PLEASE SHARE YOUR LOCATION IF YOU HAVE LIVED WITH OR CONTRACTED LYME IN THE NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAINS!

Where

So far, this includes Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, B.C., Alberta, and Saskatchewan.

(Canadians please bear with me and please provide feedback on what you feel is a meaningful area to include so far.  Answers that may end up outside the area are very much appreciated, even though they may not be included in a map or display at this time).

What

This is not a formal survey and is intended to help build awareness visually and as a starting point for painting the picture.  This first map will mostly likely illustrate as much or more about what is unknown as what is known.  It won’t be intended to reflect patient numbers in the region, but will in some way reflect patients we’ve heard from so far.  How this takes shape for display will depend on the number and type of responses.

Initial intent: Build a map or display demonstrating that people are living with and contracting Lyme in our region (MT, WY, ID, ND, SD, (BC), Alberta, Saskatchewan). I would like Lyme disease in our region to be increasingly visible in the Lyme community, local communities, and in general.  But the spatial display, I believe, will show a pretty distinct and compelling pattern worthy of considerable further attention and research.

Why

This information does not necessarily constitute ‘data’ but enough responses could help us start to:

1. See possible patterns at various scales;
2. Identify important questions (larger scale questions to address over time and questions to ask as more rigorous surveys and questions are drafted in the future);
3. Illustrate the important unknowns in our area;
4. Illustrate what current public numbers do or don’t say about patients in the region.

Names will not be shared or displayed without permission and medical information beyond where you feel you contracted Lyme is not requested.

*Existing maps that include this region (of all types) are of interest and much appreciated as links in comment section (or even a description of where you’ve seen one or who has one, including interactive maps).

The first form is for location information.  A form will be added for contact/interest information for people within and beyond the region.