
ILADS COMES TO DC:
2014 ILADS Annual Conference and Fundamentals Course
Registration will up shortly. If you would like to stay updated on conference and course information, please fill out our "Stay Updated" form by cicking here
The 2014 ILADS annual conference will be held at the Grand Hyatt DC Hotel in Washington, D.C. Thursday through Sunday, October 9-12, 2014. ILADS has negotiated a special sleeping rate of $189 per person for registrants good until September 17, 2014. See www.ilads.org for details.
The first day, Thursday October 9, 2014 is a Lyme Fundamentals intensive course for professionals only. The Friday through Sunday noon basic schedule is plenary sessions each morning followed by breakout sessions in the afternoon. Medical professionals are invited to register early. Others will be allowed to registered within a month of the meeting, space pending.
The Grand Hyatt is located at 1000 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. and is conveniently situated at the Metro Center station of the Washington Metro system. The nearest airport is Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport from which the hotel is accessible by Metro or taxi.
Most of the Washington area’s major attractions may be reached either by walking or a short Metro ride, so a car is not necessary. The Capitol itself is nearby, the closest Metro stops being either Union Station (closer to the Senate Office Buildings) or Capital South (closer to the House of Representative Office Buildings. To arrange tours or the Capitol, please go the the website www.visitthecapital.gov.
Other nearby sites include the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Museums on the National Mall, The National Archives, the International Spy Museum and the White House. The Washington Monument has also just reopened, following extensive repairs. The neighborhood surrounding the hotel is home to some of the city’s best restaurants and casual eateries as well as many shops. One good source for information regarding the neighborhood is www.dc.about.com.
Charles Ray Jones, MD 2014 Pioneer in Lyme Awardee
This year, Dr. Charles R. Jones, an ILADS training physician and pediatrician will be awarded the second annual PIONEERS IN LYME DISEASE AWARD October 11, 2014 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, DC. We will be asking everyone who has been touched by Dr. Jones to participate either by attending or by posting tributes on our web site.
As stated by Gordon Medical, “Even though Dr. Jones is in Connecticut, every child and pregnant mother who has been treated for Lyme disease will have been affected by the work and research of Dr. Jones over his long career, and every doctor who treats children with Lyme will have learned from him.”
Please plan to join us in DC for a special night of celebration Dr. Jones’ legacy.
ILADS Screening of UOS II
On Thursday October 9th ILADS will be screening the sequel to Under Our Skin, the power Lyme film that raised awareness about the plight of chronic Lyme disease patients. Registrants of the ILADS conference, plan to join us the evening of October 9th for a special reception hosted by IGENEX. Andy Wilson, the film’s producer, will be on hand to greet you and answer questions about his journey in making the films. www.underourskin.com/sequel/.
John Drulle, MD Memorial Lectureship
Each year one speaker at the annual ILADS conference is chosen to be the grantee of the John Drulle Memorial lectureship. Dr. Drulle was a creative thinker who knew no limits to help his chronic Lyme patients. ILADS is delighted that the 2014 recipient will be announced at the annual meeting and will receive a stipend of $5,000.
Case Discussions At Annual Meeting
Anyone who anticipate attending the fall annual conference in October, please consider a 10-15 minute case presentation. Dr. Sam Shor is accepting requests. Contact him at contact@ilads.org and put in the subject line Case Presentation for Annual Meeting. Include your contact information as well as your case presentation.
New ILADS Research Committee
Armin Schwarzbach, MD, PhD and Leona Gilbert will be heading a new Research Committee for members who are doing research relevant to tick borne diseases. From time to time, one or the other will be updating the membership as to the activities of the working group and asking for input from the ILADS membership.
Prevention Magazine Publishes Article Supporting Lyme Disease
By Katherine Harmon Courage
The Truth About Lyme Disease. Why One Man Volunteered To Have 8 Blood-Sucking Ticks Attached To His Knee. Not concerned about Lyme disease? You might want to rethink that if you ever go outside. Read the article.
The Karl McManus Foundation
We needs funds urgently to set up a Lyme disease research centre at the University of Sydney so that Australians suffering from Lyme disease can get proper diagnosis and treatment. A donation at www.karlmcmanusfoundation.org.au will help us to do this. You can also help us get Lyme disease recognised in Australia if you are inclined to be politically active with your state and/or federal MP. Thank you for your support.
ILADS IN AUGSBURG
Carsten Nicolaus MD, PhD
This year’s European ILADS Conference took place on April 25th and April 26th 2014 in Augsburg (Germany). People from 17 countries took interest in the topic and came to the Bavarian city of the Fuggers, near Munich.
The conference welcomed 115 participants overall and was supported by 11 exhibitors and 13 speakers who exposed current information about the topic. The BCA-clinic in Augsburg organized the ILADS Conference on site. The day before the official inauguration, Dr. Carsten Nicolaus and Dr. Armin Schwarzbach welcomed approximately 30 participants within the premises of the BCA-clinic, where they were able to learn about the possibilities of diagnosis with Infectolab (partner of the BCA-clinic) and therapies in the BCA-clinic.
After the official welcoming speech of the Board and the organizer of the program, Dr. Carsten Nicolaus, ILADEF treasurer, the first day of the conference was inaugurated. Traditionally, the first day is designed for ILADS-therapists as its purpose is to convey standards in diagnostics and therapy for physicians who want to work according to the ILADS guidelines. Every participant receives a certificate which shall represent a standard of quality for therapists. ILADS will only transfer patients to physicians who are in possession of this certificate.
The introductory speech was held by Raphael B. Stricker, MD. He presented in a general overview of tick-borne diseases and exposed the history of the disease, its epidemiology and its pathogens. He emphasized on the different borrelia strains and the clinical dilemma that arises from the diversity of symptoms of chronic Lyme disease, the known co-infections and other additional infections.
Christine Green, MD, discussed the difficulties emerging from the diversity of symptoms in tick-borne diseases, which should be registered on standardized questionnaires. She also presented the diverging opinions of the CDC, the IDSA and the ILADS about the subject. She insistently pled that therapists should listen carefully to what the patients have to say.
Armin Schwarzbach MD, PhD, informed about the interpretation and application of laboratory tests when treating tick-borne disease. He highlighted the importance of preanalytics for labresults. He differentiated various tests such as PCR, ELISA and immunoblot, CD-57-NK cells as well as LTT-Elispot in reference to multisystem diseases.
Samuel M. Shor MD, FACP, reported on his personal practice of treating tick-borne diseases. In the first part of his presentation, he showed how to explain the therapy to the patients and what supportive measures have to be taken, i.e. detox, diet, and treatment of the intestine to reduce side effects and improve the sleep. In the second part of his presentation, he explained the different antibiotic therapies he uses, either with synthetic or natural antibiotics (herbs). He commented on the application of i.v. schemes, such as combination therapies and pulsing.
Carsten Nicolaus, MD, PhD, presented a European view of the epidemiology and pathogenesis. The varied co-infections were put in the spotlight. He presented thoroughly the different tic-borne co-infections, but also 5 those transmitted or caught otherwise (additional infections). He exposed the symptoms of those infections and highlighted the difficulty of diagnosis due to the overlapping symptoms. At last, he presented the combination therapy he applies for multiple infections.
Leo J. Shea III., PhD, dedicated his presentation to a special subject: the neuropsychological challenges of Lyme disease for children and families. As a psychiatrist, he conducted a study on 77 children. He described extensively the effect of the disease on the central nervous system and how these psychological symptoms and dysfunctions show in the patient. He explained which neurological and psychiatric diagnoses should also be checked on tick-borne diseases. Anxiety Disorder or ADHD, for instance, are examples that were mentioned. In his study, he also effect those symptoms have on the families of the affected children.
Further, Samuel Shor, MD, FACP, pled for a practice based on evidence when it comes to tick-borne diseases. He explained the reasons for opening such a practice from the ILADS’ point of view and showed the different positions of IDSA and ILADS. He, then, mentioned existing literature.
In the evening of the first day, the Mayor of Augsburg had organized a reception in the impressive Golden Hall of the Town Hall of Augsburg. On behalf of the Mayor Dr. Kurt Gribl, Max Weinkamm cordially welcomed the participants of the congress and highlighted that the City of Ausburg is proud to host yet again the International Congress and to be the home for a renowned European Lyme Center. This day ended with a cozy evening and professional conversations in the historical “Ratskeller” of Augsburg.
On the main day oft he congress the speakers presented new scientific studies and how their findings affect the examination of Lyme and co-infections.
After the inauguration of the second day, Valerie Obsomer, PhD presented the results of a survey about the spreading of tick-borne diseases that she conducted in Belgium. To begin with she spoke about the results of another study that had been carried out under her supervision. Thus, she could prove the presence of up to 95 different pathogens in ticks. In specific examined regions, there are more than 45% of the ticks infected with borrelia. She also informed the audience that 30% of the ticks spread by birds were infected with up to 6 human pathogenic strains. 41% of the interrogated participants had more than 5 tick bites. The means of transport are extremely diverse but 27% of the participants were bit in their own garden.
The second speaker of the day was Samuel M. Shor, MD, FACP. He explained the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat tick-borne diseases. He describes from his own practice the successful treatment and therapy possibilities of chronic and other diseases such as cystitis or MS.
Mrs. Leona K. Gilbert, PhD gave very important input for therapy by presenting the pleomorphic forms of borrelia that she had studied. She showed that the results of her study did not confirm the existence of “cystic” forms of borrelia. Those forms are not cell wall deficient but have a cell envelope. She calls those forms “round bodies”. They are cable to develop rapidly back into bioactive, mobile forms. These proven pleomorphic forms (round bodies, biofilms and bubbles/loop shaped forms) allow a protection against the immune system and, therefore, lead to a chronic disease. She has proven this in an experiment in the laboratory.
Armin Schwarzbach, MD, PhD explained the limitations of the laboratory diagnostics in Lyme disease. He highlighted the low sensitivity of ELISA and Immunoblot-tests. To compensate this, additional cellular immune system tests should be carried out: LTT-Elispot and CD-57-NK-cells as laboratory cells. In the second part of his presentation, he explained the possibilities to use the laboratory tests for the diagnostics of co-infections and additional infections.
A clear appeal was made by Albin Obiltschnig, MD, to perform a direct proof for borrelia in different tissues. First, he explains the issues related to indirect laboratory tests. Then, he offered various methods for direct pathogenic evidence. He presented, for instance, the setting of a culture from a tissue sample (low sensitivity), the histopathological examination and the PCR. Thanks to his p hand surgery practice he has been able to examine samples of tissues and, as a consequence of the results, had to question many surgical operations.
Pol de Saedeleer, RPharm, started the second half of the day thanks to his presentation on adrenal stress. He presented the highly complex processes that lead to adrenal stress. He showed that adrenal stress could trigger disturbances in the immune system, dysfunctions in the intestine, the brain and to the mitochondrial system. Extreme stress and continuous stress also trigger chronic disturbances, and therefore chronic diseases. This way, it also promote chronic infections, as mentioned by the speaker.
Raphael B. Stricker’s, MD, presentation of sexual transmission of borrelia had already been a discussed subject. He presented a collaborated studywhich isolated and proved the existence if B. burgdorferi in vaginal secretion and sperm. As a consequence of this result, a sexual transmission of borrelia cannot be denied. However, a more amplified study is necessary and it does not prove that every sexual partner is infected.
Christine Green, MD, reports that chlamydia pneumoniae have similar escape mechanisms (similar polymorphism forms). These pathogens are not only transmitted by ticks, but also by other means such as the air. She also presented symptoms, diagnostics and treatment of Chlamydia infections.
The presentation performed by David C. Martz, MD, was extremely impressive. Many years ago, he got ill himself and got a “death sentence” with MND (or ALS). His thesis is that MND could be a special manifestation of an infection with B. burgdorferi. Thus, he presented the history of his disease and the results of his practice. Out of his 900 patients, 120 have had a MND diagnosis. He treats them in his practice with a antibiotic-monotherapy (Cetrifaxon). 28 patients managed tos top the progress of the disease and 14 patients showed improvements. He reached out to many doctors in order to help these condemned patients.
Frau Ginger R. Savely, DNP, reported about morgellons and insisted on her thesis that it is a new co-infection related to Lyme. She is trying to prove that morgellons are a special form of Lyme-borrelia manifested in a special skin disease. She described the difficulties to accept the disease as something more than just a psychological delusion. Many pictures were shown of these skin lesions and the fibers that are recognizable under the microscope (60 times magnified).
To conclude the day, Bernhard Ammann, Dipl.-Ing. (FH) presented “Lymecare”. He demonstrated the difficulties lyme patients have when it comes to control the development of their symptoms. “Lymecare” is an app that the patient uses daily to record his state of health and symptoms on his smartphone or laptop. The results are registered and can be seen on a weekly or monthly basis. This way, both patient and doctor have a daily development without having to meet as often. Moreover, the patient would get the information if intolerance or even a dangerous side effect occurs as a response to the antibiotics. This app could also be useful for other chronic diseases and/or for medical follow-up studies. It should be considered by many universities who conduct a variety of studies.
To close the conference, a yoga workshop was given for which 16 participants were present. The speaker and trainer Mrs. Katherine Kirk first demonstrated the difference between regular yoga and MSIDS-yoga. She reported the benefits of certain yoga exercises for patients affected with multisystem diseases. The presented exercises had been specifically designed for the particular group of patients, according to their needs and abilities.
Photos from the ILADS Augsburg Conference are posted on the website.
