This is in response to the Dr. Ashely Gordon's Healthy Life commentary ("Lyme disease revisited," The Chief, Aug. 14).
What a disservice and potential danger to your readers this article was.
1) For this medical doctor to suggest leaving a tick attached as opposed to removing it asap is not only an indication of under-education, it is downright dangerous. It has been proven time and again in medical research that the longer the time a tick is attached, the greater the risk for contracting Lyme disease and/or one of the many other tick-borne diseases.
2) Tick removal is not difficult and for Dr. Gordon to state it is, is again bad information.
Tick removal is easy, especially in a medical clinic as shown by Dr. Murakami in his easy to follow video on YouTube. Anyone can see how easy this is by going to YouTube and searching "Dr. Murakami tick removal."
3) B.C. was declared endemic for Lyme disease long ago (which is stated on the B.C. government website) so for Dr. Gordon to state Lyme disease is not a concern in this area is simply incorrect. The ticks that carry Lyme disease are spread at random by migratory birds such as your friendly robins and many other species. There is no region below the 55th parallel where Lyme is not a concern. Dr. Banerjee, then of the BC CDC, and Dr. LaVerne Kindree of 老澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 reported their research findings in the BC Medical Journal in 1994.
4) Dr. Gordon suggests antibiotics have no value after a short period of treatment time. Apparently this doctor is unaware of the court ordered medical hearings underway in the U.S. about this very issue.
You can see the hearings by going to www.canlyme.com (Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation) home page. The hearings were court ordered because of statements such as that which Dr. Gordon made. Tens of thousands of patients benefit from extended treatment, otherwise they are left to a life of disability which we all pay for while the insurers deny the claims.
5) For Dr. Gordon to ignore the reams of research data showing that in fact the vaccine referred to didn't work effectively and could cause harm is simply promoting propaganda on behalf of the promoters of the vaccine including the US FDA and US CDC.
6) Dr. Steere's research as far back as 1985 found that Lyme disease was also spread through the placenta to the unborn fetus as shown via autopsy of stillbirth's. Lyme disease has been shown to be transmitted by organ transplant and, it can survive in blood products for up to 48 days.
All of this information and the research is available on www.canlyme.com.
Please people, you need to be aware and educate yourself in prevention. Lyme disease is here in numbers we do not yet know, but in greater numbers than the government testing is picking up.
Jim Wilson,
President, Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation
