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Birds Have Greater Involvement With Lyme Disease Than Previously Thought

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Lyme disease is largely being spread by birds, according to research by a team from the School of Public Health. The team analyzed data on 71 species of birds that carry the black legged tick which is known to be a major carrier of Lyme disease. The journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment reports that almost 60 percent of the bird species can infect ticks with the bacterium that causes Lyme disease.

It was previously known that birds could be carriers. However up until now it was thought that the worst offenders were mammals like chipmunks, mice and shrews.

"But the study shows that the expansion of the range of Lyme disease in the Northeast and Midwest over the past 20 to 30 years can also be attributed to birds, she said. For example, nearly 70 percent of brown thrashers, a ground-dwelling species, carried the tick, post-doctoral researcher and main author Robert Brinkerhoff said."

http://lymehandbook.com/2010/01/13/birds-spread-lyme-disease

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Anonymous

Researchers are paying Lyme Disease diagnosed people for help! There are a number of research organizations attempting to better understand Lyme disease as well as to develop better diagnostic test kits. On the diagnostics side, biotechnology companies like SeraCare Life Sciences run a number of diagnostics research studies for people diagnosed with Lyme Disease, paying participants $400+ to donate blood samples which are used to develop Lyme Disease diagnostics test kits (see: http://www.idonateplasma.com.) On the research side, Columbia University and the Lyme Disease Research Foundation of Maryland are researching the proteomics, diagnostics, and epidemiology of Lyme Disease. On the clinical trial side, the National Institute of Health' sponsor a number of clinical trials.

There are many programs out there where you can GET PAID to help Lyme Research, the most active of which are below:
http://www.idonateplasma.com

https://twitter.com/IDonatePlasma

http://www.myspace.com/seracare

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/i-donate-plasma-for-research/21/b09/726

http://www.facebook.com/pages/PAID-Plasma-Donations-for-Research/101071083280661?ref=ts

July 20, 2010 - 11:10am

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Jody Smith
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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.

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