LyMeDiseaseAssociation.org offers resources for the treatment & prevention of Lyme disease
Title
Lyme Disease Association, Inc. - LDA
Description
The Lyme Disease Association (LDA), an organization which expanded its focus nationally about 7 years ago, is dedicated to Lyme disease education, prevention, and raising research dollars. About ninety-six cents of every dollar raised by the Lyme Disease Association has been used on programs. In its search for a cure for chronic Lyme, the LDA has already funded dozens of research projects coast to coast through researchers at institutions such as Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, NJ Medical School (UMDNJ), Fox Chase Cancer Center, University of California, Davis, and University of Pennsylvania. Some of the research has been featured in peer-reviewed journals, such as Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), The Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, The Psychiatric Clinics of North America, Infection, Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, JSTBD, Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Journal of International Neuropsychological Society, and Infection and Immunology. Very significant genome work initially funded by LDA has shown that different strains of Borrelia have the ability to exchange genetic material among themselves, a trait greatly benefiting their survival and probably confounding the body’s ability to eradicate the organism.
To coordinate the effort against Lyme disease, the LDA became affiliated with several other organizations, including: Time for Lyme, Inc. (CT), California Lyme Disease Association, Inc. (CA), Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey, Inc. (NJ), Lyme Association of Greater Kansas City, Inc. (KS/MO), Lyme Disease Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Inc. (PA), Oregon Lyme Disease Network, Inc. (OR), and Texas Lyme Disease Association (TX). The LDA is also a coalition partner with Stop Ticks On People (NY) and Connecticut Lyme Disease Coalition (CT). LDA currently has Chapters in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Rhode Island, Virginia, New York, and Massachusetts and has a support program in Manhattan (NY). The LDA together with its affiliates have raised about $5 million to fight Lyme disease.
On October 20, 2006, the LDA is sponsoring its 7th Lyme & Other Tick-Borne Diseases fully accredited medical conference in Philadelphia, again with Columbia University. The LDA’s year 2000 conference was the first ever devoted to the problems of children with Lyme disease. In 2005, the LDA brought in 2 international experts to speak at the conference. LDA has videos available for sale from each of the conferences. LDA is a professional development provider for the State of New Jersey, and offers professional development hours on Lyme disease to teachers. It has in-serviced teachers and nurses in several states. Through its pamphlet titled The ABC’s of Lyme Disease─which is designed for parents and educators─the LDA assists the families of children who have been diagnosed with Lyme disease. The LDA’s LymeR Primer brochure is a compact document which lists symptoms, testing, tick pictures and information such as tick removal along with information on many other tick-borne diseases. LDA’s Tickmark (bookmark) shows tick pictures, diseases ticks carry, relative size, and proper removal. LDA published a book, Lyme Disease Update: Science, Policy & Law, by Marcus Cohen, which presents the peer reviewed science behind chronic Lyme disease in a concise format, along with the steps that have been taken by activists and governments across the country who are fighting the war against the most prevalent vector-borne disease in this country today─Lyme disease. In 2004, the LDA published Lyme Disease Is No Fun: Let's Get Well!, a book written especially for 8-12 year olds who have Lyme disease. It is written and edited by young women, Mary Wall and Colleen Smith, respectively, each of whom battled severe Lyme disease as a child, yet each is now a productive member of society.