Position Available
Busy Naturopathic practice looking for an experienced and integrated Lyme Literate practitioner (ND, DO, MD, NP). We have a 9-month waiting list for new patients. Therapeutics commonly used in our practice are oral and IV antimicrobial therapy, nutrition, botanical medicine, IV nutritional therapy, exercise prescriptions among others. We are located in Portsmouth, NH. Please respond with your resume/bio to DrHecht@naturopathic-doctors.com. For further information about our practice, visit our website www.naturopathic-doctors.com. Our office phone is 603-427-6800 and leave a message with our staff for Dr. Leon Hecht, ND.
ILADS Member, Gary Kaplan, DO Has Written a New Book of Interest to the Lyme Community
In Total Recovery, Dr. Gary Kaplan argues that we’ve been thinking about disease all wrong. Drawing on dramatic patient stories and cutting-edge research, the book reveals that chronic physical and emotional pain are two sides of the same coin. New discoveries show that disease is not the result of a single event but an accumulation of traumas. Every injury, every infection, every toxin, and every emotional blow generates the same reaction: inflammation, activated by tiny cells in the brain, called microglia. Turned on too often from too many assaults, it can have a devastating cumulative effect. Find out more at: www.kaplanclinic.com/books/total-recovery/
Complex, Late Stage, or Chronic Lyme Disease?
WILTON, CT – Has your life been significantly impacted by Lyme disease?
Steven Phillips, M.D., a Yale trained physician specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease, has re-opened his practice. Dr. Phillips initially began his practice in Ridgefield in 1996, and then about 7 years later moved just over the border to the Georgetown part of Rt. 7 in Wilton, where he practiced until June 2011. At that time, a serious medical condition with his back required that he take a leave of absence. Now that his back is better, he is very much looking forward to offering regular medical care as of 9/1/13.
Lyme disease, as well as other vector-born pathogens such as Babesia, Ehrlichia, and Bartonella, can seriously disrupt the lives of previously healthy individuals. These infections can be difficult to diagnose and treat if not caught early.
About the practice
We’re located at 944 Danbury Road, Wilton. Just South of Bruce Bennett Nissan. Tel 203-544-0005. If you need an appointment, please leave your contact information to join our waiting list.
About Steven Phillips, MD
Dr. Phillips has been a proponent of treating stubborn cases of Lyme disease with longer, more intensive courses of antibiotics. His long list of accomplishments include: Being well published in the medical literature on the topic of Lyme disease; having been asked by the states CT, NY, and RI to give numerous testimonies as a Lyme disease expert at the state level; and being a past president of The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS.org). He has extensive experience not only in the management of Lyme disease, but its other associated vector-born infections as well. An internationally known physician/researcher, he has treated patients from over 20 countries. Contact: JoAnn Nadeau, Steven Phillips, MD PC 203-544-0005
Dr. Margaret Helene Bayer - July 8, 1931 - May 12, 2014
by Pat Smith
Margret H. Bayer, a researcher whose early work with her husband, Dr. Manfred Bayer, on Lyme disease PCR, is still cited today, died on May 12. The Drs. Bayer received funding from the LDA for their groundbreaking research which resulted in the often cited publication in Infection 24 (1996) (abstract below). Her contribution to Lyme research with that project and others that followed showed her dedication to helping provide Lyme patients with answers as to why they continue to be sick despite treatment for the disease. It is sad to lose someone with her talent and dedication and we send our condolences to her husband, Dr. Manfred Bayer, and to her entire family for their loss.
Groundbreaking research publication
Infection 1996: Borrelia burgdorferi DNA in the Urine of Treated Patients with Chronic Lyme Disease Symptoms: A PCR Study of 97 Cases, Bayer ME, Zhang L, Bayer MH. Author affiliation Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA
Stewart Bint Takes Barefott Walk
UK novelist Stewart Bint is going completely barefoot 24/7 for two months culminating in a 10k barefoot walk to raise awareness of Lyme Disease. Stewart takes up the story: “I discovered that my Twitter and Facebook friend, Cat Kozich, from Tennessee, suffers from Lyme Disease. Although I had heard of it I didn’t actually know anything about it, and was horrified when I found out the effects it has on people if not treated early. And I was equally horrified to learn that some sections of the medical profession don’t recognise it as a disease.
“I wanted to do something to raise awareness, and as I had already signed up to do the organised Amis Sans Shoes 10k barefoot walk in the UK on July 20, I decided to dedicate it to Cat, and use it to bring this dreadful disease into the public eye.
“To increase the opportunity of both gaining media coverage and talking to people, I have decided to do everything barefoot in the two months leading up to the walk. So I will be having bare feet 24/7 from May 20 until the walk. I am confident that many people will stop me in the street to ask why I’m barefoot, and I’ll be able to bring Lyme Disease to their attention.
“As an experiment last week I gave an author talk at a local school, barefoot, and was quizzed by the children about it...in fact they were more interested in that, than they were in my books! So the ball is rolling, and it’s working.”
“Although the purpose is principally to raise awareness, it would also be nice if people could sponsor me. ILADS has set up a campaign and donating page at http://www.ilads.org/fundraise/campaign ... oot-lymie/.
If you would like to set up your own Crowdfunding Campaign, click below.
LYME COMMUNITY EVENTS
Dr. Horowitz speaking at Lyme Seminar in Norway
Date: May 26-27, 2014
Where: Grand Hotel in Oslo, Norwary
Website: View Website
Dr. Horowitz speaking at Lyme Seminar in France
Date: June 6th-8th, 2014
Where: Strasbourg, France
Website: View Website
The Mayday Project
Date: May 22 & 23, 2014
Website: www.themaydayproject.org
Ticked Off Art: Understanding Lyme Through Art
Date: May 5 - 29
Opening Reception: May 8, 6:30-8:30pm
Where: Maple Grove Arts Center is located at 7916 Main Street, Maple Grove, MN 55369
State Coordinator: Vicki Koecher & Kara Welch
Join our Minnesota Art Show Facebook Planning Page:
View Website
For Art Show Information:
View Website
National Lyme Disease Research Center in the Netherlands
On May 5, 2014 the House of Parliament unanimously supported the proposal of MP Henk van Gerven to establish a national Lyme disease research and treatment center. Van Gerven, “It is a unique event that a citizens initiative has been taken over by the House of parliament. This will hopefully give more insight into the diagnosis of Lyme and tickbite related diseases and offers better chances on the proper treatment of thousands of Lyme disease patients in the Netherlands”.
Greetings Colleagues,
ILADS continues to grow as evidenced by our spring conferences in Hershey, Pennsylvania and Augsburg, Germany. I was encouraged by the ever-growing number of professionals that attended these conferences that are new to the field. Their interest in the field was clearly demonstrated by the numbers that applied to be members of ILADS and expressed an interest in ILADS physician training program.
ILADS messaging is coming through loud and clear in the media. Recent coverage in the Wall Street Journal, National Geographic, Prevention Magazine and the Huffington Post
continued to encourage the dialogue we need to solve the Lyme disease problem.
The ILADS Board of Directors and staff are eagerly preparing for what should be the best professional conference yet in Washington October 10-12, 2014. The conference will continue its leadership in professional education and training. The basics course that was so well received in San Diego in 2013 will be repeated in Washington, October 9, 2014.
We always like to hear from our stakeholders, you! Please feel free to reach out to us at contact@ilads.org We always appreciate your suggestions as we continue to enhance member benefits.
Daniel J. Cameron, MD, MPH
President, ILADS
Ever Wondered How ILADS Is Governed?
ILADS Board of Directors consists of 10 members who are each responsible for a different aspect of ILADS work. This year, we will be replacing two current Board members whose terms are expiring at the annual meeting.
The Board meets on a monthly basis, currently the second Wednesday of each month via telephone call. In between Board members schedule evening meetings with their committees and respond to e-mails of general interest to the Board. All agree the satisfaction of service is rewarding. Each Board member has a term of three years with the possibility of one renewal. The By Laws states that all Board members need to be voting members of ILADS.
If you are interested in exploring the possibility of serving on the Board of Directors of ILADS, please contact Leo J. Shea, III, PhD, Chairman of Nominating at contact@ilads.org.
ILADS Elections
ILADS Elections will be held at the annual member meeting in October 2014 in Washington DC. We are seeking individuals who would like to be considered for board positions and help to advance the mission and goals of ILADS.
Board members are expected to participate actively in the ongoing work of the board by:
1.Attending monthly telephonic board meetings of approximately 2 hours in duration,
2.Chairing or participating in specific committees defined to advance the goals of ILADS with a monthly commitment of 5-10 hours of committee time,
3.Attendance at twice-annual offsite organizational meetings of 1 day in duration and
4.Willingness to participate in other activities as requested by the National Director.
Candidates should be voting members and have a history of development and management of organizations and have an understanding of financial and fundraising activity. Please submit a statement to contact@ilads.org of no more than 500 words indicating why you wish to be a member of the board of directors and what contributions you would bring to it.
NEW! Member's Presentations & Papers on ILADS' Website
Recent Member Postings
Advances in Pleomorphic Forms of Borrelia
Leona Gibert’s Presentation on 26 April 2014, ILADS European Conference, Augsburg, Germany.
The Establishment of a Blacklegged Tick Population by Migratory Songbirds in Ontario, Canada
John D. Scott, Lyme Disease Association of Ontario
If you are an ILADS member, and you would like to include papers you have written in the new public Members' Presentations & Papers section on the ILADS website, please send your paper to contact@ilads.org for consideration.
ILADS PRESENTS: Half Day Lyme Fundamentals Course
Registration will up shortly. If you would like to stay updated on course information, please fill out our "Stay Updated" form by cicking here
The Fundamentals of Diagnosis and Treatment of Lyme Disease & Coinfections : Implications for Adult and Pediatric Neuropsychiatric Issues
An Evidenced Based Course for Health Care Professionals. This half day course is designed to teach the practitioner how to recognize signs and symptoms in the differential diagnosis of early and late stage Lyme disease and common co-infections. Various testing techniques and treatment options will be discussed with neuropsychiatric implications for adults as well as children. The course will provide ample opportunity for Q & A and open discussions with nationally known speakers.
Location: Monmouth University,
400 Cedar Avenue,
West Long Branch, NJ 07764-1898;
Date: September, 13, 2014
ILADS COMES TO DC:
2014 ILADS Annual Conference and Fundamentals Course
Registration will up shortly. If you would like to stay updated on conference and course information, please fill out our "Stay Updated" form by cicking here
The 2014 ILADS annual conference will be held at the Grand Hyatt DC Hotel in Washington, D.C. Thursday through Sunday, October 9-12, 2014. ILADS has negotiated a special sleeping rate of $189 per person for registrants good until September 17, 2014. See www.ilads.org for details.
The first day, Thursday October 9, 2014 is a Lyme Fundamentals intensive course for professionals only. The Friday through Sunday noon basic schedule is plenary sessions each morning followed by breakout sessions in the afternoon. Medical professionals are invited to register early. Others will be allowed to registered within a month of the meeting, space pending.
The Grand Hyatt is located at 1000 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. and is conveniently situated at the Metro Center station of the Washington Metro system. The nearest airport is Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport from which the hotel is accessible by Metro or taxi.
Most of the Washington area’s major attractions may be reached either by walking or a short Metro ride, so a car is not necessary. The Capitol itself is nearby, the closest Metro stops being either Union Station (closer to the Senate Office Buildings) or Capital South (closer to the House of Representative Office Buildings. To arrange tours or the Capitol, please go the the website www.visitthecapital.gov.
Other nearby sites include the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Museums on the National Mall, The National Archives, the International Spy Museum and the White House. The Washington Monument has also just reopened, following extensive repairs. The neighborhood surrounding the hotel is home to some of the city’s best restaurants and casual eateries as well as many shops. One good source for information regarding the neighborhood is www.dc.about.com.
Charles Ray Jones, MD 2014 Pioneer in Lyme Awardee
This year, Dr. Charles R. Jones, an ILADS training physician and pediatrician will be awarded the second annual PIONEERS IN LYME DISEASE AWARD October 11, 2014 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, DC. We will be asking everyone who has been touched by Dr. Jones to participate either by attending or by posting tributes on our web site.
As stated by Gordon Medical, “Even though Dr. Jones is in Connecticut, every child and pregnant mother who has been treated for Lyme disease will have been affected by the work and research of Dr. Jones over his long career, and every doctor who treats children with Lyme will have learned from him.”
Please plan to join us in DC for a special night of celebration Dr. Jones’ legacy.
ILADS Screening of UOS II
On Thursday October 9th ILADS will be screening the sequel to Under Our Skin, the power Lyme film that raised awareness about the plight of chronic Lyme disease patients. Registrants of the ILADS conference, plan to join us the evening of October 9th for a special reception hosted by IGENEX. Andy Wilson, the film’s producer, will be on hand to greet you and answer questions about his journey in making the films. www.underourskin.com/sequel/.
John Drulle, MD Memorial Lectureship
Each year one speaker at the annual ILADS conference is chosen to be the grantee of the John Drulle Memorial lectureship. Dr. Drulle was a creative thinker who knew no limits to help his chronic Lyme patients. ILADS is delighted that the 2014 recipient will be announced at the annual meeting and will receive a stipend of $5,000.
Case Discussions At Annual Meeting
Anyone who anticipate attending the fall annual conference in October, please consider a 10-15 minute case presentation. Dr. Sam Shor is accepting requests. Contact him at contact@ilads.org and put in the subject line Case Presentation for Annual Meeting. Include your contact information as well as your case presentation.
New ILADS Research Committee
Armin Schwarzbach, MD, PhD and Leona Gilbert will be heading a new Research Committee for members who are doing research relevant to tick borne diseases. From time to time, one or the other will be updating the membership as to the activities of the working group and asking for input from the ILADS membership.
