The Canadian Lyme Disease Prevention - 1663 Words

In Canada, there are too many â€Å"false- negative† results, according to Jim Wilson, President of the Canadian Lyme disease Foundation and this standpoint is also recognized by Health Canada. (Magnotta, 2015). The human body takes several weeks for humans to create antibodies at detectable levels. This limits the detection of the various genotypes of the borrelia bacteria, from the procedures used, which in effect, is allowing late stage serology to occur. According to Dr. Ralph Hawkins, who is a General internal site lead at Calgary’s South Health Campus Hospital and a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Calgary, states that â€Å"serology is failing us; showing only 50 percent positive results in early Lyme disease†¦show more content†¦This method is irrespective of the stage of the infection. Current research suggests that a single course of antibiotics can be insufficient, especially if Lyme disease has been prevalent for severa l months (Magnotta, 2015). Physicians in Canada have not been properly exposed to the symptoms of clinical Lyme disease; therefore it has become difficult to diagnose a patient with clinical Lyme disease. Professional organizations, such as International Lyme and associated disease society, and Lyme literate medical doctors, have acknowledged the uncommonness of Lyme disease in Canada (Magnotta, 2015). Canada has been highlighted with concerns of misdiagnosis and the increased cost in public health care. The lack of research and resources in Canada, have caused physicians to dismiss the clinical symptoms of Lyme disease, and diagnose patients with a variety of other illnesses, such as fibromyalgia, chronic Fatigue syndrome, to name a few, or something less substantial such as increased anxiety or stress (Magnotta, 2015). A case study presented in Hospital News has recognized that the rarity of symptoms requires hospitals and clinics to do excessive amounts of testing and the patient is sent to different specia lists. These chronic illnesses are associated with bacteria, but the Canadian health system needs to recognize that the underlying diagnoses are infections, where Lyme disease