WATCH: Elizabeth May to Testify on Bill C-442 - Lyme Disease

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WATCH: Elizabeth May to Testify on her Lyme Disease Legislation - Bill C-442

[ http://www.parl.gc.ca/sencommitteebusin ... 2014-12-03 ]

Elizabeth May appeared before the Senate Science Committee on December 3, 2014 to testify on her Private Member’s Bill, C-442: Federal Framework on Lyme Disease Act

For further details and access to a live video feed of the meeting, please visit:

[ http://www.parl.gc.ca/sencommitteebusin ... 2014-12-03 ]

For further information, contact:

Office of Elizabeth May O.C., M.P.
elizabeth.may.a3@parl.gc.ca
613-996-1119

Mailing Address:
518 Confederation Building
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 Canada

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WHAT IS LYME DISEASE?

[ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme_disease ]

Lyme disease is an infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia.

It is transmitted via the bite of an infected tick. Early symptoms may include fever, headache, and fatigue.

A rash occurs in 70–80% of infected persons at the site of the bite after a delay of 3–30 days, and may or may not appear as the well-publicized bull's-eye. The rash is rarely painful or itchy, although it may be warm to the touch.

About 20–30% of infected persons do not experience a rash. Left untreated, later symptoms may involve the joints, heart, and central nervous system.

In most cases, the infection and its symptoms are eliminated by antibiotics, especially if the illness is treated early.

Delayed or inadequate treatment can lead to more serious symptoms, which can be disabling and difficult to treat.

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Prevention

Protective clothing includes a hat, long-sleeved shirt, and long trousers tucked into socks or boots. Light-colored clothing makes the tick more easily visible before it attaches itself. People should use special care in handling and allowing outdoor pets inside homes because they can bring ticks into the house.

Permethrin sprayed on clothing kills ticks on contact, and is sold for this purpose. Insect repellents with Picaridin, IR3535, DEET, or oil of lemon eucalyptus repel ticks, as well.[118]

A community can reduce the incidence of Lyme disease by reducing the numbers of primary hosts on which the deer tick depends, such as rodents, other small mammals, and deer. Reduction of the deer population may, over time, help break the reproductive cycle of the deer ticks and their ability to flourish in suburban and rural areas.[119]

An unusual, organic approach to control of ticks and prevention of Lyme disease involves the use of domesticated guineafowl. Guinea fowl are voracious consumers of insects and arachnids, and have a particular fondness for ticks. Localized use of domesticated guinea fowl may reduce dependence on chemical pest-control methods.[120]

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Senate Unanimously Passes Elizabeth May’s Federal Framework on Lyme Disease Act

[ http://elizabethmaymp.ca/news/latest-ne ... sease-act/ ]

PRESS RELEASE For immediate release 12 December 2014

OTTAWA - Elizabeth May’s Private Member’s Bill, C-442, the Federal Framework on Lyme Disease Act, was passed unanimously at third reading by the Senate the morning of Friday, December 12. The bill now awaits Royal Assent by the Governor General for it to become law.

“I am so thankful to my colleagues in the Senate, especially the bill’s sponsor Senator Janis Johnson, for passing C-442,” said Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada and MP for Saanich-Gulf Islands. “This victory belongs to all Canadians coping with Lyme disease and their loved ones. This bill never would have been passed into law without their advocacy and willingness to tell their stories.”

First introduced in June 2012, Bill C-442 was passed unanimously with multi-partisan support in the House of Commons in June 2014. It will establish a framework for collaboration between the federal, provincial and territorial Health Ministers, representatives of the medical community, and patients’ groups to promote greater awareness and prevention of Lyme disease, to address the challenges of timely diagnosis and treatment, and to push for further research.

“The hard work of Minister of Health Rona Ambrose and the entire Lyme community was instrumental in making this bill a reality. I am also grateful to Senator Kelvin Olgilvie, Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology, who helped to move C-442 through the committee process, after it was delayed by the shooting on October 22,” added Ms. May.

“C-442 is now the first piece of Green Party legislation in Canadian history,” stated Bruce Hyer, Deputy Leader of the Green Party of Canada and MP for Thunder Bay – Superior North. “I am proud of the way Elizabeth was able to work across party lines to pass the first Green Party bill. The passage of this bill will make such a tangible difference for those dealing with Lyme disease.”

Although it is rare for private member’s bills to be passed through both the House and Senate, Bill C-442 has received multi-partisan support from Senators and Parliamentarians, in addition to the Canadian Medical Association, the College of Family Physicians of Canada, and the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation.

“Now that the bill has passed, I look forward to working with all relevant interest groups and governments, under the guidance of Health Minister Ambrose, for the national conference to develop the federal framework to deal with this dreadful illness,” concluded Elizabeth May.

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