Prevention Magazine Publishes Article Supporting Lyme Disease
By Katherine Harmon Courage
The Truth About Lyme Disease. Why One Man Volunteered To Have 8 Blood-Sucking Ticks Attached To His Knee. Not concerned about Lyme disease? You might want to rethink that if you ever go outside. Read the article.
The Karl McManus Foundation
We needs funds urgently to set up a Lyme disease research centre at the University of Sydney so that Australians suffering from Lyme disease can get proper diagnosis and treatment. A donation at www.karlmcmanusfoundation.org.au will help us to do this. You can also help us get Lyme disease recognised in Australia if you are inclined to be politically active with your state and/or federal MP. Thank you for your support.
ILADS IN AUGSBURG
Carsten Nicolaus MD, PhD
This year’s European ILADS Conference took place on April 25th and April 26th 2014 in Augsburg (Germany). People from 17 countries took interest in the topic and came to the Bavarian city of the Fuggers, near Munich.
The conference welcomed 115 participants overall and was supported by 11 exhibitors and 13 speakers who exposed current information about the topic. The BCA-clinic in Augsburg organized the ILADS Conference on site. The day before the official inauguration, Dr. Carsten Nicolaus and Dr. Armin Schwarzbach welcomed approximately 30 participants within the premises of the BCA-clinic, where they were able to learn about the possibilities of diagnosis with Infectolab (partner of the BCA-clinic) and therapies in the BCA-clinic.
After the official welcoming speech of the Board and the organizer of the program, Dr. Carsten Nicolaus, ILADEF treasurer, the first day of the conference was inaugurated. Traditionally, the first day is designed for ILADS-therapists as its purpose is to convey standards in diagnostics and therapy for physicians who want to work according to the ILADS guidelines. Every participant receives a certificate which shall represent a standard of quality for therapists. ILADS will only transfer patients to physicians who are in possession of this certificate.
The introductory speech was held by Raphael B. Stricker, MD. He presented in a general overview of tick-borne diseases and exposed the history of the disease, its epidemiology and its pathogens. He emphasized on the different borrelia strains and the clinical dilemma that arises from the diversity of symptoms of chronic Lyme disease, the known co-infections and other additional infections.
Christine Green, MD, discussed the difficulties emerging from the diversity of symptoms in tick-borne diseases, which should be registered on standardized questionnaires. She also presented the diverging opinions of the CDC, the IDSA and the ILADS about the subject. She insistently pled that therapists should listen carefully to what the patients have to say.
Armin Schwarzbach MD, PhD, informed about the interpretation and application of laboratory tests when treating tick-borne disease. He highlighted the importance of preanalytics for labresults. He differentiated various tests such as PCR, ELISA and immunoblot, CD-57-NK cells as well as LTT-Elispot in reference to multisystem diseases.
Samuel M. Shor MD, FACP, reported on his personal practice of treating tick-borne diseases. In the first part of his presentation, he showed how to explain the therapy to the patients and what supportive measures have to be taken, i.e. detox, diet, and treatment of the intestine to reduce side effects and improve the sleep. In the second part of his presentation, he explained the different antibiotic therapies he uses, either with synthetic or natural antibiotics (herbs). He commented on the application of i.v. schemes, such as combination therapies and pulsing.
Carsten Nicolaus, MD, PhD, presented a European view of the epidemiology and pathogenesis. The varied co-infections were put in the spotlight. He presented thoroughly the different tic-borne co-infections, but also 5 those transmitted or caught otherwise (additional infections). He exposed the symptoms of those infections and highlighted the difficulty of diagnosis due to the overlapping symptoms. At last, he presented the combination therapy he applies for multiple infections.
Leo J. Shea III., PhD, dedicated his presentation to a special subject: the neuropsychological challenges of Lyme disease for children and families. As a psychiatrist, he conducted a study on 77 children. He described extensively the effect of the disease on the central nervous system and how these psychological symptoms and dysfunctions show in the patient. He explained which neurological and psychiatric diagnoses should also be checked on tick-borne diseases. Anxiety Disorder or ADHD, for instance, are examples that were mentioned. In his study, he also effect those symptoms have on the families of the affected children.
Further, Samuel Shor, MD, FACP, pled for a practice based on evidence when it comes to tick-borne diseases. He explained the reasons for opening such a practice from the ILADS’ point of view and showed the different positions of IDSA and ILADS. He, then, mentioned existing literature.
In the evening of the first day, the Mayor of Augsburg had organized a reception in the impressive Golden Hall of the Town Hall of Augsburg. On behalf of the Mayor Dr. Kurt Gribl, Max Weinkamm cordially welcomed the participants of the congress and highlighted that the City of Ausburg is proud to host yet again the International Congress and to be the home for a renowned European Lyme Center. This day ended with a cozy evening and professional conversations in the historical “Ratskeller” of Augsburg.
On the main day oft he congress the speakers presented new scientific studies and how their findings affect the examination of Lyme and co-infections.
After the inauguration of the second day, Valerie Obsomer, PhD presented the results of a survey about the spreading of tick-borne diseases that she conducted in Belgium. To begin with she spoke about the results of another study that had been carried out under her supervision. Thus, she could prove the presence of up to 95 different pathogens in ticks. In specific examined regions, there are more than 45% of the ticks infected with borrelia. She also informed the audience that 30% of the ticks spread by birds were infected with up to 6 human pathogenic strains. 41% of the interrogated participants had more than 5 tick bites. The means of transport are extremely diverse but 27% of the participants were bit in their own garden.
The second speaker of the day was Samuel M. Shor, MD, FACP. He explained the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat tick-borne diseases. He describes from his own practice the successful treatment and therapy possibilities of chronic and other diseases such as cystitis or MS.
Mrs. Leona K. Gilbert, PhD gave very important input for therapy by presenting the pleomorphic forms of borrelia that she had studied. She showed that the results of her study did not confirm the existence of “cystic” forms of borrelia. Those forms are not cell wall deficient but have a cell envelope. She calls those forms “round bodies”. They are cable to develop rapidly back into bioactive, mobile forms. These proven pleomorphic forms (round bodies, biofilms and bubbles/loop shaped forms) allow a protection against the immune system and, therefore, lead to a chronic disease. She has proven this in an experiment in the laboratory.
Armin Schwarzbach, MD, PhD explained the limitations of the laboratory diagnostics in Lyme disease. He highlighted the low sensitivity of ELISA and Immunoblot-tests. To compensate this, additional cellular immune system tests should be carried out: LTT-Elispot and CD-57-NK-cells as laboratory cells. In the second part of his presentation, he explained the possibilities to use the laboratory tests for the diagnostics of co-infections and additional infections.
A clear appeal was made by Albin Obiltschnig, MD, to perform a direct proof for borrelia in different tissues. First, he explains the issues related to indirect laboratory tests. Then, he offered various methods for direct pathogenic evidence. He presented, for instance, the setting of a culture from a tissue sample (low sensitivity), the histopathological examination and the PCR. Thanks to his p hand surgery practice he has been able to examine samples of tissues and, as a consequence of the results, had to question many surgical operations.
Pol de Saedeleer, RPharm, started the second half of the day thanks to his presentation on adrenal stress. He presented the highly complex processes that lead to adrenal stress. He showed that adrenal stress could trigger disturbances in the immune system, dysfunctions in the intestine, the brain and to the mitochondrial system. Extreme stress and continuous stress also trigger chronic disturbances, and therefore chronic diseases. This way, it also promote chronic infections, as mentioned by the speaker.
Raphael B. Stricker’s, MD, presentation of sexual transmission of borrelia had already been a discussed subject. He presented a collaborated studywhich isolated and proved the existence if B. burgdorferi in vaginal secretion and sperm. As a consequence of this result, a sexual transmission of borrelia cannot be denied. However, a more amplified study is necessary and it does not prove that every sexual partner is infected.
Christine Green, MD, reports that chlamydia pneumoniae have similar escape mechanisms (similar polymorphism forms). These pathogens are not only transmitted by ticks, but also by other means such as the air. She also presented symptoms, diagnostics and treatment of Chlamydia infections.
The presentation performed by David C. Martz, MD, was extremely impressive. Many years ago, he got ill himself and got a “death sentence” with MND (or ALS). His thesis is that MND could be a special manifestation of an infection with B. burgdorferi. Thus, he presented the history of his disease and the results of his practice. Out of his 900 patients, 120 have had a MND diagnosis. He treats them in his practice with a antibiotic-monotherapy (Cetrifaxon). 28 patients managed tos top the progress of the disease and 14 patients showed improvements. He reached out to many doctors in order to help these condemned patients.
Frau Ginger R. Savely, DNP, reported about morgellons and insisted on her thesis that it is a new co-infection related to Lyme. She is trying to prove that morgellons are a special form of Lyme-borrelia manifested in a special skin disease. She described the difficulties to accept the disease as something more than just a psychological delusion. Many pictures were shown of these skin lesions and the fibers that are recognizable under the microscope (60 times magnified).
To conclude the day, Bernhard Ammann, Dipl.-Ing. (FH) presented “Lymecare”. He demonstrated the difficulties lyme patients have when it comes to control the development of their symptoms. “Lymecare” is an app that the patient uses daily to record his state of health and symptoms on his smartphone or laptop. The results are registered and can be seen on a weekly or monthly basis. This way, both patient and doctor have a daily development without having to meet as often. Moreover, the patient would get the information if intolerance or even a dangerous side effect occurs as a response to the antibiotics. This app could also be useful for other chronic diseases and/or for medical follow-up studies. It should be considered by many universities who conduct a variety of studies.
To close the conference, a yoga workshop was given for which 16 participants were present. The speaker and trainer Mrs. Katherine Kirk first demonstrated the difference between regular yoga and MSIDS-yoga. She reported the benefits of certain yoga exercises for patients affected with multisystem diseases. The presented exercises had been specifically designed for the particular group of patients, according to their needs and abilities.
Photos from the ILADS Augsburg Conference are posted on the website.
Position Available
Busy Naturopathic practice looking for an experienced and integrated Lyme Literate practitioner (ND, DO, MD, NP). We have a 9-month waiting list for new patients. Therapeutics commonly used in our practice are oral and IV antimicrobial therapy, nutrition, botanical medicine, IV nutritional therapy, exercise prescriptions among others. We are located in Portsmouth, NH. Please respond with your resume/bio to DrHecht@naturopathic-doctors.com. For further information about our practice, visit our website www.naturopathic-doctors.com. Our office phone is 603-427-6800 and leave a message with our staff for Dr. Leon Hecht, ND.
ILADS Member, Gary Kaplan, DO Has Written a New Book of Interest to the Lyme Community
In Total Recovery, Dr. Gary Kaplan argues that we’ve been thinking about disease all wrong. Drawing on dramatic patient stories and cutting-edge research, the book reveals that chronic physical and emotional pain are two sides of the same coin. New discoveries show that disease is not the result of a single event but an accumulation of traumas. Every injury, every infection, every toxin, and every emotional blow generates the same reaction: inflammation, activated by tiny cells in the brain, called microglia. Turned on too often from too many assaults, it can have a devastating cumulative effect. Find out more at: www.kaplanclinic.com/books/total-recovery/
Complex, Late Stage, or Chronic Lyme Disease?
WILTON, CT – Has your life been significantly impacted by Lyme disease?
Steven Phillips, M.D., a Yale trained physician specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease, has re-opened his practice. Dr. Phillips initially began his practice in Ridgefield in 1996, and then about 7 years later moved just over the border to the Georgetown part of Rt. 7 in Wilton, where he practiced until June 2011. At that time, a serious medical condition with his back required that he take a leave of absence. Now that his back is better, he is very much looking forward to offering regular medical care as of 9/1/13.
Lyme disease, as well as other vector-born pathogens such as Babesia, Ehrlichia, and Bartonella, can seriously disrupt the lives of previously healthy individuals. These infections can be difficult to diagnose and treat if not caught early.
About the practice
We’re located at 944 Danbury Road, Wilton. Just South of Bruce Bennett Nissan. Tel 203-544-0005. If you need an appointment, please leave your contact information to join our waiting list.
About Steven Phillips, MD
Dr. Phillips has been a proponent of treating stubborn cases of Lyme disease with longer, more intensive courses of antibiotics. His long list of accomplishments include: Being well published in the medical literature on the topic of Lyme disease; having been asked by the states CT, NY, and RI to give numerous testimonies as a Lyme disease expert at the state level; and being a past president of The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS.org). He has extensive experience not only in the management of Lyme disease, but its other associated vector-born infections as well. An internationally known physician/researcher, he has treated patients from over 20 countries. Contact: JoAnn Nadeau, Steven Phillips, MD PC 203-544-0005
Dr. Margaret Helene Bayer - July 8, 1931 - May 12, 2014
by Pat Smith
Margret H. Bayer, a researcher whose early work with her husband, Dr. Manfred Bayer, on Lyme disease PCR, is still cited today, died on May 12. The Drs. Bayer received funding from the LDA for their groundbreaking research which resulted in the often cited publication in Infection 24 (1996) (abstract below). Her contribution to Lyme research with that project and others that followed showed her dedication to helping provide Lyme patients with answers as to why they continue to be sick despite treatment for the disease. It is sad to lose someone with her talent and dedication and we send our condolences to her husband, Dr. Manfred Bayer, and to her entire family for their loss.
