How do black-legged ticks manage to survive and persist through New Hampshire's winters, and what are the resulting implications for public health?

Join us for a discussion about Lyme and associated disease with Lyme disease specialist Dr Lynn Durand MD, and Kathie Fife, Lyme ecologist and patient advocate. Kathie will share her knowledge and experience as a patient, natural resource specialist, and her legislative work advocating for better patient care and physician education. Dr. Durand will talk about the challenges of diagnosis and treatment of chronic Lyme disease and how folks can try to get appropriate treatment in a medical system that still denies even the existence of chronic Lyme disease and tick-borne infections.

In this one hour discussion we will learn the natural history and ecology of ticks and tick-borne diseases. Why are tick populations and rates of tick-borne diseases increasing every year? We will look at how forest and wildlife management, essential predators, plants, and wildlife behavior play a significant role in human and ecosystem health.

Lyme disease is the number one vector-borne disease in America, so why are Lyme and tick-borne infections often misdiagnosed?
This event is free and open to the public. Bring a friend and your questions for discussion after the talk.

Speaker Bios:

Dr. Lynn Durand is a long time family physician in the Concord area having had a primary care practice for 35 years which was focused on treating tick-borne diseases. Dr. Durand has retired from his role as a primary care physician, now focusing only on treating patients with chronic infectious problems like Lyme disease, other tick-borne diseases as well as long COVID.

Kathie Fife is a Lyme and tick-borne disease ecologist and patient advocate living with late stage vector-borne illnesses. This challenging health experience motivated her to delve into extensive research to help others suffering with the diseases, including writing a bill and testifying at the State House. In 2019 her Lyme disease testing bill was signed into law by Governor Chris Sununu. Kathie shares her knowledge and experience at presentations to encourage citizens to advocate and empower themselves with knowledge, and to understand the important connection with wildlife
and land use management, essential predators, plants, and wildlife behavior for human and ecosystem health.