With ~500,000 new cases every year, Lyme disease is one of the most significant and fastest growing infectious diseases in the US, yet Lyme disease research remains significantly underfunded relative to other illnesses of this magnitude. There are too many unanswered questions about the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, its transmission, and its impact on human health. The time to make a difference is now.
More Research is Needed
Tick populations and tick-borne infections like Lyme disease are on the rise, potentially due to climate change, though there is no research definitively proving cause or suggesting solutions.
Newer bacterial strains and species, like Borrelia miyamotoi and Borrelia mayonii have only recently been discovered and present equally severe risks to public health.
Lyme symptoms are highly variable, depending on factors like duration of infection, infecting strain, and immune system heterogeneity. Current diagnostic tools are inadequate as indirect antibody testing, which measures the immune response and not the pathogen itself, can be very insensitive. Current treatment regimens for late stage Lyme vary considerably, and one regimen does not cure all patients.
Prevent › Diagnose › Treat
As an independent nonprofit organization, Bay Area Lyme is able to partner with leading researchers and institutions all across the country to support the most innovative and promising projects in Lyme disease research.
True breakthroughs will occur only through well-designed research. At Bay Area Lyme, we have a rigorous screening and monitoring process, grant oversight, and project reporting, to ensure that projects are effectively designed, carried out in a timely fashion, and funds well spent.
Our Lyme disease research has three primary areas of focus:
Main photo courtesy of Graham Hickling