Groundbreaking research publication
Infection 1996: Borrelia burgdorferi DNA in the Urine of Treated Patients with Chronic Lyme Disease Symptoms: A PCR Study of 97 Cases, Bayer ME, Zhang L, Bayer MH. Author affiliation Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA
Stewart Bint Takes Barefott Walk
UK novelist Stewart Bint is going completely barefoot 24/7 for two months culminating in a 10k barefoot walk to raise awareness of Lyme Disease. Stewart takes up the story: “I discovered that my Twitter and Facebook friend, Cat Kozich, from Tennessee, suffers from Lyme Disease. Although I had heard of it I didn’t actually know anything about it, and was horrified when I found out the effects it has on people if not treated early. And I was equally horrified to learn that some sections of the medical profession don’t recognise it as a disease.
“I wanted to do something to raise awareness, and as I had already signed up to do the organised Amis Sans Shoes 10k barefoot walk in the UK on July 20, I decided to dedicate it to Cat, and use it to bring this dreadful disease into the public eye.
“To increase the opportunity of both gaining media coverage and talking to people, I have decided to do everything barefoot in the two months leading up to the walk. So I will be having bare feet 24/7 from May 20 until the walk. I am confident that many people will stop me in the street to ask why I’m barefoot, and I’ll be able to bring Lyme Disease to their attention.
“As an experiment last week I gave an author talk at a local school, barefoot, and was quizzed by the children about it...in fact they were more interested in that, than they were in my books! So the ball is rolling, and it’s working.”
“Although the purpose is principally to raise awareness, it would also be nice if people could sponsor me. ILADS has set up a campaign and donating page at http://www.ilads.org/fundraise/campaign ... oot-lymie/.
If you would like to set up your own Crowdfunding Campaign, click below.
LYME COMMUNITY EVENTS
Dr. Horowitz speaking at Lyme Seminar in Norway
Date: May 26-27, 2014
Where: Grand Hotel in Oslo, Norwary
Website: View Website
Dr. Horowitz speaking at Lyme Seminar in France
Date: June 6th-8th, 2014
Where: Strasbourg, France
Website: View Website
The Mayday Project
Date: May 22 & 23, 2014
Website: www.themaydayproject.org
Ticked Off Art: Understanding Lyme Through Art
Date: May 5 - 29
Opening Reception: May 8, 6:30-8:30pm
Where: Maple Grove Arts Center is located at 7916 Main Street, Maple Grove, MN 55369
State Coordinator: Vicki Koecher & Kara Welch
Join our Minnesota Art Show Facebook Planning Page:
View Website
For Art Show Information:
View Website
National Lyme Disease Research Center in the Netherlands
On May 5, 2014 the House of Parliament unanimously supported the proposal of MP Henk van Gerven to establish a national Lyme disease research and treatment center. Van Gerven, “It is a unique event that a citizens initiative has been taken over by the House of parliament. This will hopefully give more insight into the diagnosis of Lyme and tickbite related diseases and offers better chances on the proper treatment of thousands of Lyme disease patients in the Netherlands”.
Re: TÄRKEÄ: ILADSin TIEDOTTEITA !
Syyskuu 2014. ILADS on julkaissut uudet Borrelioosin hoitosuositukset.
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
ILADS PUBLISHES NEW GUIDELINES
ILADS has released its new treatment guidelines.
The 2014 ILADS guidelines highlights included:
Laboratory testing is meant to contribute to rather than to supersede physicians' judgment.
Clinical judgment is necessary to identify individuals who may benefit from antibiotics to avoid preventable persistent, recurrent, and refractory Lyme disease.
Empiric treatment should be considered as routine treatment of patients for whom Lyme disease is a likely diagnosis.
The previously recommended practice of stopping antibiotics to allow for a delayed recovery is no longer recommended for patients with persistent, recurrent and refractory Lyme disease.
Duration of therapy should be guided by clinical response rather than any arbitrary 30-day treatment course.
A reasonable course would be to continue therapy to treat Lyme disease, after clinical and laboratory abnormalities are resolving and symptoms have resolved.
Indications for retreatment should be broadened from meningitis, heart block, and arthritis to include symptomatic presentations.
The 2014 ILADS evidence based treatment guidelines working group was led by Cameron, DJ, Maloney B, and Johnson with contributions from the entire ILADS board of directors and outside reviewers. The guidelines cover 3 common clinical scenarios faced by clinicians – management of a known tick bite, antibiotic treatment of patients with erythema migrans, management of patients who remain ill following antibiotic therapy for Lyme disease.
ILADS’ guidelines are the first set of Lyme disease guidelines that follow the GRADE format and the first set to comply with the 8 standards identified by the Institute of Medicine identified as being critical to the development of trustworthy guidelines. GRADE is systematic and transparent analysis of the evidence as a whole used by several organizations including Cochrane Collaborative and the World Health Organization.
Using GRADE, a single dose doxycycline study was poorly designed; results only relate to prevention of an EM rash and NOT prevention of non-EM early disease or late Lyme disease. Moreover, antibiotic regimens with durations of 20 or fewer days for the treatment of EM rashes had unacceptably high failure rates. The quality of the evidence regarding the effectiveness of antibiotic retreatment in patients with persistent symptoms following standard and appropriate antibiotic therapy for Lyme disease is very low, implying that the true effectiveness of retreatment is likely to be substantially different from the effectiveness rates seen in the four NIH-sponsored retreatment trials. For example, in a well-designed trial of antibiotic retreatment in patients with severe fatigue, 64% in the treatment arm obtained a clinically significant and sustained benefit from additional antibiotic therapy
The guidelines conclude the following 1) Low quality of evidence necessitates that recommendations be made on a risk-benefit basis that provide therapeutic options as opposed to dictating a given approach, 2) clinical judgment is essential element of patient management, and 3) shared decision making is because the scientific evidence is uncertain and patients vary with regard to disease severity, therapeutic goals, willingness to assume the risks associated with antibiotic treatment and/or not treating an ongoing infection.
Examples of recommendations include:
Recommendation 2a: Treatment regimens of 20 or fewer days of phenoxymethyl-penicillin, amoxicillin, cefuroxime or doxycycline and 10 or fewer days of azithromycin are not recommended for patients with erythema migrans rashes because failure rates in the clinical trials were unacceptably high. Failure to fully eradicate the infection may result in the development of a chronic form of Lyme disease, exposing patients to its attendant morbidity and costs, which can be quite significant. (Recommendation, very low-quality evidence).
Recommendation 2c: Clinicians should provide ongoing assessments to detect evidence of disease persistence, progression or relapse or the presence of other tick-borne diseases. Lacking a test of cure, ongoing assessments are crucial for determining if treatment has been clinically effective. (See Remarks following Recommendation 2f) The first assessment should immediately follow the completion of therapy and subsequent evaluations should occur on an as-needed basis. (Recommendation, very low-quality evidence)
Recommendation 2d: Clinicians should continue antibiotic therapy for patients who have not fully recovered by the completion of active therapy. Ongoing symptoms at the completion of active therapy were associated with an increased risk of long-term failure in some trials and therefore clinicians should not assume that time alone will resolve symptoms. (See Remarks following Recommendation 2f.) There is a wide range of options and choices must be individualized, based on the strength of the patient’s initial response. Dosage ranges for oral agents are as noted in Recommendation 2b.
Strong to moderate responses favor extending the duration of therapy of the initial agent at the same dosage. Modest responses may prompt an increase in the dosage of the initial antibiotic or a switch to a different first-line agent. Tetracycline, with a total daily dose of 1000 -1500mg in 3 or 4 divided doses, is an additional option.[1,2] Due to its favorable pharmacokinetics, tetracycline may be more effective than doxycycline when initial therapy is non-curative.[2]
Minimal or absent responses suggest a need for a combination of first-line agents, which includes at least one antibiotic that is able to effectively reach intracellular compartments.[2,3] Injectable penicillin G benzathine (Bicillin LA), totaling 1.2 -3.6 million units weekly, or intravenous agents such as ceftriaxone are other options. Intramuscular benzathine penicillin avoids the risks associated with gaining intravenous access and it was effective in seemingly recalcitrant Lyme arthritis.[4] Ceftriaxone, 2 grams IV per day is known to be effective [5-10] and IV cefotaxime [11], another cephalosporin, has also been recommended. IV penicillin is less effective and requires more frequent dosing.”[12] Additional IV cell wall agents from the carbapenem and monobactam classes were effective in vitro but have not been studied clinically.[13]
For the full GRADE assessment and recommendations, see Expert Review of Anti-Infective Therapy.
Daniel Cameron, MD, MPH
Elizabeth Maloney, MD
Lorraine Johnson, JD, MBA
Steere AC, Hutchinson GJ, Rahn DW et al. Treatment of the early manifestations of Lyme disease. Ann Intern Med, 99(1), 22-26 (1983).
Donta ST. Tetracycline therapy for chronic Lyme disease. Clin Infect Dis, 25 Suppl 1, S52-56 (1997).
Donta ST. Macrolide therapy of chronic Lyme Disease. Med Sci Monit, 9(11), PI136-142 (2003).
Cimmino MA, Moggiana GL, Parisi M, Accardo S. Treatment of Lyme arthritis. Infection, 24(1), 91-93 (1996).
Dattwyler RJ, Halperin JJ, Pass H, Luft BJ. Ceftriaxone as effective therapy in refractory Lyme disease. J Infect Dis, 155(6), 1322-1325 (1987).
Dattwyler RJ, Halperin JJ, Volkman DJ, Luft BJ. Treatment of late Lyme borreliosis--randomised comparison of ceftriaxone and penicillin. Lancet, 1(8596), 1191-1194 (1988).
Logigian EL, Kaplan RF, Steere AC. Chronic neurologic manifestations of Lyme disease. N Engl J Med, 323(21), 1438-1444 (1990).
Logigian EL, Kaplan RF, Steere AC. Successful treatment of Lyme encephalopathy with intravenous ceftriaxone. J Infect Dis, 180(2), 377-383 (1999).
Krupp LB, Hyman LG, Grimson R et al. Study and treatment of post Lyme disease (STOP-LD): a randomized double masked clinical trial. Neurology, 60(12), 1923-1930 (2003).
Fallon BA, Keilp JG, Corbera KM et al. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of repeated IV antibiotic therapy for Lyme encephalopathy. Neurology, 70(13), 992-1003 (2008).
Pfister HW, Preac-Mursic V, Wilske B, Schielke E, Sorgel F, Einhaupl KM. Randomized comparison of ceftriaxone and cefotaxime in Lyme neuroborreliosis. J Infect Dis, 163(2), 311-318 (1991).
Steere AC, Green J, Schoen RT et al. Successful parenteral penicillin therapy of established Lyme arthritis. N Engl J Med, 312(14), 869-874 (1985).
Hunfeld KP, Weigand J, Wichelhaus TA, Kekoukh E, Kraiczy P, Brade V. In vitro activity of mezlocillin, meropenem, aztreonam, vancomycin, teicoplanin, ribostamycin and fusidic acid against Borrelia burgdorferi. Int J Antimicrob Agents, 17(3), 203-208 (2001).
ILADS Marks Fifteen Years with 2014 Annual Conference in Washington, DC
The calendar will read October, but as the official tourist site for the nation’s capital heralds: Summer lasts even longer in DC! So why not plan on attending the 15th annual ILADS conference and test this hypothesis!
The event opens on Thursday, October 9th with the ILADS course: The Fundamentals of Diagnosing and Treating Tick-Borne Illness. Speakers for this day-long program include Richard Horowitz, MD, treating physician and author of the NY Times bestseller Why Can’t I Get Better?: Solving the Mystery of Lyme and Chronic Disease. Additional course instructors include Joseph Burrascano, MD, Daniel Kinderleher, MD, Steven E. Phillips, MD, and Ginger R. Savely, DNP, FNP.
Those who should consider taking this ILADS course include medical professionals new to treating patients with tick borne infections as well as those wishing a refresher course on the fundamentals of diagnosis and treatment. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants who work with Lyme literate physicians should also plan on attending.
Registration options, as well as the course program may be found on the ILADS website.
The main attraction, the scientific portion of the ILADS conference, follows immediately after the Fundamentals course. Registrants can begin Thursday evening activities with a viewing of the Washington, DC premiere of Under Our Skin 2: Emergence. Filmmaker Andy Abrahams Wilson will be on hand for the screening. This second installment of Under Our Skin looks at the progress made by several patients and physicians featured in the first documentary.
ILADS closes out Thursday with a reception open to attendees and invited representatives from Capitol Hill.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, learn from those who have direct patient contact and experience treating the neurological issues associated with lyme and other tick borne infections. What have they learned? What works well with patients? What needs to change? All conference attendees will receive copies of the Executive Summary from the updated ILADS treatment guidelines issued on August 1, 2014. Breakout sessions will allow for further discussions and questions.
The conference will be held at the Grand Hyatt Washington at 1000 H Street NW in downtown Washington, D.C. Located at DC’s Metro Center, conference participants will find themselves in walking distance of the White House and other cultural attractions. The Orange, Red, Silver, and Blue train lines run from the Metro Center station near the hotel, allowing attendees the freedom to explore the wonders of Washington, D.C.
Registration for professionals and non-professional travel companions may be completed easily on line at www.ilads.org.
ILADS Executive Director Barbara Buchman and her staff look forward to greeting you all in Washington, D.C.
ILADS Reaches Out to NJ Healthcare
Providers and now the Public
MonmouthOn Saturday, September 13, 2014, ILADS members Dr. Joseph Burrascano and Dr.Robert Bransfield will present a half-day workshop titled Overview of the Fundamentals of Diagnosis & Treatment of Lyme Disease and Co-infections with an Emphasis on Neuropsychiatric Issues. The workshop will be held at Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ.
The course is now open for those who want to attend for non-CME credit at a cost of $150. For those taking the course for CME credit, the cost is $200.
More information and registration details are here.
In an effort to reach doctors still in their training years, the John Drulle Memorial Lyme Fund generously providing funds to cover the costs of New Jersey based medical doctors in hospital residency programs.
ILADS would like to thank the John Drulle Memorial Lyme Fund for its financial support and continuing commitment to the ILADS mission of education about Lyme and its associated diseases.
Learn more about the John Drulle Memorial Lyme Fund at: www.johndrullelymefund.org
ILADEF’s Pioneer Award to be given to a “Ray of Hope”.
Ray of HopeEach year, the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Educational Foundation (ILADEF) hosts a gala charity dinner to raise funds to support its Physician Training Program, Lyme Basics Course and other educational and training programs presented regionally and internationally. As part of the annual event, ILADEF honors a professional for his or her dedication to the advancement of diagnosis and treatment of Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses.
This year, ILADEF will present the Pioneer Award to Charles “Ray” Jones, MD, the pediatrician who has been a Ray of Hope to thousands of children and their parents who struggle with the consequences of Lyme and other associated diseases. Dr. Jones, like other medical pioneers before him, has had to withstand the scrutiny and criticism of his peers as well as, professional and governmental organizations in his ground-breaking work. In the course of his seminal work treating children with tick-borne illnesses, Dr. Jones has always been committed to his promise to the Hippocratic Oath: First, do no harm. His dedication to healing children with these illnesses means that his patients will grow up to optimize their potential and experience a successful future.
Like most pioneers, his perseverance has come at an enormous cost. His customized approach in treating children with Lyme and its associated diseases has been challenged by power professional and governmental forces who disagreed with his treatment methods. Despite substantial legal costs and as well as a negative impact to his practice and health, Dr. Jones was not deterred from a course which he knew to be right. With courage and determination, he continued to dedicate his life to his patients and their families. In turn, his patients, families, colleagues and others supported him throughout his ordeal.
Now is your time to show your appreciation for all that he has done to enhance the lives of others. We invite you to attend ILADEF Gala to celebrate the accomplishments and courage of Dr. Jones, this “Ray of Hope” for children with tick-borne illnesses. Make your reservations to attend the Pioneer Award Dinner at the ILADS Washington Conference website.
For those of you who cannot come to Washington but would like to honor Dr. Jones, you can show your appreciation for his life and work by making a donation in his honor at the ILADS conference website. Money raised in honor of Dr. Jones will support educational initiatives, including teaching pediatricians about treating Lyme and its associated diseases.
Classified Ads- Seeking Office Help
Established Chronic Disease/Primary Care Practice for Sale
Primary Care and Chronic Disease/Lyme practice for sale in sunny Arizona. Established for 22 years. Room for expansion and introduction of alternative modalities. Seller owns facility, so lease negotiable.
Contact: scottsdalemedical@gmail.com
Nurse practitioner or Naturopathic Doctor
Very busy, fast-paced clinic in Amherst, NH looking for a qualified nurse practitioner or naturopathic doctor interested in treating tick-borne diseases for a contract position 4-5 days a week (Saturdays if desired). Please contact us at assistgreenhouse@yahoo.com or 603-249-5771 for more information.
Advanced Practice Provider (Nurse Practitioner) for Integrative Clinic
Holistica Integrative Care - Boulder, CO
Seeking a nurse practitioner to join our busy, integrative medical clinic three days per week. No weekends or call. This position is non-salaried; pay structure is based on a percentage of patient visits and supplement sales. This is an opportunity to build a thriving practice through referrals from our medical doctor and naturopathic doctors and learn about botanical medicine, homeopathic therapy, nutraceuticals, and treating acute and chronic illness including Lyme through natural means.
Qualifications
Graduate from an accredited nurse practitioner program.
Licensure in the State of Colorado in good standing.
Current BLS certification from the American Heart Association.
Prescriptive authority and DEA certification a must.
Ideal candidate will have family practice experience and training in Functional/Integrative Medicine with an interest in learning how to treat patients desiring a collaborative and natural approach to healing.
Candidate must have excellent verbal and written communication skills to effectively interact with a diverse patient population.
Please email a cover letter and resume to Mary Shackelton, ND at mary@holisticacare.com.
Executive Summary on
NY State Lyme Task Force
The Senate Majority Coalition Task Force on Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases was convened on October 8, 2013, to address rising concerns in New York State regarding the outbreak and spread of Lyme and Tick-Borne diseases. The Task Force was charged with examining state and federal efforts to combat the continued spread of these diseases and make recommendations for submission to the New York State Department of Health for a State Action Plan to facilitate improved prevention, diagnosis, and treatment protocols in order to better protect New York residents.
While Lyme and Tick-Borne diseases have had a significant history in New York to date, recent events have raised the level of alarm regarding the broader consequences that these diseases may have - in significant contrast to information that was previously reported. According to new analyses of State Health Department records, over the past thirteen years, Lyme disease was listed as the cause of death for nine New Yorkers, outside of New York City. Five of the victims lived in the mid-Hudson Valley. Given the tragic consequences of Lyme and Tick-Borne diseases, the Senator Majority Coalition Task Force recognizes this epidemic as a pressing public health crisis, and has initiated steps to create a comprehensive statewide response.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread through the bite of infected ticks. The blacklegged deer tick (ixodes scapularis) is primarily responsible for the spread of the disease in the northeastern, mid-Atlantic, and north-central United States. If left untreated, the disease can cause a number of health problems, including a serious infection that can spread to the joints, heart and nervous system. Treatment efficacy and the likelihood of long-term health effects largely depend on timely diagnosis and treatment plans. According to the Department of Health, since Lyme disease first became reportable in 1986, over 95,000 cases have been confirmed in New York State and the number is still growing.
The report goes on from here. To view the entire document go to www.ILADS.org and click on News from ILADS.
ILADS NEWS
Please check out our new ILADS.org tab under the NEWS section for news of interest to the Lyme Community. You will find interesting articles such as a recent story out of Old Dominion University citing the tick count is vastly underreported. To see the story click here.
ILADS Experts Joined Colleagues for International Vector-borne Diseases Conference in Oslo, Norway
A Norwegian patient interest group calling itself NorVect sponsored its first ever conference in Olso this past May in an effort to bring together experts on vector-borne diseases, including Lyme and its associated diseases. In attendance were several ILADS members and presenters Joseph Burrascano, MD, Richard Horowitz, MD, and Alan MacDonald, MD along with researchers Ed Breitschwerdt, DVM, Eva Sapi, PhD and Jyotsna Shah, PhD.
NorVect, according to its website, is a newly-formed organization “founded and run solely by patients with the desire to make a difference.” The organization’s mission focuses “on research, focus on dialogue, and focus on the patients are the cornerstones of our organization.”
Blogger Huib Kraaijeveld reporting on the conference noted: The content was divided in two topics: how to find Lyme and how to treat it. Day one was spent on assessing and testing Lyme. The main question was how to best assess complex diseases that can have more than one cause (as opposed to the Pasteur postulation that every disease has a single cause, which dates from 1800) to help doctors and patients to best assess what is the matter.
NorVect will host its next conference from May 30-31, 2015, also in Oslo.
Lyme News From Canada
ILADS will be sponsoring a one day fundamentals course in Banff, Alberta on February 7. 2015. Check our web site for more details.
Canada Lyme is offering grants for first time attending Canadian physicians to attend the ILADS conferences. Contact jimwilson@telus.net for more information.
Jim Wilson testified before the federal parliamentary Standing Health Committee on May 29th and then the executives of the Public Health Agency of Canada testified on June 3rd. You can listen to the testimony here.
Matthew Murray and
Lyme Disease Awareness
Murrray
In the fall of 2009 I approached my mother about running the NYC Marathon for her and to create Lyme disease awareness, a disease that is very misunderstood. My mother agreed it was a good idea, but wanted to make sure the money donated went to the right organization, as the Lyme disease community is cluttered. So, my mother reached out to Dr. Horowitz and he suggested that the money be donated to ILADS. Thus began my journey of raising awareness and donations through running the NYC Marathon and 4MOMMA.com was born.
My first NYC Marathon was in 2010, which presented a major challenge after I split the bottom of my right foot wide open – about five inches long and one inch deep – exactly four weeks before the marathon on Kona covering the Ironman World Championships for Oakley.
Needless to say, it was difficult to stay positive, but four days before running my first ever marathon I got out and tested the foot by walking on it for the first time. In the end, the marathon was a massive physical challenge, but I finished in the arms of my mother and father – a moment I will keep ingrained in my mind forever.
The 2011 NYC Marathon presented its own set of challenges, but I was motivated to continue the story of my mother’s struggle with Lyme disease and how this disease needed national attention.
During the marathon, one moment that really stood out and will remain in my head took place around mile marker eight in Brooklyn. I was running strong but was realizing how long it takes to get around everyone when running this insane race.
As I drew closer to this bigger group that was protecting a runner with guides I glanced over to see who it was…maybe it was some celebrity or something…but no. Instead in a matter of one second my eyes weld up with tears and I was astonished at what I saw.
It was a young man running with no arms or legs; he had returned from Iraq and wanted to run the marathon. He had prosthetic legs, but no arms, which must have made running and keeping his balance extremely difficult.
As I pulled away and headed towards Queens, I thought to myself how fortunate we all are for those that not only protect our country but how lucky we are for our health and way of life in America.
I will never forget that young man and how it motivated me to once again to push through and finish the marathon in 2011.
Then in 2012 we had the mega-storm Sandy that swept through the metro area and the NYC Marathon was cancelled for the first time, which was sad on so many levels, but was the right decision.
And then this past year, the 2013 New York City Marathon would be my third New York marathon to raise awareness for Lyme disease and brought its own set of challenges once again, mostly because I was given notice that I was invited to run in August, which only gave me three months to train.
So I began running each morning from Santa Monica to Venice on the bike path and slowly built up my stamina. And this past November was one of the harsher weather conditions I had run in, but once again I was blessed to finish the marathon and in a personal best of 4:16, which was 31 minutes faster then my first marathon.
It’s funny – my close friends and family members ask me why I run the marathon because they know that running was never my strong suit when it came to my athletic prowess. And I tell them it’s because it’s not easy and when I feel winded or tired or cramped, I picture my mother and the pain she endures every single day with endless pills and/or injections to deal with a disease that has no end or solution in sight.
Ultimately, my mother is my inspiration, but so is everyone else that battles with Lyme disease because no matter how much I feel out of it or discouraged at times, all I need to think about are the millions of infected individuals that wake up each morning with no answer to this disease that is slowly taking away all their abilities.
In the future, I hope to find new ways to create awareness and work with ILADS and the Lyme disease community as a whole to create the awareness this disease deserves and to someday find a cure.
Thank you,
Matthew Murray
Back to School:
The ABCs of Lyme and Other Tick-borne Infections
As families transition from summer activities to back-to-school preparations, the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) urges parents to think about where their children have been this summer, where they will play during recess at school, and especially where student athletes will practice or compete during sports seasons. Learning the simple ABCs of tick bites will help parents keep students safe and healthy.
Daniel Cameron, MD, MPH, the current president of ILADS, suggests parents watch their children who are returning from a summer away at camp for signs of possible Lyme infection. “Many people never see a tick as it’s biting; and, many people won’t exhibit what has become known as the bull’s eye rash,” said Dr. Cameron. “However, there are other signs parents should look for including fatigue, headaches, poor concentration and joint pain.”
Understanding ticks and the infections they transmit is still a work in progress, Dr. Cameron noted. Until recently, most health care providers treated a tick bite or the bull’s eye rash with one of two regimens: one dose of 200 mg of doxycycline or three to four weeks of treatment with 100 mg of doxycycline twice a day, respectively. On August 1, 2014, ILADS released updated guidelines suggesting a change in treatment protocols. “Lyme disease is a complex illness,” noted the guideline authors. “Patients may experience both acute and persistent manifestations.” Those persistent manifestations of the disease, said Dr. Cameron, are poorly understood and often labeled as having developed from something other than a tick bite.
Students can get bitten in their own backyards. However parents should instruct their children to stay out of tall grass while walking to and from school or while playing outside during recess. Parents and coaches should also be mindful of the areas around playing fields used for practice and games. Parents of students who run cross-country should talk about whether or not to use an insect repellant containing DEET, which is effective against mosquitoes and may repel ticks. Parents could also have uniforms treated with permethrin.
Here are the ABCs of lyme and tick-borne diseases from ILADS:
A - Awareness
While people associate ticks with wooded areas, the fact is that many people get bitten in their own backyards. Ticks can be transmitted to people by pet dogs and cats. Horses have been known to transfer ticks as well. Being aware of your environment and taking precautions can reduce one’s exposure. The University of Rhode Island hosts the TickEncounter Resource Center which provides lots of information.
B - Bites
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases maintains a tick must be attached for 36 hours in order to transmit lyme, but newer research challenges that claim. Consequently, checking for ticks is the best defense available right now. Don’t allow your students to merely shower after being outside. Ticks can remain attached even after a cleansing. Don’t forget to look along the hairline. Examine your child’s back— a place they can’t see. Also, look behind the knees. If you find a tick, remove it carefully and immediately. ILADS has an instructional video.
C - Challenges
While some cases of Lyme disease resolve with routine treatment, many patients suffer long-term consequences. Ticks can transmit more than Lyme disease. Diagnosing associated illnesses from tick bites takes a skilled practitioner. Finding what many patients call a Lyme Literate health care provider is the key to getting better. ILADS provides patient information and can assist with finding the appropriate physician in a given area. There are also a number of Lyme patient support groups on the national, state and local levels. Those organizations also help patients find physicians.
For more information:
ILADS
www.ilads.org
At the Feet of the Master
My week with Dr. Charles Ray Jones
By Ginger Savely, DNP
SavelyRemember when you were a child and an illness or injury prompted a visit to your doctor’s office? Chances are you dreaded the experience and were bribed with the promise of a treat afterwards, especially if needles were to be involved. Now enter the waiting room of pediatrician and Lyme disease specialist Charles Ray Jones in New Haven, Connecticut. Here children play video games, watch movies, and look forward to seeing the man they view more as a lovable grandpa than as a doctor.
Charles Ray Jones has been treating children with Lyme disease since 1968, before the disease was named for the town in Connecticut where the first outbreak was described. He currently estimates that he has treated over 15,000 children with Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. Health care providers from all over the world call him daily for advice and he generously gives of his time and his expertise. I was honored to spend a week training with him, observing his style of interaction with children and parents, learning his examination techniques, and generally taking in the pearls of wisdom that only a healer with many years of experience can provide.
A shy, soft-spoken man, Dr. Jones has never been motivated by prestige or money. He is the consummate old-fashioned pediatrician whose love for children and a calling to heal have been his impetus to forge ahead, swimming against the tide. The humble doctor claims that he was the “ugliest, dumbest and least likely to succeed” in his family. He accepts his notoriety with reluctance and even a bit of bemusement. Nevertheless, it is clear that he is touched by the attention and adulation heaped upon him by scores of grateful patients and their parents.
Shunning the professional look of a lab coat, Dr. Jones prefers to wear a bright blue warm-up suit when he sees his young patients, a uniform that has become his signature. “Dr. Charles Ray Jones” is embroidered across the back of the jacket with the words: “Keep marching to fulfill the dream” under his name. His receding hairline merges with long, thick, salt-and-pepper hair that falls into ringlets at his shoulders. If you were to trade his large, thick glasses for a pair of pince-nez spectacles, you would swear you were looking at Ben Franklin in modern garb. Like Franklin, Dr. Jones is a maverick: a humanist with a wry sense of humor and a man of deep common sense who is not afraid to challenge conventional wisdom and the powers-that-be.
His fraternal twin brother’s battle with bone cancer and tragic death at the age of sixteen undoubtedly influenced Dr. Jones’ desire to pursue medicine. In fact, his pre-Lyme calling was pediatric oncology and in those days, he says, there was little to do but watch children die. With a background that includes a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Psychology and a stint at the Theological Seminary at Boston University (where he befriended Dr. Martin Luther King), Dr. Jones has an artistic sensibility and appreciates music, poetry, and painting. An intuitive man, he truly practices the art of medicine, with solid science as his foundation but ultimately his senses as his guide.
His office is located on the ground floor of an apartment building in downtown New Haven, in the shadow of Yale University, the epicenter of Lyme denialism. Dr. Jones lives in a top floor apartment in the same building with his daughter, the son she adopted from Guatemala, and too many dogs and cats to mention. Dr. Jones loves to talk about his Guatemalan grandson whose “Incan” mind, he claims, operates on a higher spiritual plane than the average person’s. This precocious boy accurately predicts the future and writes poetry with sophistication and insight beyond his chronological age. Dr. Jones is clearly fascinated with his grandson’s mystical mind and proud to regale the listener with anecdotes of the boy’s musings.
Despite his 80+ years, Dr. Jones puts in hours that would exhaust someone half his age. He works seven days a week, seeing patients Monday through Saturday and conducting telephone follow-up visits on Sunday. A typical weekday starts at 8am and ends at 8pm with a lunch break just long enough to wolf down some canned soup. The proximity of his dwelling to his office makes it all too tempting for this devoted doctor to return to his work after dinner, burning the midnight oil as he reviews medical records and prepares for the next work day. Dr. Jones’ hard-working assistants are friendly and competent. They are clearly protective of and devoted to their boss, and a family feeling is quite evident in his casual office.
Not one to be guarded, the doctor speaks openly of some of the more intimate details of his life. However, the authenticity of his statements is not always obvious, as a dry sense of humor and love of pulling the listener’s leg are his modus operandi. There were times when I didn’t know whether a claim was truth or fiction, although a devilish grin and glint in the eye were often, but not always, his giveaway.
In fact, his dry wit is an important aspect of Dr. Jones’ style as a clinician. He teases his young patients, who all appear to enjoy it since the love behind it is clear. Some of his comments might seem politically incorrect at face value, but the children know that his goal is to make them smile. An example: A recovering fifteen-year-old boy reported that for a long time he didn’t want his friends to visit him. He was afraid they might be alarmed by the frightening motor disorder he was experiencing at the time. Dr. Jones replied: “What do you mean? You should have charged admission!”
Every visit includes an affectionate moment with the good doctor, who hugs and caresses the children as though they were his own. He has an amazing memory of all of his patients, recalling details from the patient’s medical history even if he had not consulted the chart for many months. He clearly loves them all. Dr. Jones is known to go above and beyond for his patients’ families as well. On one occasion I saw him provide a patient’s mother with a second opinion on the reading of her mammogram!
Lest you be tempted to hurry to the phone and call Dr. Jones’ office for an appointment for your child, be forewarned that he gets up to thirty such calls a day. New patient visits are at least a six-month wait. Since time is of the essence in treating children with Lyme disease, Dr. Jones’ staff will happily refer you to other health care providers who treat pediatric Lyme with Dr. Jones’ blessing.
The legal ordeal with the state medical board that Dr. Jones had to endure has become legendary. The protracted harassment squandered his time, finances and energy. A Google search of his name will provide the reader with details of what appears to be a shameful political vendetta against a man whose life has been devoted to helping children whom no one else would help. He has been tolerant of the process but is growing weary of the absurdity of it all.
At his last hearing, the usually-patient Dr. Jones had to restrain himself from saying what he was really feeling, lest he be held in contempt of court. A Walt Whitman poem kept coming to his mind and he thought of the lines, over and over, written more than a hundred years before. The poem brings to mind the juxtaposition of deliberation versus action, of theory versus experiential knowledge, of ivory tower medicine versus medicine in the trenches. It provides a thoughtful ending to an article about a thoughtful man.
When I heard the learn’d astronomer;
When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me;
When I was shown the charts and the diagrams,
To add, divide, and measure them;
When I, sitting, heard the astronomer,
Where he lectured with much applause in the lecture – room,
How soon, unaccountable, I became tired and sick;
Til rising and gliding out, I wander’d off by myself,
In the mystical, moist night air, and from time to time,
Look’d up in perfect silence at the starts.
Man vs Dog: Study on Lyme and Anaplasmosis in NJ
GaitoDr. Andrea Gaito, in collaboration with veterinarian, Dr. Vedrana Gjivoje has published a study comparing the infectivity rates of both Lyme disease and Anaplsmosis in both humans and dogs in a community endemic for tick-borne diseases in New Jersey. The authors found the infectivity rate to be remarkably similar in both the human and veterinary population. Full text: Infection and Drug Resistance 2014:7 199-201
ILADS ANNUAL MEMBERS MEETING
The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society will be holding its annual members meeting on Friday October 10, 2014 5:30pm at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Washington, DC. All members are invited to attend to learn about what your leadership has been doing this past year. There will be a discussion about the new Treatment Guidelines and a report from the officers. Come meet your fellow members and voice your opinions on how we can do to serve you better.
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
ILADS PUBLISHES NEW GUIDELINES
ILADS has released its new treatment guidelines.
The 2014 ILADS guidelines highlights included:
Laboratory testing is meant to contribute to rather than to supersede physicians' judgment.
Clinical judgment is necessary to identify individuals who may benefit from antibiotics to avoid preventable persistent, recurrent, and refractory Lyme disease.
Empiric treatment should be considered as routine treatment of patients for whom Lyme disease is a likely diagnosis.
The previously recommended practice of stopping antibiotics to allow for a delayed recovery is no longer recommended for patients with persistent, recurrent and refractory Lyme disease.
Duration of therapy should be guided by clinical response rather than any arbitrary 30-day treatment course.
A reasonable course would be to continue therapy to treat Lyme disease, after clinical and laboratory abnormalities are resolving and symptoms have resolved.
Indications for retreatment should be broadened from meningitis, heart block, and arthritis to include symptomatic presentations.
The 2014 ILADS evidence based treatment guidelines working group was led by Cameron, DJ, Maloney B, and Johnson with contributions from the entire ILADS board of directors and outside reviewers. The guidelines cover 3 common clinical scenarios faced by clinicians – management of a known tick bite, antibiotic treatment of patients with erythema migrans, management of patients who remain ill following antibiotic therapy for Lyme disease.
ILADS’ guidelines are the first set of Lyme disease guidelines that follow the GRADE format and the first set to comply with the 8 standards identified by the Institute of Medicine identified as being critical to the development of trustworthy guidelines. GRADE is systematic and transparent analysis of the evidence as a whole used by several organizations including Cochrane Collaborative and the World Health Organization.
Using GRADE, a single dose doxycycline study was poorly designed; results only relate to prevention of an EM rash and NOT prevention of non-EM early disease or late Lyme disease. Moreover, antibiotic regimens with durations of 20 or fewer days for the treatment of EM rashes had unacceptably high failure rates. The quality of the evidence regarding the effectiveness of antibiotic retreatment in patients with persistent symptoms following standard and appropriate antibiotic therapy for Lyme disease is very low, implying that the true effectiveness of retreatment is likely to be substantially different from the effectiveness rates seen in the four NIH-sponsored retreatment trials. For example, in a well-designed trial of antibiotic retreatment in patients with severe fatigue, 64% in the treatment arm obtained a clinically significant and sustained benefit from additional antibiotic therapy
The guidelines conclude the following 1) Low quality of evidence necessitates that recommendations be made on a risk-benefit basis that provide therapeutic options as opposed to dictating a given approach, 2) clinical judgment is essential element of patient management, and 3) shared decision making is because the scientific evidence is uncertain and patients vary with regard to disease severity, therapeutic goals, willingness to assume the risks associated with antibiotic treatment and/or not treating an ongoing infection.
Examples of recommendations include:
Recommendation 2a: Treatment regimens of 20 or fewer days of phenoxymethyl-penicillin, amoxicillin, cefuroxime or doxycycline and 10 or fewer days of azithromycin are not recommended for patients with erythema migrans rashes because failure rates in the clinical trials were unacceptably high. Failure to fully eradicate the infection may result in the development of a chronic form of Lyme disease, exposing patients to its attendant morbidity and costs, which can be quite significant. (Recommendation, very low-quality evidence).
Recommendation 2c: Clinicians should provide ongoing assessments to detect evidence of disease persistence, progression or relapse or the presence of other tick-borne diseases. Lacking a test of cure, ongoing assessments are crucial for determining if treatment has been clinically effective. (See Remarks following Recommendation 2f) The first assessment should immediately follow the completion of therapy and subsequent evaluations should occur on an as-needed basis. (Recommendation, very low-quality evidence)
Recommendation 2d: Clinicians should continue antibiotic therapy for patients who have not fully recovered by the completion of active therapy. Ongoing symptoms at the completion of active therapy were associated with an increased risk of long-term failure in some trials and therefore clinicians should not assume that time alone will resolve symptoms. (See Remarks following Recommendation 2f.) There is a wide range of options and choices must be individualized, based on the strength of the patient’s initial response. Dosage ranges for oral agents are as noted in Recommendation 2b.
Strong to moderate responses favor extending the duration of therapy of the initial agent at the same dosage. Modest responses may prompt an increase in the dosage of the initial antibiotic or a switch to a different first-line agent. Tetracycline, with a total daily dose of 1000 -1500mg in 3 or 4 divided doses, is an additional option.[1,2] Due to its favorable pharmacokinetics, tetracycline may be more effective than doxycycline when initial therapy is non-curative.[2]
Minimal or absent responses suggest a need for a combination of first-line agents, which includes at least one antibiotic that is able to effectively reach intracellular compartments.[2,3] Injectable penicillin G benzathine (Bicillin LA), totaling 1.2 -3.6 million units weekly, or intravenous agents such as ceftriaxone are other options. Intramuscular benzathine penicillin avoids the risks associated with gaining intravenous access and it was effective in seemingly recalcitrant Lyme arthritis.[4] Ceftriaxone, 2 grams IV per day is known to be effective [5-10] and IV cefotaxime [11], another cephalosporin, has also been recommended. IV penicillin is less effective and requires more frequent dosing.”[12] Additional IV cell wall agents from the carbapenem and monobactam classes were effective in vitro but have not been studied clinically.[13]
For the full GRADE assessment and recommendations, see Expert Review of Anti-Infective Therapy.
Daniel Cameron, MD, MPH
Elizabeth Maloney, MD
Lorraine Johnson, JD, MBA
Steere AC, Hutchinson GJ, Rahn DW et al. Treatment of the early manifestations of Lyme disease. Ann Intern Med, 99(1), 22-26 (1983).
Donta ST. Tetracycline therapy for chronic Lyme disease. Clin Infect Dis, 25 Suppl 1, S52-56 (1997).
Donta ST. Macrolide therapy of chronic Lyme Disease. Med Sci Monit, 9(11), PI136-142 (2003).
Cimmino MA, Moggiana GL, Parisi M, Accardo S. Treatment of Lyme arthritis. Infection, 24(1), 91-93 (1996).
Dattwyler RJ, Halperin JJ, Pass H, Luft BJ. Ceftriaxone as effective therapy in refractory Lyme disease. J Infect Dis, 155(6), 1322-1325 (1987).
Dattwyler RJ, Halperin JJ, Volkman DJ, Luft BJ. Treatment of late Lyme borreliosis--randomised comparison of ceftriaxone and penicillin. Lancet, 1(8596), 1191-1194 (1988).
Logigian EL, Kaplan RF, Steere AC. Chronic neurologic manifestations of Lyme disease. N Engl J Med, 323(21), 1438-1444 (1990).
