Lyme Disease awareness took another step forward with the presentation of two seminars for medical professionals, held on Vancouver Island. The speakers for the events were Dr. Nick Harris, Ph.D., of Palo Alto, California and Dr. Ernie Murakami, B.A., M.D., of Hope, BC. The first seminar, on March 11, 2004, was held at Nanaimo General Hospital, the second, on March 12, 2004, was held at Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria.

Arranged by Pat Cooley of Lyme Awareness & Support-Vancouver Island, the seminars reflected the growing concerns of the difficulty in diagnosing the complex disease and the need for clinical diagnosis in the absence of more sensitive testing.

The first presentation was given by Dr. Harris who is a diplomat of the American Board of Medical Laboratory Immunology. He received his Ph.D. in Immunology at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Upon completion of his Fellowship in Transplantation at the University of Minnesota, he went to the University of Texas, Medical Branch, as director of Transplantation and Immunology at the Shriners Burn Institute and as Associate Professor of Surgery and Genetics.

Later he became Director of Immunology at Bio Science Labs (now Smith Kline), in Van Nuys, California. In 1983 he was the Technical and Clinical Studies Director of 3M Diagnostic Systems. In 1991 he founded Igenex Inc. Reference Laboratory. Dr. Harris has lectured and published extensively on Lyme Disease diagnosis. He was a committee member for Lyme Disease with the National Council of Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS), and the Lyme Disease Association of New Jersey. He is on the Board of Directors of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS), and the California Lyme Disease Association (CLDAS).

The topic of the discussion was "The Use of Lab Testing in Diagnosis and Treatment of Lyme Disease". The object of the presentation: "In Lyme Disease, as well as other diseases, the role of the lab is to provide objective, quantitative or qualitative information to help the physician or health care provider arrive at a clinical diagnosis. The lab does not make the diagnosis, Lyme Disease is a complicated entity. Multiple serological and direct detection techniques must be used either simultaneously or in logical progression to provide the necessary information to help rule disease in or out".

The topics covered were: the laboratory assays for Lyme Disease, serological (IFA, ELISA, and Western Blot), and direct detection methods (biopsy, culture, antigen capture and polymerase chain reaction [PCR]).

The next section covered other tick-borne diseases that are associated with Lyme Disease, Ehrlichiosis, Babesiosis, and Bartonella. Following was the segment dealing with the controversy within Lyme Disease. The prime directive of the Centers for Disease Control, both here and in the US, has been to set criteria based on the outcomes of testing. This criteria for Lyme Disease was never intended for diagnostic purposes, only surveillance. Therefore, these aspects are important: to set protocols, antibodies of importance in Western Blot, usefulness of the IGM Western Blot, chronic / persistent Lyme or recurrent Lyme?, and the use of antigens and/or PCR for diagnosis. The final section was the panel approach to Lyme Disease.

A question and answer period was followed by an intermission that permitted Dr. Harris to speak more directly with members of the audience. In Victoria, this time period engendered a lively discussion within the audience of Physicians, Scientists from the University of Victoria, Veterinarians, Nurses and others from the Health Care Community.

The speaker for the second part of the seminars, Dr. Ernie Murakami, is known to many Lyme Disease patients in BC. A Medical Doctor graduate from UBC; he also holds a B.A. in Bacteriology and Immunology. Dr. Murakami became Clinical Assistant Professor at UBC in 1979, a Clinical Associate Professor in 1995 and Professor Emeritus in 1998. As Preceptor in the Rural Family Practice Program at UBC, he has mentored Fourth year Medical Students in a clinic setting for 25 years and Medical Resident Students, also in a clinic setting, for the past 10 years. He has been honored an award from UBC for Undergrad Teaching, and on the occasion of UBC's 50th Anniversary, a Gold Medal for his contribution of Lyme Disease teachings. He was awarded another Gold Medal during the celebration of Queen Elizabeth's 50th year of Reign for his contributions to medicine.

A Family Physician in Hope since 1960, Dr. Murakami is Medical Director of the Fraser Health Authority. At Fraser Canyon Hospital he is Head of Emergency, President of the Medical Staff and Chief of Staff. As a Lyme Disease consultant, Dr. Murakami researches, publishes and lectures, including an annual lecture to the Family College of Family Physicians. He has also lectured at the World Lyme Disease Conferences, Vancouver in 1994 and Denver in 1999.

Dr. Murakami gave a presentation of his findings of Lyme Disease in patients on Vancouver Island which segued into a brief history of Lyme Disease in British Columbia.

Between 1997 and 2001, Dr. Morshed of the BC Center for Disease Control headed a team which surveyed the islands for infected ticks. This study found infection on Saltspring, Bowen, and Quadra Islands, as well as all over Vancouver Island. Another surveillance is planned for 2004.

Heartfelt thanks are due to Pat Cooley for arranging Dr. Harris' visit and organizing the events. Pat was helped by Lyme Awareness & Support-BC, and Jim Wilson of the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation. Also, special thanks go to Paul Jonsen and Jeannie White of Comox, Roz Powell, Paul Harding and Will of Nanaimo, Lynn Hill and Lucy of Victoria.

© copyright 2004

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