Grant: Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

Lyme Disease (LD) is an emerging microbial threat and new approaches are required to help contain this risk to human health. LD is caused by the bacterial pathogen, Borrelia burgdorferi that is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected tick. There are several strains of the bacteria that are responsible for the onset and progression of LD. Given the ease by which ticks travel, there is a geographical distribution of these bacterial strains in Canada. Further research is necessary to determine if specific strain identification could help Canadian healthcare providers understand the clinical risks in their region or customize treatment and improve patient outcomes. The overall objective of this planning grant submission is to bring together and expand the current membership in our LD network from across Canada and internationally to develop a comprehensive network research strategy based on the three pillars of PHAC's Action Plan on Lyme Disease: 1) engagement, education and awareness; 2) surveillance, prevention and control; and 3) research and diagnosis. The overarching goal of this research strategy would be to develop proposals that significantly advance our understanding of LD and to develop innovative approaches to better surveil, prevent, diagnose and treat LD, thereby ultimately minimizing the impact of LD on the health of Canadians. The funding of this proposal will also initiate an in-depth, multi-armed stakeholder meeting to strengthen research partnerships and initiatives to address this threat to human health. Discussions will involve researchers, clinicians, patients and other relevant stakeholders, in addition to military and public health interests on both sides of the border. At the end of this meeting, there will be a report developed to communicate our efforts, results and the rationale for our efforts that can be shared with appropriate stakeholders, patient groups, members of the general public and other end-users for feedback.