Logigian EL, Kaplan RF, Steere AC. Successful treatment of Lyme encephalopathy with intravenous ceftriaxone. J Infect Dis, 180(2), 377-383 (1999).
Krupp LB, Hyman LG, Grimson R et al. Study and treatment of post Lyme disease (STOP-LD): a randomized double masked clinical trial. Neurology, 60(12), 1923-1930 (2003).
Fallon BA, Keilp JG, Corbera KM et al. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of repeated IV antibiotic therapy for Lyme encephalopathy. Neurology, 70(13), 992-1003 (2008).
Pfister HW, Preac-Mursic V, Wilske B, Schielke E, Sorgel F, Einhaupl KM. Randomized comparison of ceftriaxone and cefotaxime in Lyme neuroborreliosis. J Infect Dis, 163(2), 311-318 (1991).
Steere AC, Green J, Schoen RT et al. Successful parenteral penicillin therapy of established Lyme arthritis. N Engl J Med, 312(14), 869-874 (1985).
Hunfeld KP, Weigand J, Wichelhaus TA, Kekoukh E, Kraiczy P, Brade V. In vitro activity of mezlocillin, meropenem, aztreonam, vancomycin, teicoplanin, ribostamycin and fusidic acid against Borrelia burgdorferi. Int J Antimicrob Agents, 17(3), 203-208 (2001).
ILADS Marks Fifteen Years with 2014 Annual Conference in Washington, DC
The calendar will read October, but as the official tourist site for the nation’s capital heralds: Summer lasts even longer in DC! So why not plan on attending the 15th annual ILADS conference and test this hypothesis!
The event opens on Thursday, October 9th with the ILADS course: The Fundamentals of Diagnosing and Treating Tick-Borne Illness. Speakers for this day-long program include Richard Horowitz, MD, treating physician and author of the NY Times bestseller Why Can’t I Get Better?: Solving the Mystery of Lyme and Chronic Disease. Additional course instructors include Joseph Burrascano, MD, Daniel Kinderleher, MD, Steven E. Phillips, MD, and Ginger R. Savely, DNP, FNP.
Those who should consider taking this ILADS course include medical professionals new to treating patients with tick borne infections as well as those wishing a refresher course on the fundamentals of diagnosis and treatment. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants who work with Lyme literate physicians should also plan on attending.
Registration options, as well as the course program may be found on the ILADS website.
The main attraction, the scientific portion of the ILADS conference, follows immediately after the Fundamentals course. Registrants can begin Thursday evening activities with a viewing of the Washington, DC premiere of Under Our Skin 2: Emergence. Filmmaker Andy Abrahams Wilson will be on hand for the screening. This second installment of Under Our Skin looks at the progress made by several patients and physicians featured in the first documentary.
ILADS closes out Thursday with a reception open to attendees and invited representatives from Capitol Hill.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, learn from those who have direct patient contact and experience treating the neurological issues associated with lyme and other tick borne infections. What have they learned? What works well with patients? What needs to change? All conference attendees will receive copies of the Executive Summary from the updated ILADS treatment guidelines issued on August 1, 2014. Breakout sessions will allow for further discussions and questions.
The conference will be held at the Grand Hyatt Washington at 1000 H Street NW in downtown Washington, D.C. Located at DC’s Metro Center, conference participants will find themselves in walking distance of the White House and other cultural attractions. The Orange, Red, Silver, and Blue train lines run from the Metro Center station near the hotel, allowing attendees the freedom to explore the wonders of Washington, D.C.
Registration for professionals and non-professional travel companions may be completed easily on line at www.ilads.org.
ILADS Executive Director Barbara Buchman and her staff look forward to greeting you all in Washington, D.C.
ILADS Reaches Out to NJ Healthcare
Providers and now the Public
MonmouthOn Saturday, September 13, 2014, ILADS members Dr. Joseph Burrascano and Dr.Robert Bransfield will present a half-day workshop titled Overview of the Fundamentals of Diagnosis & Treatment of Lyme Disease and Co-infections with an Emphasis on Neuropsychiatric Issues. The workshop will be held at Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ.
The course is now open for those who want to attend for non-CME credit at a cost of $150. For those taking the course for CME credit, the cost is $200.
More information and registration details are here.
In an effort to reach doctors still in their training years, the John Drulle Memorial Lyme Fund generously providing funds to cover the costs of New Jersey based medical doctors in hospital residency programs.
ILADS would like to thank the John Drulle Memorial Lyme Fund for its financial support and continuing commitment to the ILADS mission of education about Lyme and its associated diseases.
Learn more about the John Drulle Memorial Lyme Fund at: www.johndrullelymefund.org
ILADEF’s Pioneer Award to be given to a “Ray of Hope”.
Ray of HopeEach year, the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Educational Foundation (ILADEF) hosts a gala charity dinner to raise funds to support its Physician Training Program, Lyme Basics Course and other educational and training programs presented regionally and internationally. As part of the annual event, ILADEF honors a professional for his or her dedication to the advancement of diagnosis and treatment of Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses.
This year, ILADEF will present the Pioneer Award to Charles “Ray” Jones, MD, the pediatrician who has been a Ray of Hope to thousands of children and their parents who struggle with the consequences of Lyme and other associated diseases. Dr. Jones, like other medical pioneers before him, has had to withstand the scrutiny and criticism of his peers as well as, professional and governmental organizations in his ground-breaking work. In the course of his seminal work treating children with tick-borne illnesses, Dr. Jones has always been committed to his promise to the Hippocratic Oath: First, do no harm. His dedication to healing children with these illnesses means that his patients will grow up to optimize their potential and experience a successful future.
Like most pioneers, his perseverance has come at an enormous cost. His customized approach in treating children with Lyme and its associated diseases has been challenged by power professional and governmental forces who disagreed with his treatment methods. Despite substantial legal costs and as well as a negative impact to his practice and health, Dr. Jones was not deterred from a course which he knew to be right. With courage and determination, he continued to dedicate his life to his patients and their families. In turn, his patients, families, colleagues and others supported him throughout his ordeal.
Now is your time to show your appreciation for all that he has done to enhance the lives of others. We invite you to attend ILADEF Gala to celebrate the accomplishments and courage of Dr. Jones, this “Ray of Hope” for children with tick-borne illnesses. Make your reservations to attend the Pioneer Award Dinner at the ILADS Washington Conference website.
For those of you who cannot come to Washington but would like to honor Dr. Jones, you can show your appreciation for his life and work by making a donation in his honor at the ILADS conference website. Money raised in honor of Dr. Jones will support educational initiatives, including teaching pediatricians about treating Lyme and its associated diseases.
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Nurse practitioner or Naturopathic Doctor
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Advanced Practice Provider (Nurse Practitioner) for Integrative Clinic
Holistica Integrative Care - Boulder, CO
Seeking a nurse practitioner to join our busy, integrative medical clinic three days per week. No weekends or call. This position is non-salaried; pay structure is based on a percentage of patient visits and supplement sales. This is an opportunity to build a thriving practice through referrals from our medical doctor and naturopathic doctors and learn about botanical medicine, homeopathic therapy, nutraceuticals, and treating acute and chronic illness including Lyme through natural means.
Qualifications
Graduate from an accredited nurse practitioner program.
Licensure in the State of Colorado in good standing.
Current BLS certification from the American Heart Association.
Prescriptive authority and DEA certification a must.
Ideal candidate will have family practice experience and training in Functional/Integrative Medicine with an interest in learning how to treat patients desiring a collaborative and natural approach to healing.
Candidate must have excellent verbal and written communication skills to effectively interact with a diverse patient population.
Please email a cover letter and resume to Mary Shackelton, ND at mary@holisticacare.com.
Executive Summary on
NY State Lyme Task Force
The Senate Majority Coalition Task Force on Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases was convened on October 8, 2013, to address rising concerns in New York State regarding the outbreak and spread of Lyme and Tick-Borne diseases. The Task Force was charged with examining state and federal efforts to combat the continued spread of these diseases and make recommendations for submission to the New York State Department of Health for a State Action Plan to facilitate improved prevention, diagnosis, and treatment protocols in order to better protect New York residents.
While Lyme and Tick-Borne diseases have had a significant history in New York to date, recent events have raised the level of alarm regarding the broader consequences that these diseases may have - in significant contrast to information that was previously reported. According to new analyses of State Health Department records, over the past thirteen years, Lyme disease was listed as the cause of death for nine New Yorkers, outside of New York City. Five of the victims lived in the mid-Hudson Valley. Given the tragic consequences of Lyme and Tick-Borne diseases, the Senator Majority Coalition Task Force recognizes this epidemic as a pressing public health crisis, and has initiated steps to create a comprehensive statewide response.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread through the bite of infected ticks. The blacklegged deer tick (ixodes scapularis) is primarily responsible for the spread of the disease in the northeastern, mid-Atlantic, and north-central United States. If left untreated, the disease can cause a number of health problems, including a serious infection that can spread to the joints, heart and nervous system. Treatment efficacy and the likelihood of long-term health effects largely depend on timely diagnosis and treatment plans. According to the Department of Health, since Lyme disease first became reportable in 1986, over 95,000 cases have been confirmed in New York State and the number is still growing.
The report goes on from here. To view the entire document go to www.ILADS.org and click on News from ILADS.
ILADS NEWS
Please check out our new ILADS.org tab under the NEWS section for news of interest to the Lyme Community. You will find interesting articles such as a recent story out of Old Dominion University citing the tick count is vastly underreported. To see the story click here.
ILADS Experts Joined Colleagues for International Vector-borne Diseases Conference in Oslo, Norway
A Norwegian patient interest group calling itself NorVect sponsored its first ever conference in Olso this past May in an effort to bring together experts on vector-borne diseases, including Lyme and its associated diseases. In attendance were several ILADS members and presenters Joseph Burrascano, MD, Richard Horowitz, MD, and Alan MacDonald, MD along with researchers Ed Breitschwerdt, DVM, Eva Sapi, PhD and Jyotsna Shah, PhD.
NorVect, according to its website, is a newly-formed organization “founded and run solely by patients with the desire to make a difference.” The organization’s mission focuses “on research, focus on dialogue, and focus on the patients are the cornerstones of our organization.”
Blogger Huib Kraaijeveld reporting on the conference noted: The content was divided in two topics: how to find Lyme and how to treat it. Day one was spent on assessing and testing Lyme. The main question was how to best assess complex diseases that can have more than one cause (as opposed to the Pasteur postulation that every disease has a single cause, which dates from 1800) to help doctors and patients to best assess what is the matter.
NorVect will host its next conference from May 30-31, 2015, also in Oslo.
Lyme News From Canada
ILADS will be sponsoring a one day fundamentals course in Banff, Alberta on February 7. 2015. Check our web site for more details.
Canada Lyme is offering grants for first time attending Canadian physicians to attend the ILADS conferences. Contact jimwilson@telus.net for more information.
Jim Wilson testified before the federal parliamentary Standing Health Committee on May 29th and then the executives of the Public Health Agency of Canada testified on June 3rd. You can listen to the testimony here.
Matthew Murray and
Lyme Disease Awareness
Murrray
In the fall of 2009 I approached my mother about running the NYC Marathon for her and to create Lyme disease awareness, a disease that is very misunderstood. My mother agreed it was a good idea, but wanted to make sure the money donated went to the right organization, as the Lyme disease community is cluttered. So, my mother reached out to Dr. Horowitz and he suggested that the money be donated to ILADS. Thus began my journey of raising awareness and donations through running the NYC Marathon and 4MOMMA.com was born.
My first NYC Marathon was in 2010, which presented a major challenge after I split the bottom of my right foot wide open – about five inches long and one inch deep – exactly four weeks before the marathon on Kona covering the Ironman World Championships for Oakley.
Needless to say, it was difficult to stay positive, but four days before running my first ever marathon I got out and tested the foot by walking on it for the first time. In the end, the marathon was a massive physical challenge, but I finished in the arms of my mother and father – a moment I will keep ingrained in my mind forever.
The 2011 NYC Marathon presented its own set of challenges, but I was motivated to continue the story of my mother’s struggle with Lyme disease and how this disease needed national attention.
During the marathon, one moment that really stood out and will remain in my head took place around mile marker eight in Brooklyn. I was running strong but was realizing how long it takes to get around everyone when running this insane race.
As I drew closer to this bigger group that was protecting a runner with guides I glanced over to see who it was…maybe it was some celebrity or something…but no. Instead in a matter of one second my eyes weld up with tears and I was astonished at what I saw.
It was a young man running with no arms or legs; he had returned from Iraq and wanted to run the marathon. He had prosthetic legs, but no arms, which must have made running and keeping his balance extremely difficult.
As I pulled away and headed towards Queens, I thought to myself how fortunate we all are for those that not only protect our country but how lucky we are for our health and way of life in America.
I will never forget that young man and how it motivated me to once again to push through and finish the marathon in 2011.
Then in 2012 we had the mega-storm Sandy that swept through the metro area and the NYC Marathon was cancelled for the first time, which was sad on so many levels, but was the right decision.
And then this past year, the 2013 New York City Marathon would be my third New York marathon to raise awareness for Lyme disease and brought its own set of challenges once again, mostly because I was given notice that I was invited to run in August, which only gave me three months to train.
So I began running each morning from Santa Monica to Venice on the bike path and slowly built up my stamina. And this past November was one of the harsher weather conditions I had run in, but once again I was blessed to finish the marathon and in a personal best of 4:16, which was 31 minutes faster then my first marathon.
