Opening of the Lyme Disease Research Chair at UdS

“We want to raise public awareness about tick-borne diseases. We also want to improve the knowledge of the medical profession so that cases of the disease are detected earlier in the future,” said Alex Carignan, chair of research in Lyme disease and emerging infections.

As such, the researchers will focus on two main projects over five years. In addition to training a new generation of scientists, they will organize various popularization events for the population.

As part of their study, they will be able to follow a group of patients bitten by ticks and monitor their development of Lyme disease or other infections associated with the bite. This will also make it possible to detect in real time the emergence of new pathogens transmitted by ticks and to find various means of preventing these infections, such as vaccines. Please note that patient recruitment has not yet begun and will be done through the eTick platform.

In addition, the researchers will conduct a study to assess the knowledge and training needs related to the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease by three categories of health care professionals, namely physicians, pharmacists, and nurse practitioners.

Thanks to the contribution of the Center Hospitalier Université de Sherbrooke (CHUS) Foundation and the UdS Foundation, this research chair will allow us to learn a little more about tick-borne infections.

“When we know that about 60% of Lyme disease cases in Quebec are reported in Estrie, it seemed obvious to us at the CHUS Foundation that this research project was necessary to find solutions and improve the quality of care offered to the population. population of our region,” added Martin Clermont, CEO of the CHUS Foundation.

Remember that Lyme disease, if left untreated, can cause various complications such as meningitis, heart damage and arthritis. The story of Amelie Champagne, a 22-year-old young woman who suffered from anxiety and took her own life in 2022 while suffering from Lyme disease, has also shocked the province, and coroner Me Julie has made several recommendations. Kim Godin.

Watch Fanny Lachance-Paquette’s report in the video.