Polo for Lyme

benefiting the Bay Area Lyme Foundation

Lyme disease is one of the fastest-growing vector-borne infections in the United States. The CDC estimates that there are over 329,000 NEW cases of Lyme disease each year here in the US. However the search for solutions is significantly underfunded. 

At Bay Area Lyme, their mission is to put a stop to Lyme disease. With a focus on prevention and the development of better diagnostics and treatments.

On average Lyme disease receives only $1 per patient for every $910 spent on West Nile Disease. And while Lyme disease is caused by a known bacterium, effective diagnostics and therapies are needed to eliminate the suffering of millions worldwide. However If caught early and properly diagnosed Lyme disease can usually be treated and cured. But for those who are misdiagnosed or unaware they have Lyme, it can lead to a lifetime of misery: agonizing joint pain, profound fatigue, heart problems, neurological complications and in some cases, death. The toll it can take on a family is enormous. 

Current treatment regimens for late stage Lyme are inconsistent and sustained antibiotic courses can undermine patient health.

Luckily Bay Area Lyme Foundation is in this for the long haul and currently collaborates with world class research organizations like Stanford University to identify novel approaches to eliminate this disease. Bay Are Lyme Foundation has a clear objective to develop more effective means of diagnosing, treating, and preventing this disease, with their Lyme disease research having three primary areas of focus:

• Lyme and tick ecology – understanding the basic pathogenesis of Lyme disease and related tick-borne-bacteria, their transmission through ticks and other intermediate hosts, and the impact of local ecological conditions on their prevalence and virulence
• Diagnostics– leveraging new technologies and methodologies to improve both acute and late stage diagnosis through direct and indirect tests for DNA, RNA, antigens, antibodies, cytokines, metabolites, or other biomarkers
• Treatment efficacy and alternatives – examining new and alternative approaches and adjunctive therapies to help the body fight infection (in conjunction with antibiotics and for weakened and non-functioning immune systems)

Prevention is key, yet few are aware of the risks or how to take precautions from Lyme disease. 

Bay Area Lyme Foundation fully believes that Lyme disease is a solvable problem. Let us all join in finding the solution.

www.BayAreaLyme.org

Noelle Lynne / Editor in Chief of Forum Fashion Magazine / Wearing Floral Maxi by Dallin Chase