It’s funny – my close friends and family members ask me why I run the marathon because they know that running was never my strong suit when it came to my athletic prowess. And I tell them it’s because it’s not easy and when I feel winded or tired or cramped, I picture my mother and the pain she endures every single day with endless pills and/or injections to deal with a disease that has no end or solution in sight.
Ultimately, my mother is my inspiration, but so is everyone else that battles with Lyme disease because no matter how much I feel out of it or discouraged at times, all I need to think about are the millions of infected individuals that wake up each morning with no answer to this disease that is slowly taking away all their abilities.
In the future, I hope to find new ways to create awareness and work with ILADS and the Lyme disease community as a whole to create the awareness this disease deserves and to someday find a cure.
Thank you,
Matthew Murray
Back to School:
The ABCs of Lyme and Other Tick-borne Infections
As families transition from summer activities to back-to-school preparations, the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) urges parents to think about where their children have been this summer, where they will play during recess at school, and especially where student athletes will practice or compete during sports seasons. Learning the simple ABCs of tick bites will help parents keep students safe and healthy.
Daniel Cameron, MD, MPH, the current president of ILADS, suggests parents watch their children who are returning from a summer away at camp for signs of possible Lyme infection. “Many people never see a tick as it’s biting; and, many people won’t exhibit what has become known as the bull’s eye rash,” said Dr. Cameron. “However, there are other signs parents should look for including fatigue, headaches, poor concentration and joint pain.”
Understanding ticks and the infections they transmit is still a work in progress, Dr. Cameron noted. Until recently, most health care providers treated a tick bite or the bull’s eye rash with one of two regimens: one dose of 200 mg of doxycycline or three to four weeks of treatment with 100 mg of doxycycline twice a day, respectively. On August 1, 2014, ILADS released updated guidelines suggesting a change in treatment protocols. “Lyme disease is a complex illness,” noted the guideline authors. “Patients may experience both acute and persistent manifestations.” Those persistent manifestations of the disease, said Dr. Cameron, are poorly understood and often labeled as having developed from something other than a tick bite.
Students can get bitten in their own backyards. However parents should instruct their children to stay out of tall grass while walking to and from school or while playing outside during recess. Parents and coaches should also be mindful of the areas around playing fields used for practice and games. Parents of students who run cross-country should talk about whether or not to use an insect repellant containing DEET, which is effective against mosquitoes and may repel ticks. Parents could also have uniforms treated with permethrin.
Here are the ABCs of lyme and tick-borne diseases from ILADS:
A - Awareness
While people associate ticks with wooded areas, the fact is that many people get bitten in their own backyards. Ticks can be transmitted to people by pet dogs and cats. Horses have been known to transfer ticks as well. Being aware of your environment and taking precautions can reduce one’s exposure. The University of Rhode Island hosts the TickEncounter Resource Center which provides lots of information.
B - Bites
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases maintains a tick must be attached for 36 hours in order to transmit lyme, but newer research challenges that claim. Consequently, checking for ticks is the best defense available right now. Don’t allow your students to merely shower after being outside. Ticks can remain attached even after a cleansing. Don’t forget to look along the hairline. Examine your child’s back— a place they can’t see. Also, look behind the knees. If you find a tick, remove it carefully and immediately. ILADS has an instructional video.
C - Challenges
While some cases of Lyme disease resolve with routine treatment, many patients suffer long-term consequences. Ticks can transmit more than Lyme disease. Diagnosing associated illnesses from tick bites takes a skilled practitioner. Finding what many patients call a Lyme Literate health care provider is the key to getting better. ILADS provides patient information and can assist with finding the appropriate physician in a given area. There are also a number of Lyme patient support groups on the national, state and local levels. Those organizations also help patients find physicians.
For more information:
ILADS
www.ilads.org
At the Feet of the Master
My week with Dr. Charles Ray Jones
By Ginger Savely, DNP
SavelyRemember when you were a child and an illness or injury prompted a visit to your doctor’s office? Chances are you dreaded the experience and were bribed with the promise of a treat afterwards, especially if needles were to be involved. Now enter the waiting room of pediatrician and Lyme disease specialist Charles Ray Jones in New Haven, Connecticut. Here children play video games, watch movies, and look forward to seeing the man they view more as a lovable grandpa than as a doctor.
Charles Ray Jones has been treating children with Lyme disease since 1968, before the disease was named for the town in Connecticut where the first outbreak was described. He currently estimates that he has treated over 15,000 children with Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. Health care providers from all over the world call him daily for advice and he generously gives of his time and his expertise. I was honored to spend a week training with him, observing his style of interaction with children and parents, learning his examination techniques, and generally taking in the pearls of wisdom that only a healer with many years of experience can provide.
A shy, soft-spoken man, Dr. Jones has never been motivated by prestige or money. He is the consummate old-fashioned pediatrician whose love for children and a calling to heal have been his impetus to forge ahead, swimming against the tide. The humble doctor claims that he was the “ugliest, dumbest and least likely to succeed” in his family. He accepts his notoriety with reluctance and even a bit of bemusement. Nevertheless, it is clear that he is touched by the attention and adulation heaped upon him by scores of grateful patients and their parents.
Shunning the professional look of a lab coat, Dr. Jones prefers to wear a bright blue warm-up suit when he sees his young patients, a uniform that has become his signature. “Dr. Charles Ray Jones” is embroidered across the back of the jacket with the words: “Keep marching to fulfill the dream” under his name. His receding hairline merges with long, thick, salt-and-pepper hair that falls into ringlets at his shoulders. If you were to trade his large, thick glasses for a pair of pince-nez spectacles, you would swear you were looking at Ben Franklin in modern garb. Like Franklin, Dr. Jones is a maverick: a humanist with a wry sense of humor and a man of deep common sense who is not afraid to challenge conventional wisdom and the powers-that-be.
His fraternal twin brother’s battle with bone cancer and tragic death at the age of sixteen undoubtedly influenced Dr. Jones’ desire to pursue medicine. In fact, his pre-Lyme calling was pediatric oncology and in those days, he says, there was little to do but watch children die. With a background that includes a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Psychology and a stint at the Theological Seminary at Boston University (where he befriended Dr. Martin Luther King), Dr. Jones has an artistic sensibility and appreciates music, poetry, and painting. An intuitive man, he truly practices the art of medicine, with solid science as his foundation but ultimately his senses as his guide.
His office is located on the ground floor of an apartment building in downtown New Haven, in the shadow of Yale University, the epicenter of Lyme denialism. Dr. Jones lives in a top floor apartment in the same building with his daughter, the son she adopted from Guatemala, and too many dogs and cats to mention. Dr. Jones loves to talk about his Guatemalan grandson whose “Incan” mind, he claims, operates on a higher spiritual plane than the average person’s. This precocious boy accurately predicts the future and writes poetry with sophistication and insight beyond his chronological age. Dr. Jones is clearly fascinated with his grandson’s mystical mind and proud to regale the listener with anecdotes of the boy’s musings.
Despite his 80+ years, Dr. Jones puts in hours that would exhaust someone half his age. He works seven days a week, seeing patients Monday through Saturday and conducting telephone follow-up visits on Sunday. A typical weekday starts at 8am and ends at 8pm with a lunch break just long enough to wolf down some canned soup. The proximity of his dwelling to his office makes it all too tempting for this devoted doctor to return to his work after dinner, burning the midnight oil as he reviews medical records and prepares for the next work day. Dr. Jones’ hard-working assistants are friendly and competent. They are clearly protective of and devoted to their boss, and a family feeling is quite evident in his casual office.
Not one to be guarded, the doctor speaks openly of some of the more intimate details of his life. However, the authenticity of his statements is not always obvious, as a dry sense of humor and love of pulling the listener’s leg are his modus operandi. There were times when I didn’t know whether a claim was truth or fiction, although a devilish grin and glint in the eye were often, but not always, his giveaway.
In fact, his dry wit is an important aspect of Dr. Jones’ style as a clinician. He teases his young patients, who all appear to enjoy it since the love behind it is clear. Some of his comments might seem politically incorrect at face value, but the children know that his goal is to make them smile. An example: A recovering fifteen-year-old boy reported that for a long time he didn’t want his friends to visit him. He was afraid they might be alarmed by the frightening motor disorder he was experiencing at the time. Dr. Jones replied: “What do you mean? You should have charged admission!”
Every visit includes an affectionate moment with the good doctor, who hugs and caresses the children as though they were his own. He has an amazing memory of all of his patients, recalling details from the patient’s medical history even if he had not consulted the chart for many months. He clearly loves them all. Dr. Jones is known to go above and beyond for his patients’ families as well. On one occasion I saw him provide a patient’s mother with a second opinion on the reading of her mammogram!
Lest you be tempted to hurry to the phone and call Dr. Jones’ office for an appointment for your child, be forewarned that he gets up to thirty such calls a day. New patient visits are at least a six-month wait. Since time is of the essence in treating children with Lyme disease, Dr. Jones’ staff will happily refer you to other health care providers who treat pediatric Lyme with Dr. Jones’ blessing.
The legal ordeal with the state medical board that Dr. Jones had to endure has become legendary. The protracted harassment squandered his time, finances and energy. A Google search of his name will provide the reader with details of what appears to be a shameful political vendetta against a man whose life has been devoted to helping children whom no one else would help. He has been tolerant of the process but is growing weary of the absurdity of it all.
At his last hearing, the usually-patient Dr. Jones had to restrain himself from saying what he was really feeling, lest he be held in contempt of court. A Walt Whitman poem kept coming to his mind and he thought of the lines, over and over, written more than a hundred years before. The poem brings to mind the juxtaposition of deliberation versus action, of theory versus experiential knowledge, of ivory tower medicine versus medicine in the trenches. It provides a thoughtful ending to an article about a thoughtful man.
When I heard the learn’d astronomer;
When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me;
When I was shown the charts and the diagrams,
To add, divide, and measure them;
When I, sitting, heard the astronomer,
Where he lectured with much applause in the lecture – room,
How soon, unaccountable, I became tired and sick;
Til rising and gliding out, I wander’d off by myself,
In the mystical, moist night air, and from time to time,
Look’d up in perfect silence at the starts.
Man vs Dog: Study on Lyme and Anaplasmosis in NJ
GaitoDr. Andrea Gaito, in collaboration with veterinarian, Dr. Vedrana Gjivoje has published a study comparing the infectivity rates of both Lyme disease and Anaplsmosis in both humans and dogs in a community endemic for tick-borne diseases in New Jersey. The authors found the infectivity rate to be remarkably similar in both the human and veterinary population. Full text: Infection and Drug Resistance 2014:7 199-201
ILADS ANNUAL MEMBERS MEETING
The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society will be holding its annual members meeting on Friday October 10, 2014 5:30pm at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Washington, DC. All members are invited to attend to learn about what your leadership has been doing this past year. There will be a discussion about the new Treatment Guidelines and a report from the officers. Come meet your fellow members and voice your opinions on how we can do to serve you better.
Re: TÄRKEÄ: ILADSin TIEDOTTEITA !
Tammikuu 2015
ILADS Fundamentals of Diagnosing and Treating Tick-Borne Illness
Program, Feb 6-7 2015, Banff Centre, Alberta
One of the many myths about Lyme is that it is an “East Coast” disease. In fact, Lyme disease exists in all fifty states in the U.S. and all over the world. The lone star tick—found in the Midwest—and the Pacific Coast tick are two species recently found to carry Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.
Lyme Disease is the fastest growing vector-borne infectious disease in the United States, according to the CDC.
Early detection and treatment are essential to prevent the long-term, disabling symptoms associated with chronic Lyme disease.
Many Lyme sufferers do not exhibit “classic” signs such as a positive result on the Elisa test, a “bulls-eye” rash, or the memory of a tick bite.
Winter is the perfect time to get the facts on Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment—before hiking and camping season is underway.
Join us for a weekend of intensive learning and networking in one of the world’s most spectacular national parks.
At the ILADS Lyme Fundamentals course you will: •Discover the history and evolution of this frequently misunderstood disease.
•Learn about the clinical presentation and laboratory analysis of Lyme and related co-infections.
•Get tips on how to build an evidence-based Lyme practice.
•Meet fellow practitioners, advocates, and others in the Lyme community.
•Earn CME credits (U.S. practitioners only).
Who should attend: •Doctors*
•Physician assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, and other medical professionals
•Lyme advocates
To register and view the complete itinerary, visit the ILADS website.
ILADS Fundamentals of Diagnosing and Treating Tick-Borne Illness
Program, Feb 6-7 2015, Banff Centre, Alberta
One of the many myths about Lyme is that it is an “East Coast” disease. In fact, Lyme disease exists in all fifty states in the U.S. and all over the world. The lone star tick—found in the Midwest—and the Pacific Coast tick are two species recently found to carry Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.
Lyme Disease is the fastest growing vector-borne infectious disease in the United States, according to the CDC.
Early detection and treatment are essential to prevent the long-term, disabling symptoms associated with chronic Lyme disease.
Many Lyme sufferers do not exhibit “classic” signs such as a positive result on the Elisa test, a “bulls-eye” rash, or the memory of a tick bite.
Winter is the perfect time to get the facts on Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment—before hiking and camping season is underway.
Join us for a weekend of intensive learning and networking in one of the world’s most spectacular national parks.
At the ILADS Lyme Fundamentals course you will: •Discover the history and evolution of this frequently misunderstood disease.
•Learn about the clinical presentation and laboratory analysis of Lyme and related co-infections.
•Get tips on how to build an evidence-based Lyme practice.
•Meet fellow practitioners, advocates, and others in the Lyme community.
•Earn CME credits (U.S. practitioners only).
Who should attend: •Doctors*
•Physician assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, and other medical professionals
•Lyme advocates
To register and view the complete itinerary, visit the ILADS website.